It expects a recovery in vape sales to boost its fortunes, while it gains from expanded cannabis production in Nevada and licensing deals

1933 Industries Inc () (OTCMKTS:TGIFF) CEO Chris Rebentisch said Monday that the company anticipates a recoveryin vape sales as it reported first quarter financial results for fiscal year 2020.

In a statement accompanying the Vancouver, British Columbia companys latest numbers, Rebentisch said: Company revenues for first quarter 2020 were impacted by lower than expected sales from vape products, largely attributed to the rampant use of vitamin E acetate in black market products.

Despite weakness in this segment, we anticipate a recovery in vape sales across both our Alternative Medicine Association (AMA) and Infused MFG subsidiaries as well as the demand in the supply chain for distillate normalizing in Nevada in early 2020.

The 1933 Industries boss said that with over 100+ SKUs across 5 product lines, and 8 licensing partners, the companys diversified product portfolio and product mix will help to boost future growth.

Over the last two years of operations we have built AMA and Canna Hemp into valuable and respected brands, said Rebentisch.

We have attracted the top brand names in the industry as our partners in Nevada, and we are expanding our physical footprint to build a sustainable foundation for growth, he added.

The companys cultivation arm, Alternative Medicine Association, recently received the exclusive rights to cultivate flower, manufacture pre-rolls, live resin vape pens and cartridges under the Blonde brand for distribution to licensed dispensaries in Nevada. The subsidiary has another licensing agreement with California-based PLUGplay which allows AMA to make distillate and vape pens under the PLUGplay brand for dispensaries across Nevada.

Rebentisch said that cannabis sales continue to remain strong in Nevada, touching $639 million in the fiscal year ended June 30. Interestingly, 80% of the sales came from Clark County, according to Nevada tax numbers.

For the fiscal first quarter 2020 period which ended on October 31, the company posted revenue of $3.9 million, down 26% from the previous quarter, mainly due to the decline in market share for vape and distillate sales in the recreational market in Nevada.

Vaping accounts for 25% of cannabis sales in Nevada, and according to economic analysis firm New Frontier while the nationwide decline was 15% during the first week of September, at the state level, Nevada saw a drop of 32% in vape sales.

Meanwhile, the companys CBD wellness products made through its subsidiary Infused MFG continued to gain traction and contributed $2.1 million in revenue during the quarter. The rest of the $1.8 million in revenue came from Alternative Medicine Association.

The companys cash position in the fiscal first quarter stood at $14.9 million, compared to $17.6 million on July 31. The company had $21.4 million in working capital during the quarter.

1993 Industries has total assets estimated at $61.4 million during the fiscal first quarter, compared to $56 million in the same quarter in fiscal year 2019.

Our current cash position allows us to continue our operations, service debenture interest obligations and fund our capital needs, said Rebentisch.

We are confident that we will achieve significant growth in 2020, driven by our expanded cannabis production in Nevada, our near-term entry into the California market, increased distribution into new markets for our Canna Hemp line and the development of products in support of our licensing agreements, he added.

1993 Industries completed the first harvest at its new facility inLas Vegas, Nevada.Two zones were harvested yielding 450 pounds of flower and trim, as well as 250 pounds of fresh frozen flower, which will be used to produce oils, bulk distillate, and live resin for its premium products. The next growth cycle will start in mid-January and be harvested in March. At full production, the company expects to harvest every 10 to 14 days. AMA is growing 26 strain varieties as well as 12 Cannabis Cup winning strains from the company's licensing partner, OG DNA Genetics.

Rebentisch noted:"We learned a lot from our first harvest in the new facility, taking the time to adjust and perfect our automated systems, calibrating the optimal water and nutrient distribution to our plants, and ensuring the ideal drying process in order to promote the genetic potential of the flowers."

"Our craft cannabis processes of hand trimming and curing, with no chemical protection utilized in our indoor grow, differentiates our products in the market and provides our consumers with premium quality, safe cannabis products," he added.

1933 Industries, based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, owns licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation and production assets, proprietary hemp-based, CBD-infused branded products, CBD extraction services and a specialized cannabis advisory firm.

Updates with harvest details

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at[emailprotected]

Follow her onTwitter:@UttaraProactive

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1933 Industries expects growth in vape sales in 2020 as it posts fiscal 1Q numbers - Proactive Investors USA & Canada

By Submitted Story on January 2, 2020

Learn anything, anytime, anywhere with Universal Classonline courses for your professional and personal growth. There are over 500 online non-credit continuing education courses, each 10- to 20-hours long, but because you learn at your own pace, you can take up to six months to complete each course. Learn job and career skills, academic topics, hobbies, language learning, and more. You can even correspond with an instructor via email. Universal Class is available to registered borrowers of the Dare County Library in the library or from work, school, or home.

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Develop new skills in 2020 with your Dare County Library card! - The Outer Banks Voice

Timothy Caulfield is a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy at the University of Alberta and host of the documentary series A Users Guide to Cheating Death.

While pseudoscience and quackery have been around a long time, the 2010s were truly the decade of bunk. The reach and influence of misinformation has intensified to the point that it feels near impossible to find the truth in the churning sea of falsehoods, exaggerated claims and fear mongering.

Social media advertising pushes anti-vaccine myths, celebrity health brands aggressively sell rubbish ideas and products, health-care providers and research institutions hype unproven therapies and there are wild conspiracy theories about everything from GMOs to fluoride to milk. And the media reporting on all these topics often adds more confusion than clarity.

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As someone who studies the public representations of science, the decade was both exhausting and a bit depressing. But there is good news. More and more entities including governments, universities and professional organizations are recognizing the importance of this issue. This year, the World Health Organization declared the spread of vaccine misinformation one of the top threats to public health.

The 2010s have been called the post-truth decade. What can we do to make the next decade more, if only a little, about the truth? What can we do to create a cultural shift that allows science and critical thinking to rise above the noise of nonsense? While this is obviously a complicated issue that will require us to deploy a host of strategies, here are a few to get us started.

Correcting misinformation is a complex and increasingly difficult endeavour. Falsehoods and exaggerated claims are injected into an information environment that is already clouded by a tangle of values, ideological agendas and preconceived ideas about what is healthy and what is not. As such, merely making the science-informed facts publicly available be it about the value of vaccines or the uselessness of detox diets will often have little impact.

A body of evidence suggests that just correcting misinformation (debunking) will not change minds and may even cause some to become more entrenched in their misplaced views. While the influence and prevalence of this backfire effect is frequently overstated, its existence highlights how challenging the battle against misinformation can be.

