RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – The Tennessee Hemp Industries Association is speaking out against Rutherford County for closing 23 businesses for selling CBD products.
The nonprofit says the DA and law enforcement could be misinformed.
Tennessee Hemp Industries Association President Joe Fitzpatrick believes they do not quite understand the difference between CBD derived from Hemp plants and THC from marijuana.
“I think the most important distinction to make is what product is derived from industrial hemp and what products are derived from marijuana because if they are derived from industrial hemp Governor Haslam signed the bill and it had unanimous support in both chambers of the state legislature to make any product derived from industrial hemp legal for ingestable or topical use. And marijuana products are simply not legal,” Kirkpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick said he’s been in communication with an attorney for one of the manufacturers of CBD products, who says they can prove their product is made from the Hemp plant.
“The attorney for the manufacturer is claiming that the product, that they can prove a chain of custody that will show the products that were seized in these apparently legal businesses were padlocked were carrying a product that is derived from industrial hemp making it fully and completely legal and safe,” he said.
Rutherford county lawmen from Smyrna, La Verne and Murfreesboro raided 23 business in the county Monday.
Undercover officers purchased CBD based oils and gummies laced with cannabidoil.
“The TBI has certified it as containing a Schedule VI controlled substance,” Rutherford County District Attorney General Jennings Jones said.
News 2 was able to obtain several copies of the judge’s petition which allowed the businesses to be padlocked.
Included is an official forensic chemistry report, that determined four of the products tested from Cloud 9 Hemi contained Cannabidiol, and listed it as a Schedule VI drug, but doesn’t give the amount contained.
Another TBI forensic report tested Gummy frogs which apparently contained Cannabidiol but the analysis couldn’t determine what schedule drug it contained.
An officer still wrote in a petition that the business Enchanted Planet offered edible CBD gummies that is a Schedule VI controlled substance.
“Our Forensic Scientists’ jobs are to objectively identify compounds that are present in evidence submitted to our lab and report out the schedule as indicated in the Tennessee Code Annotated,” said TBI spokesperson Josh Devine. “We make no determination as to the legality of these compounds. Instead, the District Attorney General determines whether the law has been broken, based upon the circumstances of each case.”
“Industrial Hemp is any cannabis product that has less than .3 of one percent which is a microscopic level of THC,” Kirkpatrick said.
“CBD keeps me seizure free, and the other side, shame on you Rutherford County,” CBD product user John Horton read from a homemade sign he was carrying.
Horton let his frustration be known, by walking around the historic Rutherford County Courthouse showing his disappointment in authorities for closing the businesses.
He suffers from seizures, but for the past two years he said he’s been seizure free since he started using CBD products.
“It’s been a life saver, I’m able to drive again, wasn’t able to drive because of the seizures so CBD has saved my life so I’m able to work and live like a normal person,” Horton said.
Since CBD products are also sold in Davidson County, News 2 reached out to District Attorney General Glenn Funk’s office, “Our office is aware of the Rutherford County CBD product sales,” said Chief of Staff Dorinda Carter. “We are monitoring the situation but we cannot comment on any possible investigation in our jurisdiction.”
Looking through history with knowledgable eyes, historian M.M. Drymon underscores how tick-borne illness has been with us since the beginning of time, and that many prominent historical figures showed signs of it in her latest book, The Persistent Spiral – The Ancient History of Lyme Disease and Tick-borne Infections.
First, she gives details of Ozti, the ancient man discovered in 1991 who represents the earliest documented case of Lyme Disease. Evidently, Ozti was carrying mushrooms with antibiotic qualities. He walked the forested area now located between Italy and Austria – one of the highest rates of modern LD in Europe. They even know he died in the Spring due to the intact pollen cells in his stomach.
And while all these intimate details of a fellow sufferer are intriguing, the recent discovery of what Drymon calls the pot smoking, dispersed living, individualistic Bronze Age Cowboys, enlightens for sure. The discovery of the Yamnaya helps explain old Chinese books describing people of great height, deep-set blue or green eyes, long noses, full beards,and red or blonde hair. These nomadic horse breeding and cattle and sheep herding people contributed to many ancestries and very well may relate to how modern patients handle Lyme Disease (LD). For more on the Yamnaya: https://dna-explained.com/2015/06/15/yamnaya-light-skinned-brown-eyed-ancestors/
Drymon and many others believe genetics to be one reason some become so ill with tick-borne illnesses.
