Well, of course I didn't even imply anything
like that because everyone knows you can get
medicine from plants. Everyone also knows that
charlatanry is the world's second oldest
profession. It hurts the public health and preys
on sick people. Witness the way Airborne quack
vendors prey upon cancer patients desperate to be
protected from "airborne viruses*"
Just because cannabis may have medicinal use
doesn't mean that all herbs do or that any quack
medicine is all right.
All those herbs and natural "remedies" on the
shelves have the words "This product is “not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any
disease" printed right on them. I'll take their
word for it. Everyone else should too. They should
read the label. It's not a big farm conspiracy;
they have to put that disclaimer on the packages
because despite a few rumors and folk tales, no
one has the slightest idea if this stuff helps or
hurts. I repeat, no one has the slightest idea if
it helps or hurts.
Crooks and crackpots, however, know very well that
they can make a buck on it from the credulous or
the desperate. They write absolutely ridiculous
health claims and put asterisks on them to match
the microscopic disclaimer to get away with lying
and deceiving people. (See the Airborne
page.) I'm against this. I am not for this.
The health food charlatans package creosote bush
leaves and label it "Chaparral." They say it's a
great "liver cleanser,*" which is a fancy real
medical term I'm sure. The problem is that
underneath the creosote bush nothing grows and
nothing moves. It produces an insecticide and a
defoliant to kill insects and competing plant
species.
Eating Raid Ant and Roach Killer® along with
agent orange may be the new cure for cancer for
all I know, but until I do know, I'm not having
any and I don't care if it's called a "natural
remedy."
When I lived in Mexico City I used to go to the
Mercado Merced. There, you would see bottles of
worms, various nematodes and the like. The
customers would identify the worm that was
afflicting them. Then the curandero would mix up a
bunch of folk herbs to match.
I took an medical anthropology class. In it we
studied parasitic worms and the absolutely
devastating effects they have on people. It took
forever for researchers to figure out how to offer
any kind of treatment. Those people in Mexico City
desperately needed modern medicine.
Doctors now know how to get rid of those parasites
and they didn't find out by turning to any Mexican
herb chamán (or any health store quack) to find
the answer.
Anyway, I just don't like crooks or misguided
people that are selling quack remedies, and I look
upon people who sell such stuff as being one or
the other. I'm amazed that such fraud is allowed
with a simple disclaimer and an asterisk. I'm
amazed that people stand to defend this obvious
fraud and quackery when all they have to do is
read the label.
Modern medicine is iffy enough!
Just my opinion.
* "This product is “not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure, or prevent any disease."