In addition, because of our strong tendency to consume information that confirms our beliefs a psychological phenomenon called the confirmation bias we often do not even see, read or consider alternative views.

But despite these and many other psychological barriers that can make us less than receptive to evidence that might correct misinformation, presenting people with the facts can still make a difference. A 2015 study, for example, found that emphasizing the strength and breadth of the scientific consensus on a topic is an effective strategy, perhaps because this helps to correct perceptions of false balance (that is, the perception that the evidence on either side of an issue is more balanced or contested than it actually is). A 2019 study found that not responding publicly to science deniers on topics such as vaccination can have a negative effect on public beliefs and actions. The silence leaves inaccuracies unchecked. But the researchers also found that a fact-filled rebuttal that corrects specific inaccuracies can make a difference. The study found that not engaging on the issue that is, silence from the experts results in "the worst effect.

So, yes, while facts alone will often not be enough, facts still matter. We should not shy away from battling bunk with the good science. But how we provide that science also matters.

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There is some evidence that humans are biologically predisposed (thanks, evolution) to respond to stories and anecdotes. This is one reason misinformation can have such a persuasive punch: it is often wrapped in a compelling narrative. And, unfortunately, those pushing bunk health products and ideas are particularly adept with anecdotes. They are used to hawk all sorts of science-free hokum, such as miracle cures for debilitating diseases, celebrity diets and anti-vaccine fear mongering.

In many ways, social media are platforms for sharing personal narratives. Even if you dont want to, it is easy to come across a post reflecting on a personal experience that, intentionally or not, pushes a science-free position. For example, a recent study found that even though Instagram has more pro-vaccine posts, the anti-vaccine ones have more engagement. And this is because, at least in part, the opponents of vaccines are more likely to use powerful narratives, usually about harm.

These kinds of health-related anecdotes leverage several of our hardwired psychological tendencies: the negativity effect (we respond more strongly to negative than positive information); the availability bias (dramatic examples that are easy to recall can be more influential); and our natural attraction to a relatable story.

Anecdotes are also often used as the primary rationale for science-free health-care services. A study I did with my colleague Alessandro Marcon found that those arguing for alternative medicine in this case, chiropractic services most often support their position with anecdotes, rather than science. Unfortunately, despite the fact that anecdotes should not be considered good evidence, they can be very convincing, as they can interfere with our ability to think scientifically.

Given this reality, the battle against health misinformation will require science advocates to use a variety of engaging and creative communication strategies, including stories, images and art, and shareable messages that are social-media friendly (remember MediaSmarts House Hippo campaign?). Science needs to be inserted into the broader conversation in a way that will allow it to compete with the narrative-filled misinformation circulating in popular culture. Absorbing and entertaining science stories are everywhere. Lets use them.

While correcting misinformation is essential, the best way to stop it from having an adverse impact on public health is to encourage the application of critical thinking. Studies have consistently found that it is possible to teach such skills, even to the relatively young, and that this can help to inoculate individuals from the sway of health bunk. This should include providing basic tools to evaluate claims of efficacy, such as the reality that an anecdote or a testimonial is not good evidence, no matter how compelling.

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Lets encourage a culture of fact-checking and a reverence for accuracy. We need to constantly remind ourselves (and others) to think before sharing. In most situations, people do not intentionally spread misinformation because they have some malevolent agenda (although this certainly happens). In the kerfuffle of our daily lives, we are simply too distracted to pause and consider, for instance, the veracity of that post that claimed tanning your bum is health-enhancing (an actual story, and, no, its not a good health strategy). However, a recent study found that simply reminding people to think about the concept of accuracy can increase the quality of the news they share (please consider this a reminder).

Rising public distrust of science institutions (44 per cent of Canadians think scientists are elitist), ideological polarization and frustration (right or not) with the health-care system has created an environment that has allowed misinformation to thrive. And, of course, the spreading of misinformation has facilitated the growth of these kinds of sentiments, making people even more distrustful and receptive to misleading health information. A destructive feedback loop is creating a science-sucking vortex that is pulling us into an all knowledge is relative and not to be trusted Dark Age.

So while we need to fight health misinformation with creative communication strategies and critical thinking, we also need to tackle the systemic issues that make the misinformation so intuitively appealing and believable. When people feel as if conventional health-care providers ignore them, or they hear about pharmaceutical scandals, it is much easier for them to believe stories about the efficacy of alternative therapies and conspiracy theories about Big Pharma. When regulated health professionals are allowed to market unproven therapies, it may seem hypocritical to condemn the pseudoscience pushed by celebrity wellness gurus.

Good research, robust oversight and scientific integrity are essential to the struggle against misinformation. Without good science and public trust in that science, Im not sure if the fight against misinformation is winnable.

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To win the fight against health and wellness bunk, we must leave the post-truth era in the past - The Globe and Mail

With the growing, selling, and consumption of marijuana being legalized in many states in the US, it has become a lucrative investment for those who are forward-thinking enough to get into the market early.

There are now so many more studies showing the benefits of marijuana-derived products like CBD and THC, that more people are willing to try this alternative medicine for themselves.

At first, it might seem like growing and selling marijuana products is a simple thing to do, but there is a lot to consider before you plant your first seed. We are going to go over some things that you need to know about before you start growing marijuana.

If you want to start a business growing cannabis, you need to consider the legalities before doing so. Firstly, is it legal in the state in which you reside? There are 1o states where marijuana is legal and more could follow soon.

Some states allow recreational and medical use, but they do not allow the production of commercialization. The states that allow the legal distribution of marijuana are Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Massachusetts, Maine, Colorado, California, and Alaska.

To sell legally, you need to get a license from the state authorities where you live. The basic requirements include a business format, a tax ID number, DBA filing, general business license, sales tax permit, and various other permissions particular to individual states.

Once you have all of this in order, you can start producing marijuana.

Marijuana plants, just like all other living things, need the right environment to flourish. There are many strains of cannabis that have different growing preferences, and they have different effects when smoked or ingested. Now, it is easy to order seeds online with the exact description of the product and what is required to grow it successfully.

It is also important to note that even in states where selling and growing is sanctioned there are restrictions as to where the growing can be done. There are usually restrictions about how close it is to a school, park, library, or other public areas.

You have two options when thinking about where to grow, outdoor or indoor.

When considering an outdoor facility, you have to look into your local state requirements. Most states require a fence or boundary around the plantation with minimum height requirements. Also, some states limit the plant height to 10 feet tall.