The Yamnaya were grassland inhabiters who eventually migrated into Northern Europe and may be the reason most of us can tolerate lactose, which was rare previously. They also might be a reason we don’t handle tick illness well. Since they lived outside tick infested areas, they most probably had immune systems inexperienced with Tick borne illness (TBI’s) and when exposed suffered with autoimmune illness.
Drymon states the Chinese had more experience treating LD due to historically inhabiting temperate forests which harbor ticks. Traditional Chinese medicine indicates this fact by having treatments for spirochetal diseases and specific herbs for Bell’s palsy, joint pain, inflammation, heart problems, fever and skin diseases, and convulsions – all of which are TBI symptoms.
Fast forward to the Crusades and the fact both King Richard I and Philippe Augustus II became ill and nearly succumbed to Trench Mouth which is caused by Bacillus fasiformis & Borrelia vincenti (a strain of borrelia, and also a spirochete). Richard apparently became ill again later with Autumnal Fever which has a relapsing nature and is proposed to be tick-borne.
Then there’s Catherine of Aragon, lover of the hunt, who after staying at a hunting lodge, survived The Sweat and was periodically ill from that point on. A physician of the time described The Sweat as a pestilence with copious sweating, stinking, redness of face and body, continual thirst, with a great headache. Symptoms followed a pattern – sudden flu-like symptoms, apprehension, headaches, shivering, with muscle aches, and fatigue. Then came gut pain, vomiting, a hot and sweaty stage followed by headaches and delirium. There were also chest pains and difficulty breathing with great fatigue. (Sound familiar?) If patients didn’t die, they were repeatedly afflicted. It seemed to be a summer illness found in rural families. It also made many chronically affected for life.
There is no record of The Sweat until the landing of Henry Tudor’s soldiers in Wales after camping in forest edge environments. After that there were periodic outbreaks and two hundred and fifty years later an identical illness appeared in the exact same region. Another physician noted that black marks were sometimes on the skin.
Drymon lists the symptoms of numerous tick borne infections and how they look precisely like The Sweat. Symptoms of Borrelia miyamotoi cause high relapsing fevers, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, heart problems, shortness of breath, and a whole slew of neurological symptoms. Babesia is known to cause drenching sweats, anxiety, fatigue, headache, muscle, chest, and hip pain, and the ever lovely shortness of breath.
Poor Catherine struggled through seven pregnancies and her confessor reported that one knee pained her. If the babies weren’t still-born, they all died young except one daughter who became Queen Mary I. After Catherine was put to death by Henry, his next wife, Anne Boleyn battled The Sweat as well, and after marrying Henry also had a series of miscarriages with the only surviving heir being a daughter who became Queen Elizabeth I. Catherine and Anne had a lot in common, including the same husband, and while Drymon didn’t go over the probability of sexual transmission, there is evidence: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/02/24/pcos-lyme-my-story/ and https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/06/lyme-in-the-southern-hemisphere-sexual-transmission/
After Anne was put to death by Henry, and all likenesses of her were ordered to be destroyed, one of the few surviving pictures show a protruding lymph node below her jaw – another common TBI symptom.
Drymon goes through the various theories of what caused The Sweat, and logically refutes them all except for tick-borne illness. One telling quote by John Josselyn in the early seventeenth century states,
“there be infinite numbers of tikes hanging upon the bushes in summer time that will cleave to a man’s garments and creep into his breeches eating themselves in a short time into the very flesh of a man. I have seen the stockins of those that have gone through the woods covered with them.”
Evidently ticks were a problem then too.
Dr. John Caius who treated patients with The Sweat recommended regular burnings of fields and forest understory, as well as insect repellents and herbal treatments such as enula root and wormwood, herbs that are known even today to have action against borrelia and Babesia.
Drymon also discusses burnings in her other book, Disguised as the Devil, https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/10/08/did-lyme-create-witches/, another fascinating read about TBI’s and the witchcraft hysteria. She draws a connection between the fact that burnings were often abandoned in times of war due to upheaval and the absence of men to do the job. This in turn allowed ticks to propagate which in turn probably meant more people got infected – particularly women of that era who wore long dresses that essentially became tick drags.
Unfortunately, this effective method of reducing the tick population is frowned upon today due to the fear of pollution. Drymon states the ramifications of burning should quantified to determine its seriousness and if accommodations could be made.
While the entire book is fascinating, and frankly a lot of fun to read, one of the most important take-aways for me is the ever present issue of reducing ticks safely, effectively, and economically.