With outdoor plants, you have to consider the climate. Is there enough sunlight during the average day? Is there too much rain, snow, or other extreme weather conditions? These are all things to consider when planning outdoor cultivation.

Indoor facilities are generally considered a better option because you can control the growing environment much more precisely. However, the costs of setting up an indoor grow can be prohibitive.

You must consider temperature, humidity, lighting, irrigation, growing mediums, and pest control. If you get all these things right, you can expect to produce a lot of quality cannabis and make substantial profits.

When running a business, it is important to be as efficient as possible. To attract more clients, having a reputation as an environmentally friendly grower is important, too.

It is a good idea to invest in solar panels to power lighting, watering systems, and your other production energy requirements. You should also recycle water and install a rainwater collection system to supply your plants. A few years after the initial capital outlay, your reduced energy and water bills will increase the profitability of your business.

Above is a general overview of what you need to know about growing cannabis. However, selling is another challenge. You have to consider the security of your plants, proper employee training, and background checking, packaging, transportation, product testing, and marketing.

Producing marijuana is a growing business that is set to progress further as more states legalize the production and sales of cannabis. It requires some effort and planning in the early stages, but having the first-mover advantage will ensure the best possible chance of success. Now is a great time to consider this pioneering industry.

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Growing Marijuana: What you Need to Know - Baltimore Post-Examiner

Although the Executive Branch has the prerogative to regulate this subject, legal decisions in favor of cannabis cultivation in the national territory are becoming increasingly common to compensate the States omission.

Finally,the National Health Surveillance Agency Anvisa enacted the long-awaitedregulation for cannabis-based products. After so much speculation, RDC No. 327/2019was unanimously approved at the Collegiate Board Meeting from Anvisa (Dicol),held on December 3, 2019.

Theapproved regulation, which will take effect on March 10, 2020, establishesprocedures and requirements for the manufacture, importation, packaging,marketing and registration of medicinal cannabis-based products in Brazil.

The newclass of cannabis-based products was created to simplify the registrationprocedure of these products. Theirclassification as medicine would depend on studies and clinical research at anadvanced technical-scientific stage, which would currently make the approval ofmedical cannabis in such category unfeasible. The recent edited regulation must be revisitedby Anvisa within three years of its publication in the Brazilian officialgazette.

Nowdomestic and foreign companies can explore the Brazilian market by making productsup to 0.2% THC in their application available to patients with medicalprescription. Products with THC greaterthan 0.2% may only be prescribed for terminally ill patients or hazards thatdepleted alternative treatment therapies.

Althoughthe new regulatory framework was been considered an important advance for theopening of the Brazilian cannabis market, Anvisa decided to withdraw theproposed regulation for cannabis planting by justifying that the regulation ofnot existing economic activity in the country and prescribed by law would exceedthe competence of the Agency.

WithAnvisas veto, there is no other alternative for manufacturers ofcannabis-based products than the importation of pharmaceutical ingredients inthe form of plant derivatives or industrialized products, once the newregulation does not allow the importation of Cannabis spp plant or partsthereof.

In fact,since the Federal Law No. 11,343/2006 (Brazilian Drug Law) was enacted, theUnion, through the Executive Branch, is entitled to authorize cannabis plantingand harvest exclusively for medical or scientific purposes, which means thatfor thirteen years Brazilian society awaits the regulation of such subject.

If Anvisa,which has the competence to regulate in this matter, did not do it, theexpectation is now placed in the National Congress. Bill No. 399/15 is still pending in theSpecial Committee of the Chamber of Congress and, given the social pressure, itmay have its scope broadened to also regulates cannabis planting for medicinalpurposes.

On the onehand, we have the omission of the State, by the Executive Branch, to deliberatethis matter. But on the other, we face the Judiciary assuming this role. Currently there are 52 (fifty-two) courtrulings authorizing the individual cultivation of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Those rulings were granted to people withserious or chronic diseases.

In the caseof planting and growing cannabis for collective purposes, the AssociaoBrasileira de Apoio Cannabis Esperana Abrace, located at the city ofJoo Pessoa Paraba, is the only legally authorized association to grow and processmarijuana and supply cannabinoid products to its members.

Morerecently, a company located in the countryside of So Paulo has just obtained ajudicial authorization to import and grow industrial hemp seeds with THCconcentration below 0.3%, as well as trade seeds, leaves and fibers forexclusively industrial purposes. The judicialdecision was granted on the same day that Anvisa approved the RDC No. 327/2019and decided to file the proposal of a regulation for cannabis planting.

The veto ofcannabis planting prevents Brazil from having a vertical industrialization forthe manufacture of cannabis-based products, with lower costs and affordable forthe population.

If the Stateis not exercising its regulatory function, the Judiciary, in response to the socialdemand is doing so. The absence ofspecific regulations for cannabis planting and the favorable precedents mentionedhere contribute to the granting of new favorable court decisions. In fact, the tendency is to multiply thisdemand over Brazilian courts on diverse fronts by: (i) universalizing patientsaccess to cannabis-based products by means of the Brazilian Unified HealthSystem SUS (Sistema nico de Sade) and by granting habeas corpus forplanting and cultivation of cannabis plant; or (ii) enabling investorsinterested in cannabis projects and initiatives develop this market.Althoughwe have not achieved the ideal regulatory environment, we cannot fail torecognize the progress that RDC No. 327/2019 made on this subject. Because we are facing a transitionalregulatory situation, now it is the perfect timing for the Brazilian society topersist in the fight for more extensive cannabis-based products regulation.

Written by:

Isabela Amorim Diniz Ferreira, Corporate lawyer from Farroco Abreu Advogados, specialized on regulatory matters and post-graduated in Economic Law by Fundao Getlio Vargas de So Paulo (FGV/SP).

http://www.farrocoabreu.com.br

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Because of the inertia of the Executive Branch, the Judiciary starts to regulate the growing of cannabis in Brazil - Global Legal Chronicle

The CBD industry is booming because of the promising health benefits that this cannabinoid compound provides. Cannabidiol or CBD has truly gained so much popularity in the world of health and wellness. It is a great pain reliever and helps reduce signs and symptoms of inflammation or infection. Is CBD a promising alternative medicine to protect and boost immunity?

In this post, youll learn more about how CBD can help ease inflammation so that you can choose the best CBD product for you and your loved ones.

CBD Has Anti-inflammatory Properties

Cannabidiol or CBD is effective for inflammation because it has natural anti-inflammatory properties. The human body is composed of an endocannabinoid system or ECS comprised of endocannabinoids, or endogenous lipid-based neurotransmitters that attach to cannabinoid receptors. The proteins of cannabinoid receptors are present in the immune system, as well as the peripheral and central nervous system, including the vertebrae and the brain.

Here are the good-to-know facts about CBDs anti-inflammatory properties:

CBD Reduces Pain and Inflammation

As CBD enters the human body, it attaches itself to CB2 receptors, which trigger the body to produce natural cannabinoids. These natural cannabinoids attach themselves to CB2 receptors to counteract pain and inflammation.

In a CBD pain management study, cannabinoids, including CBD, can help treat pain. CB2 receptors are confined to immune and lymphoid tissues, which are proven to be essential mediators for suppressing inflammation and pain. CBD promotes the signaling of adenosine receptors, a neurotransmitter or nervous system chemical, which inhibits the perception of pain and promotes relaxation and sleep.

CBD Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease

Heart disease can be caused by different reasons, such as stress, an unhealthy lifestyle, diet, and bacteria. One type of heart disease is endocarditis or inflammation of the inner lining of the heart valves and chambers. Endocarditis occurs when fungi, bacteria, or other microorganisms spread and reach the heart from other parts of your body, such as the mouth and lungs.

For your heart health, its high time to consider taking high-quality CBD. It will help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. You may consume CBD oil every day as a daily supplement to your heart medications.

Here are the different ways you can administer CBD for your cardiovascular health:

CBD Is Immunosuppressive

The mechanism of CBD involves the direct suppression of immune cell activation. It promotes regulatory cells to help control other immune cells, thus reducing or eliminating signs and symptoms of inflammation, such as the following:

Conclusion

Yes, CBD can help inflammation. Cannabidiol or CBD is a potent cannabinoid compound that can help reduce the signs and symptoms of inflammation, pain, stress, and anxiety. Its good for the heart, nervous system, and the immune system because CBD attaches to cannabinoid receptors to stimulate immune, nervous, and heart responses, promoting health and wellness.

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Can CBD Help Inflammation? What To Know - Odisha Diary

SPRING HILL Wellness through attention to body, mind and spirit is the aim for adults, students and even pets at WellCome Om Holistic Wellness Center, a unique and recent addition to lifestyle education in Hernando County.

Opened with a full range of offerings this fall, the institute is housed in three architecturally dynamic buildings, extending to open-air learning spaces in a leafy, six-acre campus at 4242 Lake in the Woods Drive, just off Commercial Way.

Founder Dr. Maria Scunziano Singh is a physician of internal medicine with another diploma in naturopathic medicine. In establishing the center over several years, she explained, I have always wanted to bring truth to the public for living healthier, (with) a more balanced body, mind and spirit, and to know there is something beyond therapeutical, surgical and pharmaceutical. The concept embodies the holistic approach shes developed over her 58 years.

All things we have, Singh continued, can be for improvement of health overall, to enhance wellness. We dont have to treat things.

Under Singhs direction, eight on-site professional staffers are joined regularly by guest practitioners and consultants to lead processes, she said, to awaken, to educate and to nurture and to prevent illness.

At WellCome, meditation focuses on wakefulness, said administrator Natalya Musallam, a registered medical assistant with a college degree in health and wellness. The center educates through speakers and hands-on activities.

Among the facilities, the salt room has really taken off, Musallam said. The comfortably heated room is akin to a beach with salt crystals instead of sand underfoot, pressed salt walls and salt embedded in the ceiling. Treatment in the room is said to reduce respiratory inflammation, improve breathing and fight bacteria.

The dry heat, infrared sauna for whole-body detoxification is drawing approval from those who find wet saunas overly intense, she said.

In a sparkling stainless steel commercial kitchen, a visiting chef offers periodic cooking classes, showcasing plant-based dishes with new preparations, a particular hit with vegans and vegetarians, Singh said.

Organic edibles, body essentials and a range of eco-friendly products are for sale at the centers Conscious Market. Among them are honey, vegetable oils, seeds, dried herbs, fresh bulk greens in season, as well as kitchen gadgets, goat milk soaps, local artisan jewelry and crafts.

Market workshops have focused on using essential oils and concocting ones own body and skin products.

The outdoor landscape is edible, Musallam noted, pointing out lemongrass hedges, pineapple plants, fig and peach trees, and healing herbs.

In the movement studio, classes practice several forms of yoga, plus tai chi, kick-boxing, tribal belly dance, Latin dance, Pilates and guided meditation. Whole health includes attention to the arts, Singh believes, and a series of weekly classes on the subject begins in late January.

Special for teens is the iEmpower Club, which teaches leadership skills, making a difference and providing opportunities to earn community service hours.

As for pets, a recent lecture dealt with the use of essential oils for their benefit. Healthy pet treats are available at the Conscious Market.

Center memberships are available starting at an introductory $20. Massage starts at $45, movement classes, from $15. Details are available on the website, WellComeOMCenter.com.

A number of lectures and activities are offered free to the public. The center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Community and special events may be scheduled evenings and Sundays.

Contact the writer at graybethn@earthlink.net.

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Wellness center offers holistic alternative in New Hernando - Tampa Bay Times

Yoga therapist Tina Paul (back) and Lori Weisenberg-Catalano work on form.

Chief of the Integrative Medicine Service Jun Mao performs acupuncture on a patient.

Music therapist Alessandro Ricciarelli and an MSK Kids patient play the guitar.

Summary

The Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering is celebrating 20 years of incorporating complementary medicine into the care plans of people with cancer.Read on to learn about its first days and whats to come.

As a new millennium approached in 1999, another beginning was underway: the creation of the Integrative Medicine Service (IMS) at Memorial Sloan Kettering. The IMS was built on the premise that healing from cancer goes beyond standard medical treatments promoting wellness in mind and spirit can help people feel whole again, too.

For 20 years, the IMS staff has cared for hundreds of thousands of people with cancer and led studies that have furthered the field of integrative oncology. The program has always been rooted in evidence-based medicine, says IMS Chief Jun Mao. Unlike alternative medicine, which uses unproven methods instead of conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, the IMS works with a persons primary MSK cancer care team to support them holistically. Specialized integrative medicine doctors consult with patients and create a road map for their therapeutic needs. Services such as fitness training, acupuncture, meditation, yoga, massage, music therapy, and more are tailored to the individuals symptoms and promote restoration.