Burning is such a simple yet brilliant method that it begs to be used.
Being a Lyme patient and advocate, I’ve read about burning before. In fact, when I asked an older Wisconsin Representative who has lived here his whole life why this practice was abandoned, he repeated precisely what Drymon said about folks being concerned about pollution. He also said burnings worked and he wished they were still being done.
When I asked well known and respected entomologists in Integrated Pest Management, they assured me that burnings weren’t successful and gave me a 1998 study conducted in Connecticut using a single controlled burn on two different days with varying burn intensities. The results state that in both burns ticks were reduced substantially(74% and 97%). What the authors felt made it unsuccessful was an abundance of ticks in the fall – meaning, they felt it was temporary.
I was thankful for Drymon’s usage of a 2014 burn study performed in Georgia and Florida over a two year time period that indicates regular prescribed burning is an effective tool for reducing ticks and probably reduces disease as well. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0112174
I think we need to seriously revisit burning.
Drymon’s book reminds us that tick borne illness is as old as time and if we are going to get well it would behoove us to learn from the past.
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Here’s what you can expect to enjoy the FREE screening of the Masterclass…
Each video lesson will be available to watch on-demand for 24 hours starting at 9:00 p.m. EST on February 20. So…
Lesson 1 will be available to watch for 24 hours starting Tuesday, February 20 at 9:00 p.m. EST.
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And so on through the entire series, which ends March 1.
* Each video lesson has a special access link that we will email you so be sure to keep an eye on your inbox!
Feb 23 – Lesson 4: Internal Use Guide & Safety Tips
Natural Solutions for a Toxic-Free Home
Feb 24 – Lesson 5: DIY Body Care Products
Feb 25 – Lesson 6: DIY Cleaning Products
Feb 26 – Lesson 7: Cooking with Essential Oils
Regaining Control of Your Health
Feb 27 – Lesson 8: Preventing Disease with Essential Oils
Feb 28 – Lesson 9: Treating Disease with Essential Oils
March 1 – Lesson 10: Advanced Strategies & Protocols
The answer to your health problems can be found in nature, and we have seen thousands of lives changed by the healing power of essential oils. It’s our privilege to show you how to make them part of your daily life!
As always, our hope & prayer is that you enjoy the abundant life!
Then there’s that pesky detail of not having enough studies on the effectiveness of formaldehyde killing the virus making it “inactive” which explains why some get the flu after getting the vaccine: http://www.thevaccinereaction.org/2018/01/formaldehyde-doesnt-always-kill-viruses/This happened before when 40,000 kids were given the Salk IPV and got polio. OOPS!
What authorities don’t tell you about vaccines for the immunocompromised, such as Lyme/MSIDS patients, is that a vaccine which is created to lower your immune system so that your body mounts an immune response can activate latent infections. https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/12/02/scottish-doctor-gives-insight-on-lyme-msids/ Within this link you will also see a connection between the HPV vaccine and Bartonella. I just finished “Lyme Madness,” by Lori Dennis. Her son’s Lyme/MSIDS activated after a flu shot. I hear these stories over and over.
So rather than be frightened and reach for what seems like an easy button, this article will hopefully give you practical tools to use at home to lower your flu risk or lessen infection time.
The following video by NPR shows how viruses turn our cells into mini viral reproductive factories.
Approx. 3.5 Min
Approx. 6 Min
In this video Dr. Axe shares his top seven remedies to cure a cold fast. These specific remedies can help you get rid of your cold in 24 hours or less. They are most effective when taken upon initial flu/cold symptoms.
1. Echinacea
The research using Echinacea tea is not consistent. The studies that demonstrated the best effect at shortening the length of a cold occurred when you drink two to three cups of Echinacea tea per day starting on the first or second day of your cold.
2. Elderberry Syrup or Extract
In one study, elderberry syrup reduced the severity of flu symptoms and shortened their duration by about four days. Elderberry extract is also known for inducing sweating, and helps relieve congestion.
3. Vitamin C (1000mg 5x day)
A very potent antioxidant; use a natural form such as acerola, which contains associated micronutrients. You can take several grams every hour (use the liposomal form so you don’t get loose stools), till you are better.
4. Garlic (capsules or cloves)
In the singular study identified by the Cochrane group, those who took garlic daily for three months had fewer colds than those who took a placebo, and, when they did come down with a cold, the duration of illness was shorter — an average of 4.5 days compared to 5.5 days for the placebo group.