The blend of programs at MSK was the brainchild of philanthropist Laurance Rockefeller, who was on MSKs Boards of Overseers and Managers for more than 50 years. He believed that we have to take care of quality-of-life issues for people affected by cancer, Dr. Mao says. The first IMS Chief, Barrie Cassileth, established the prototype for the IMS and later founded the Society for Integrative Oncology, a multidisciplinary international society with more than 500 members from over 30 countries.

Integrative Medicine

Our Integrative Medicine Service offers a range of wellness therapies that are designed to work together with traditional medical treatments. Visit us today.

Barrie wanted me to continue to build upon the strong foundation she created and take this program to the next level, Dr. Mao says. Mr. Rockefellers legacy is now being carried forward by his daughter Lucy R. Waletzky, an MSK Board member who continues to support the IMS.

Integrative medicine services at MSK are more accessible than ever. Today, patients can receive acupuncture at all of MSKs regional locations. Through telemedicine, they can consult with an IMS doctor and take mindfulness classes from home. They can also access an online video library of mind-body programs guided by IMS specialists, including a series of instructional tai chi videos. In 2019, the IMS began offering pediatric integrative medicine consultations through MSK Kids. The IMS continues to lead integrative oncology research. In April 2019, Dr. Maos team published findings showing that changes to sleep behavior and acupuncture can offer persistent relief for insomnia.

Dr. Mao envisions an even more robust future, with expanded in-person and digital offerings. MSKs About Herbs database, an online hub of information on vitamins and supplements, has had roughly seven million visitors from 194 countries over the past 15 years. We really want to harness the power of technology so that patients have access to MSKs experts and services at their fingertips, he says.

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Whole-Person Healing: Celebrating 20 Years of Integrative Medicine at MSK - On Cancer - Memorial Sloan Kettering

Cancer patients who receive proton therapy in conjunction with chemotherapy are less likely to experience side effects requiring hospitalization than those who undergo traditional photon radiation, according to new research out of Penn's Perelman School of Medicine.

In the largest review of its kind, Penn researchers analyzed data from 1,483 patients who received treatment for brain cancer, head and neck cancer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and gynecologic cancer. None of the patients had metastatic cancer and all were undergoing curative treatment.

Among this cohort, 391 patients received proton therapy, while 1,092 underwent photon treatment. Both groups were also undergoing chemotherapy.

Tradidional photon radiation uses multiple x-ray beams to target cancerous tumors, but often deposits radiation in tissue beyond the location of the tumor. This can damage tissue when the beam exits the body.

With proton therapy, an FDA-approved alternative radiation treatment, positively charged protons are directed to the tumor, leaving very little residual radiation beyond the target.

The purpose of the study was to examine the 90-day window following treatment to see whether one group or the other had a higher rate of hospitalization from adverse effects.

Researchers found that only 11.5% of the proton group (45 patients) were hospitalized during that 90-day period, compared to 27.6% of patients (301) in the traditional group. The study included a weighted analysis of both groups to determine whether other causes may have contributed to adverse effects.

The analysis demonstrated a two-thirds lower risk of severe toxicity in the proton group, while overall survival and disease-free survival were similar between the two groups.

"This is exciting because it shows that proton therapy offers a way for us to reduce the serious side effects of chemo-radiation and improve patient health and wellbeing without sacrificing the effectiveness of the therapy," said Brian Baumann, a radiation oncologist at Penn and lead author of the study published in JAMA Oncology.

The results suggest that clinical trials of proton therapy may be a particularly strong option for older and sicker individuals who have other conditions complicating their cancer treatment.

While further research is needed, the analysis provides information that has been difficult to gather through randomized clinical trials to date.

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Proton therapy diminishes cancer side effects compared to traditional radiation, Penn study finds - PhillyVoice.com

By Cottage Health | December 25, 2019 | 12:05 p.m.

Is the Internet your first source to check when researching health information? If so, youre not alone.

A recent survey, conducted by United HealthCare, found this was the case for 20 percent of survey respondents. With so much information at our fingertips, it can be hard to know if your search results come from reliable sources.

Brittany Haliani, manager of SAGE Medical Library at Cottage Health, covers this very topic in her Fact or Fiction presentation in which she discusses:

Tools to access authoritative health websites

How to see if your physician is board certified

How to look up your physicians medical license

How to evaluate health information shared on social media

How to access complementary and alternative medicine websites

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How to Determine Fact or Fiction When Researching Health Information - Noozhawk

Zion Market Research published a new 110+ pages industry researchComplementary and Alternative Medicine Market: by Intervention (Acupuncture, Botanicals, Magnetic Intervention, and Body, Mind & Yoga); by Distribution Channel (E-Training, Direct Contact and Distance Correspondence): Global Industry Perspective, Compreheis exhaustively researched and analyzed in the report to help market players to improve their business tactics and ensure long-term success. The authors of the report have used easy-to-understand language and uncomplicated statistical images but provided thorough information and detailed data on theGlobal Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. The report equips players with useful information and suggests result-oriented ideas to gain a competitive edge in the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. It shows how different players are competing in the global market and discusses strategies they are using to distinguish themselves from other participants.

This Research will help you grow your Business: [Download free Sample PDF of This Research Report]

The researchers have provided quantitative and qualitative analysis along with an absolute dollar opportunity assessment in the report. Additionally, the report offers Porters Five Forces analysis and PESTLE analysis for more detailed comparisons and other important studies. Each section of the report has something valuable to offer to players for improving their gross margin, sales and marketing strategy, and profit margins. Using the report as a tool for gaining insightful market analysis, players can identify the much-needed changes in their operation and improve their approach to doing business. Furthermore, they will be able to give a tough competition to other players of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market while identifying key growth pockets.

Market Competition

Each company assessed in the report is studied in relation to various factors such as product and application portfolios, market share, growth potential, future plans, and recent developments. Readers will be able to gain complete understanding and knowledge of the competitive landscape. Most importantly, the report sheds light on strategies that leading players are banking on to maintain their dominance in the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. It shows how the market competition will change in the next few years and how players are preparing themselves to stay ahead of the curve.

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It also includes a number of key players

Herb Pharm, Herbal Hills, Columbia Nutritional Inc., Deepure Plus, Helio USA Inc., Pure encapsulations, Inc., Nordic Naturals, and other wellness institutes like John Schumachers Unity Woods Yoga Center, Iyengar Yoga Institute, The Healing Company, Yoga

This report employs the SWOT analysis technique for the assessment of the development of the most remarkable market players. It additionally considers the latest upgrades while assessing the development of leading market players. Moreover, in the global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market report, the key product categories of the global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market are included. The report similarly demonstrates supportive data related to the dominant players in the market, for instance, product offerings, revenue, segmentation, and business synopsis.

The global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market is as well analyzed on the basis of numerous regions.

Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market: Regional Analysis

To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters five forces model for the market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein all segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness. This report is prepared using data sourced from in-house databases, secondary and primary research team of industry experts.

Market Segmentation

The analysts authoring the report have segmented the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market according to product, application, and region. All of the segments are deeply researched about with heavy emphasis on their CAGR, market size, growth potential, market share, and other vital factors. The segmental study provided in the report will help players to focus on lucrative areas of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. The regional analysis will help players to strengthen their footing in key regional markets. It brings to light untapped growth opportunities in regional markets and how they can be capitalized on during the course of the forecast period.

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The report answers important questions that companies may have when operating in the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. Some of the questions are given below:

What is the current CAGR of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market?

Which product is expected to show the highest market growth?

Which application is projected to gain a lions share of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market?

Which region is foretold to create the most number of opportunities in the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market?

Will there be any changes in market competition during the forecast period?

Which are the top players currently operating in the global market?

How will the market situation change in the coming years?

What are the common business tactics adopted by players?

What is the growth outlook of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market?

Also, Research Report Examines:

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Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market Future Scope Including Top key Players Herb Pharm, Herbal Hills - Market News Gazette

When Brooke Brumfield wasnt battling morning sickness, she craved nachos. Like many first-time expectant mothers, she was nervous and excited about her pregnancy. She had just bought a house with her husband, a wildland firefighter who had enrolled in paramedic school to transition to firefighting closer to home. Everything was going according to plan until 20 weeks into Brumfields pregnancy, when she lost her job at a financial technology startup and, with it, her salary and three months paid maternity leave. After building a new business to support her family, she had clients, but childcare was limited, and her husbands schedule was always shifting. By the time her baby arrived, everything was beyond overwhelming, Brumfield says. I pretty much felt like a truck hit me.

Brumfield had heard stories from friends and family about a way to minimize the stress and emotional fallout of the postpartum period: consuming her placenta, the vascular organ that nourishes and protects the fetus during pregnancy and is expelled from the body after birth. The women swore by the results. They said their milk supply improved and their energy spiked. The lows caused by plummeting hormone levels didnt feel as crushing, they explained.

Brumfield enlisted her doula who, for a fee, would steam, dehydrate, and pulverize her placenta, pouring the fine powder into small capsules. She swallowed her placenta pills for about six weeks after delivering her daughter. She said they helped her feel more even, and less angry and emotional. When her milk supply dipped, she says, I re-upped my intake and [the problem] was solved.

Social scientists and medical researchers call the practice of consuming ones own placenta placentophagy. Once confined to obscure corners of alternative medicine and the countercultures crunchier communities, it has been picked up by celebrities (Kourtney and Kim Kardashian, January Jones, Mayim Bialik, Alicia Silverstone, Chrissy Teigen) and adopted by the wider public.

Although there are no official estimates of how many women ingest their placenta after delivery, the internet is increasingly crowded with placenta service providers preparers of pills, smoothies, and salves to support new mothers in the slog to recovery. But the purported benefits are disputed. Depending on whom you ask, placenta-eating is either medicine or a potentially dangerous practice based on myth. How did this practice go mainstream, despite a lack of reported scientific or clinical benefits? The answer may say much more about the world new mothers live in than it does about the placenta.

In any doctors office or primary care setting, a provider treating a patient will often mention new research that supports a recommended treatment. A pregnant woman diagnosed with preeclampsia, for example, might learn from her health care provider that low-dose aspirin has been shown in recent studies to reduce serious maternal or fetal complications. But the basis for placentophagy, a practice that lies beyond the boundaries of biomedicine, is a 16th-century text.

Li Shizhens Compendium of Materia Medica, or Bencao gangmu, first published in 1596, is a Chinese pharmacopoeia and the most celebrated book in the Chinese tradition of pharmacognosy, or the study of medicinal plants. It appears on the websites of placenta service providers and in the pages of the standard references for practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a millennia-old medical system with a growing global reach.

A physician and herbalist, Li drew on his empirical experiences treating patients but also on anecdotes, poetry, and oral histories. His encyclopedia of the natural world is a textual cabinet of natural curiosities, according to historian Carla Nappis The Monkey and the Inkpot, a study of Lis life and work. Containing nearly 1,900 substances, from ginseng and peppercorn to dragons bone and turtle sperm, Lis book describes dried human placenta as a drug that invigorated people, and was used to treat impotence and infertility, among other conditions. For advocates of placentophagy, this book serves as ethnomedical proof of the long-standing history of the practice and by extension, its efficacy and safety.

But like many claims to age-old provenance, the origins of placentophagy as a postpartum treatment are disputed. Sabine Wilms, an author and translator of more than a dozen books on Chinese medicine, scrutinized classical Chinese texts on gynecology and childbirth and told me theres no written evidence at all of a woman consuming her own placenta after birth as a mainstream traditional practice in China, even if formulas containing dried human placenta were prescribed for other conditions, as described in Lis book.

Beyond Lis 400-year-old encyclopedia, evidence of postpartum placenta-eating is nearly impossible to find in the historical record. Womens voices are notoriously difficult to unearth from the archives, and even in the 19th century, the details of childbirth and what happened to the placenta went largely unreported. But when two University of Nevada, Las Vegas anthropologists pored over ethnographic data from 179 societies, they discovered a conspicuous absence of cultural traditions associated with maternal placentophagy.

The earliest modern recorded evidence of placentophagy appears in a June 1972 issue of Rolling Stone. I pushed the placenta into a pot, wrote an anonymous author, responding to the magazines call asking readers to share stories from their personal lives. It was magnificent purple and red and turquoise. Describing her steamed placenta as wonderfully replenishing and delicious, she recounted eating and sharing it with friends after delivering her son.

Raven Lang, who is credited with reviving the oldest known and most commonly used recipe for postpartum placenta preparation, witnessed placentophagy while helping women as a homebirth midwife and TCM practitioner in California in the early 1970s. These women lived off the land, she explained, and might have drawn inspiration from livestock and other animals in their midst.