5. Oregano Oil/ Oil of Oregano (4-5 drops in water)
The higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective and most active antimicrobial agent in oregano oil which has potent antibacterial and antiviral effects. In one study, researchers found when in spray form in combination with four other aromatic plants it could immediately reduce the side effects of a cold. This treatment was no longer effective after three days of use. Oil of oregano should not be used by children, women who are pregnant or nursing or who plan to become pregnant.
6. Zinc (100mg a day)
A Cochrane Database Review of the medical research on zinc found that when taken within one day of the first symptoms, zinc can cut down the time you have a cold by about 24 hours. Zinc was also found to greatly reduce the severity of symptoms. Zinc was not recommended for anyone with an underlying health condition, like lowered immune function, asthma or chronic illness. Dr. Mercola does not recommend taking more than 50 mg a day, and does not recommend taking zinc on a daily basis for preventive purposes as you could easily develop a copper imbalance that way.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar (2 Tbsp in water 3x a day)
Cold viruses increase the acidity of your body. Apple Cider vinegar reduces the acidity and has acetic acid that helps prevent the growth of viruses.
Eliminate sugars from your diet, add in a real vegetable soup a day, consume chicken broth, and citrus fruits. For more information on getting rid of a cold check out this article: http://draxe.com/natural-cold-remedies/
1. Meditation – has significant positive effects on heart rate, brain function, stress reduction and blood pressure. Research also has demonstrated lasting positive effects on brain function and immune system. Imaging demonstrated an increase in activation in the left frontal region of the brain associated with lower anxiety, and blood work showed larger increases in antibody production in participants who meditated in the study.
2. Exercise – if all symptoms are above the neck, such as sneezing, sniffling and watery eyes, then breaking out in a sweat is generally considered safe. The immune system functions better when you exercise regularly and is a good preventative measure. Walking, jogging, yoga and slow biking are among the best exercises when you have a cold, while endurance sports, team sports, weightlifting and exercising in the cold weather are among the worst. Exercise may help you feel better but may not shorten the length of your cold. If you are involved in strenuous exercise it depletes the energy needed to fight the virus and can actually make your symptoms worse.
3. Sleep – Sleep has a strong regulatory influence on your immune system and promotes the influence of cytokines stimulating the interaction between antigen-presenting cells and T-helper cells necessary for your body to fight virus infections. Most people need between about eight hours of sleep a night and plenty of rest during the day.
4. Nasal Saline Rinse – Although researchers can only speculate how saline nasal washes are effective in treating and preventing virus infections and recurrences, the fact is they are effective. Use only sterile normal saline water in the rinse. Tap water can increase the inflammatory response in the sinus passages and carry parasites that can infect your brain.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide – In 1928, Dr. Richard Simmons hypothesized that the cold virus entered your body through the ear canal and not the nose. His theory was dismissed by the medical community; however, in 1938, German researchers had great success using hydrogen peroxide in the ear canal to treat colds and the flu. You must start treatment in the first 24 hours to have a significant impact on reducing the length of the cold. Take a capful of hydrogen peroxide and while lying on your side, pour it in, letting it bubble for a few minutes. Switch sides and repeat.
6. Chicken Soup – Ateam of researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center found evidence that chicken soup — both homemade and from the can — had anti-inflammatory properties that could prevent the side effects of a cold. Avoid the canned varieties in favor of a home-cooked version with homemade broth.
9. Coconut Oil – has both antibacterial and antiviral properties. Rub coconut oil over your skin. It is readily absorbed into your body and, as an added benefit, will soften your skin too. Add one-half teaspoon to your coffee or tea when you have a cold and cook with it.
10. Baking Soda – reduces the acidity of your body in the treatment of colds and flu. However, I have pushed the body pH in the opposite direction and achieved the same results, shortening the length of an infection. The administration of baking soda is simple, relatively harmless and easy to test on your own cold. Simply dissolve the recommended amount of baking soda in a glass of cold water and drink it. Recommended dosages from the Arm & Hammer Company for colds and influenza back in 1925 were:
Day 1 — Take six doses of one-half teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at about two-hour intervals Day 2 —Take four doses of one-half teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals Day 3 — Take two doses of one-half teaspoon of baking soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter ½ teaspoon in glass of cool water each morning until cold symptoms are gone This should only be used as an occasional (not chronic) treatment, however, and be careful not to consume excessive amounts, which can cause serious electrolyte and acid/base imbalances.