It wasnt long before placentophagy made its way beyond Californias hippie enclaves. In 1984, Mary Field, a certified midwife and registered nurse in the UK, recounted eating her placenta, an unmentionable experience, to ward off postpartum depression after the birth of her second child. I remain secretive, Field wrote, for the practice verges on that other taboo cannibalism as it is human flesh and a part of your own body. She recalled choking down her own placenta. I could not bear to chew or taste it.

The rise of encapsulation technology, developed for the food industry and picked up by placenta service providers in the early aughts, put an end to visceral experiences like Fields. No longer must women process their own placenta or subject themselves to its purported offal-like flavor. Tidy, pre-portioned placenta pills resembling vitamins can be prepared by anyone with access to a dehydrator, basic supplies, and online training videos.

The boom in placentophagy highlights a longstanding puzzle for researchers. Almost every non-human mammal consumes its placenta after delivery, for reasons that remain unclear to scientists. Why did humans become the exception to this nearly universal mammalian rule? For Daniel Benyshek, an anthropologist and co-author of the UNLV study that found no evidence of placentophagy being practiced anywhere in the world, the human exception raises a red flag: It suggests the reasons that humans have eschewed placentophagy arent just cultural or symbolic, but adaptive that theres something dangerous about it, or at least there has been in our evolutionary history.

Scientific data on the potential benefits and risks of placentophagy is scarce, but a few small studies suggest that any nutrients contained in cooked or encapsulated placental tissue are unlikely to be absorbed into the bloodstream at concentrations large enough to produce significant health effects. Whether and in what quantity reproductive hormones such as estrogen survive placental processing has been little studied, but ingesting them after birth could have negative effects on milk production and may also increase the risk of blood clots.

Yet placental encapsulation services which remain unregulated in the US have found a receptive audience of American consumers. (The food safety agency of the European Union declared the placenta a novel food in 2015, effectively shuttering the encapsulation business on the continent.) Mostly small and women-owned placenta service businesses position themselves as an alternative to a highly medicalized, bureaucratized birthing process that has often neglected the needs of women. Postpartum checkups focus narrowly on pelvic examinations and contraceptive education. One survey of US mothers found that one in three respondents who received a postpartum checkup felt that their health concerns were not addressed. In contrast, placenta service providers speak the language of empowerment.

That language can resonate with new mothers like Brumfield, who face overwhelming pressures to care for a newborn, nurse on demand, manage a household, and return to work amid anxieties about postpartum depression, dwindling energy, and inadequate milk supply.

In some ways, placenta consumption is motivated by a desire to perform good mothering, wrote scholars from Denmark and the United States in a paper on the emergence of the placenta economy. It reflects the idea of maternity as a neoliberal project, in which new mothers are responsible for their own individual well-being as well as that of their babies, they added.

Meanwhile, rates of postpartum depression keep climbing, maternity leave policies are stingy, and child care costs are often prohibitive. Its easy to see why many women would be eager to seek help, real or perceived, wherever they can find it.

Daniela Blei is a historian, writer, and book editor based in San Francisco.

This article was originally published on Undark Magazine. Read the original article here.

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The dubious benefits of placenta-eating - Inverse

Do you feel burnt out all the time? And do you tend to fall sick very quickly and often? Are you stressed all the time and not being able to sleep because of it? Maybe these symptoms have already led you to get tested to check if something is wrong and you got normal results every time. A traditional doctor may tell you that you are alright, and you definitely could be - but there is a term for this group of symptoms in alternative medicine. It is called adrenal fatigue.

The term was first used by a Naturopath James Wilson, in the year 1998 and since then Adrenal fatigue has been constantly under scrutiny. While conventional medicine does not even recognise it as a disease, supporters stand by their claim and say that the existence of the condition is not proven yet but it does exist.

Here is what you need to know about adrenal fatigue.

Feeling tired and fatigued or lethargic may be interchangeable in common parlance, but medically, they're symptoms of different problems associated with improper adrenal gland function. Image: Johns Hopkins

Adrenal glands are a pair of triangle-shaped glands situated on top of our kidneys. They release a hormone called cortisol that controls the fight or flight response in our body - think of it as an inbuilt system to deal with stress. Every time we get anxious, the adrenal glands release cortisol which then increases your blood pressure and heart rate and help you cope with the emergency. Adrenal hormones also play a role in controlling metabolism and sleep/wake cycle.

Adrenal fatigue is believed to occur when the adrenal glands start to get tired and function less than optimally. Unlike adrenal insufficiency, where the cortisol levels fall really low, it is said that the reduction in cortisol is almost negligible in patients with adrenal fatigue so it does not even show up in lab tests. This can happen due to everyday stress.

A person with adrenal fatigue supposedly starts to feel tired all the time, gets salt and sugar cravings or craves stimulants like coffee, finds it difficult waking up in the morning, has a disturbed sleeping pattern and often has difficulty dealing with stress.

But before you go ahead and self-diagnose yourself with adrenal fatigue, doctors say that you at least get a diagnosis and see if your symptoms are due to any underlying medical condition. Certain heart, lungs, kidney and liver diseases have these symptoms too. Also, if your symptoms are very severe, it could be Addison's disease which is also caused by low production of adrenal hormones.

Since adrenal fatigue is not a medically accepted condition, there is no treatment for this condition. According to Harvard Health, an online resource by Harvard University, a lot of healthcare practitioners prescribe cortisol supplements to deal with it. However, cortisol supplements are harmful even in small doses. They can cause weight gain, osteoporosis, diabetes and heart diseases.

Instead of taking the supplements, doctors recommend the following to deal with the condition:

For more information, please read our article on Cortisol Test.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

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Stressed, tired and cant sleep? Your body could be telling you it has adrenal fatigue - Firstpost

An ancient medicinal herb, Ashwagandha is associated with an array of mental and physical benefits. Also known as Indian ginseng and winter cherry, Ashwagandha has a unique smell and it can boost your strength. From helping in the treatment of arthritis, attention deficit to reducing anxiety and helping in better sleep, Ashwagandha does all for you. It is used as an adaptogen to assist you to tackle daily stress in a better way. Here, we give you enough reasons to use Ashwagandha.

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases that occurs when your blood sugar level reaches more than required. If not managed properly, it can claim your life. Ashwagandha can help in its management by reducing the glucose level in the blood. It works by increasing the production of insulin by the pancreas and improving the insulin sensitivity of your body, says a research published in the journal Phytochemistry.

Ashwagandha contains a compound called withaferin, which is known to induce the programmed death of the cancer cells, says a study published in The AAPS Journal. Also, this herb can slow down the growth of the new cancer cell in various ways. According to scientists in the field, withaferin can actually disrupt the functions of cancer cells by promoting the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, it helps in preventing the cancer cells from becoming resistant to apoptosis.