11. Lifestyle Choices – eliminate or drastically reduce your alcohol intake and smoking. Both of these factors negatively impact your immune system, making it more difficult for your body to fight the viral infection.
12. Steam – will not shorten the length of your cold, but it will help to break up the mucous secretions in your sinuses, reduce the inflammation in your nasal passages and help you to breathe better.
13. Stress Reduction – Practicing meditation, yoga or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) are simple and effective practices to support your immune system and prevent other damage caused by stress.
14. Hand Washing – is a deterrent for infection by viruses and against further infection while you are sick. It will also reduce the spread of the virus to other family members, but it will not shorten the length of your cold. Remember that too much hand washing is almost as bad as not enough. Frequent washing strips your skin of protective oils, causing the skin to crack and bleed.
15. Eat Real Food – and avoiding processed foods will give your body the necessary tools to fight a viral infection. It will also reduce the potential you’ll suffer a quick recurrence of the infection.
From the first time I pushed away from the dock for a solo adventure, I’ve had a love affair with boats. I was 10 years old at the time, and the boat was 14 feet long and made of wood. The outboard engine was only 7 ½ horsepower.
That boat was freedom. It enabled me to escape my mother’s gaze and venture out alone into the marshes, waterways, beaches, and islands of coastal North Carolina. Every trip was an adventure.
Since then, there have been many boats in my life — sailboats, kayaks, powerboats, both big and small. I’ve built a few from scratch, but I seem to have a weakness for restoring old boats. When my dad mentioned a 14-foot aluminum boat that he no longer had use for, I couldn’t resist.
I didn’t remember the boat. Apparently, it had been sitting behind the house for years; ignored in favor of bigger and fancier boats.
It turns out the boat had a history. It was my grandfather’s boat; my father’s father. He had used it for fishing at the northern outer banks of North Carolina. My grandfather had quite a reputation as an avid outdoorsman.
But I didn’t remember him that way.
By the time I came along, he was older. The man I knew was depressed and irritable most of the time. The story goes that he retired in his early forties because of a “mystery illness” that his doctors didn’t understand. For the second half of his life, he suffered from migraines, sleep problems, chronic pain, crippling arthritis, fatigue, and a host of other symptoms.
Of course, I now strongly suspect that he had a chronic tick-borne illness, probably Lyme disease.
The fact that we both became compromised by chronic Lyme disease is something I attribute more to our love for the outdoors than common genes. Like most other chronic illnesses, there are genetic tendencies for developing chronic Lyme disease, but I don’t think it’s directly inherited.
My takeaway message here is that people have always had mystery illnesses — it’s only been in the past 50 years that we’ve started to formally recognize what causes them. The microbes associated with chronic Lyme disease have been making people miserable long before it showed up in Lyme, Connecticut.
It’s interesting that the herbs and natural therapies I used to overcome Lyme disease were available during my grandfather’s time, but even less accepted than they are today. He used drugs to control symptoms, but remained chronically ill until the end of his life.
I’m now as old as my grandfather was when I first came into his life. Instead of being crippled with pain and misery, I hope to be spending the next decade reliving some of my youth.
The boat is almost ready to go. I’ve repaired leaky holes and seams, and the bottom has a fresh coat of paint. It should be as good as it was 50 years ago. I found a used motor; this time a 9.9 horsepower. With a used trailer from craigslist, I’m off to explore!
When I’m out on the open water, I’ll be thinking about my grandfather, the man I never really got to know, enjoying the outdoors when he was young and untouched by Lyme disease.
Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease and recovery in Dr. Rawls’ new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme.
You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.
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**Comment**
The label Lyme disease is a bit similar to history’s use of the word “consumption” – a mystery illness that is hard to pin down. It defies testing, diagnosis, and often times treatment. While mainstream medicine calls it Lyme Disease, it is often a hodgepodge of pathogens making our cases far more complex than is recognized. Dr. Horowitz calls it multi systemic infectious disease syndrome (MSIDS).
This story of repairing an old boat truly is a great analogy. There is much work to do as a patient of tick borne illness and what works for one often doesn’t for another.
So, learn about the boat you are steering. Be willing to try and experiment with different health modalities (one thing at a time to determine what helps your boat) and continue to be a life-long health learner.
I’m now as old as my grandfather was when I first came into his life. Instead of being crippled with pain and misery, I hope to be spending the next decade reliving some of my youth.
Madison Area Lyme Support Group 