You experience stress when adrenal glands in your body start producing cortisol hormone. Its constant high level in the system can lead to chronic stress. Consuming Ashwagandha can reduce the level of cortisol and help you get rid of the problem.

One of the major reasons behind infertility in men is a low level of testosterone hormone. And, getting Ashwagandha supplements can actually significantly increase its level and improve your reproductive health. This is what a study published in the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine states. Ashwagandha also increases the production of happy hormones like serotonin and reduces stress, another reason behind infertility. The herb can improve your sperm quality and help you make your partner pregnant.

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Want to Bid Adieu to Stress And Anxiety? Use Ashwagandha - India.com

By COLLIN GALLANT on December 26, 2019.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com

With one complete and nine other major green power projects ready to roll, renewable energy development and its $2 billion investment in Southeast Alberta is the business story of the year in Southeast Alberta for 2019.

Most of that activity will roll out over the next two years, still it was the most encouraging story over whats been a rocky 12 months for the local economy.

The shallow natural gas sector continued to shudder as the province announced special tax relief on unprofitable wells. In a landmark shift, the City of Medicine Hat announced it would close about 80 per cent of its production to stem loses.

Business owners gained a spring in their step with the election of the United Conservatives in the April provincial Election. But consumer confidence across the province dipped late in the year as high unemployment lingered.

In another jarring hit for local outlook, Aurora Cannabis announced it would delay fully commissioning its massive marijuana growing facility until 2021.

Other efforts moved forward, but little went as smoothly as Capital Powers building its $350-million wind farm near Bow Island. That project went online in early December after employing more than 300 workers at its height, filling hotels and restaurants this past year.

Estimates vary about what portion construction budgets are spent locally, but even at the lowest estimate, the influx of cash would rival the annual payroll of CFB Suffield.

And construction budgets totalling another $1.6 billion in total construction has been approved for the next two years throughout Southeast Alberta.

The year was bookended by major companies announcing they would proceed with substantial projects.

Suncor, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Canada, Power Corp., European utility giants Innogy and EDF all gave regional projects the greenlight.

Using figures the Lethbridge-based Southern Alberta Alternative Energy Partnership, estimates for annual local impact from the area wind projects alone at $12.5 million per year in new local taxes and $3.1 million paid to landowners for land lease agreements.

Building figures

A commercial construction boom wound to a close in the citys south end, with new commercial plazas, a car dealership and seniors living complex,

In the vicinity, the Save-On-Foods grocery store opened after a year-long delay and replaced the former Walmart Supercentre that was demolished after 10 years on the market.

Municipal commercial land sales soared as the city development office marketed and sold a half dozen properties considered excess to municipal needs. Major projects could be permitted in 2020, including a downtown hotel, a multi-family housing project on the site of the Medicine Hat Arena, a condo complex in Connaught,

Commercial land sales roared, while the residential sector snored.

Building permits to November, show only 19 new home permits were issued to that point, down from 46 in 2018, and a recent high of 100 in 2015.

At the same time, Calgary-based developer Enclave ventures announced it and local partners would build the Coulee Ridge Community on land in the citys southwest.

The Alberta Advantage

The big win for the United Conservatives was enthusiastically received by the broad business community. The new government announced changes to corporate income tax, labour standards on farms, youth minimum wage and promises to revisits the entire labour code next year.

Mixed year for majors

Cancarb rang in 2019 by announcing a $40-million expansion to their production of rubber additive carbon black, but Methanex moved ahead with major expansion in Louisiana rather than a proposal to twin the local methanol facility.

Aurora announced it would slow down commissioning its massive greenhouse, waiting to bring it fully on line until consumer demand warranted, possibly in 2021.

Folium Bioscience announced its intention to build a local processing plant for hemp derivatives in early January.

Hut 8 Cryptocurrency increased the size of a electricity buy from the city utility to power its data-processing centre in the citys northwest.

Agriculture

Big Marble Greenhouse, a traditional vegetable outfit, announced it planned to add 10 acres to its site south of the city near Highway No. 3.

In wider agriculture farmers and ranchers were vexed with dry spring and summer, then an early damaging frost and freezing conditions events across the prairies that earned separate spots on Environment Canadas top-10 weather stories of 2019.

Thats on top of trade tension with China over canola, while other specialty crop growers were hampered.

Lantic Sugar announced in early November that about half the sugar beet crop would be left in the ground.

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The year of green energy investment - Medicine Hat News

Once thought as an ancient remedy and traditional medicine, the herbal medicines have now emerged as a potential health supplement, and as complementary and alternative medicine in the modern-day world. Increasing consumer inclination towards the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle through a nutritious diet and physical activities, coupled with an influx of integrative medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine is the major trend in the herbal supplements market. The fuelling herbal supplement demand is giving rise to dandelion supplement over the forecast period. Dandelion is an herb, whose roots and stems are used to formulate herbal dietary supplements.

Dandelion supplements are used to aid digestion and stimulate appetite in the consumers, besides, dandelion supplements are used in the treatment for upset stomach, gallstones, muscle aches, joint pains, bruises, and eczema. The dandelion supplement is used as a purgative to increase bowel movement in the body and is also used to increase the frequency of urination. Furthermore, dandelion supplement is used as a blood tonic, skin toner, and digestive tonic, making it a popular health supplement among the consumers.

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Increasing trends for preventive healthcare and aging baby boomers demographics is anticipated to drive the growth for dandelion supplement over the forecast period. Todays consumers are becoming more and more aware of the necessity of preventive healthcare in day to day lives.

The consumers have started spending more on pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals to prevent the onset of health risk and diseases. According to a survey conducted by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) in 2014, around 68% of adults in the U.S. consumed dietary supplements; of these, approximately 50% were regular users. About 83% of adults in the U.S. communicated overall confidence in the effectiveness, safety, and quality of dietary supplements. Increasing healthcare expenditure by consumers is pushing them to opt for herbal supplements like the dandelion supplement, which tend to benefit health and prevent health adversities in the consumers. Hence, increasing consumer consciousness concerning health is expected to be primarily growth driver for dandelion supplement market.

Stuck in a neck-to-neck competition with other brands?Request a custom reporton Dandelion Supplement Market

Besides, there is a sudden rise in self-directed consumers who are increasingly relying on different channels to self-diagnose and self-treat health problems before even consulting doctors. This is again boosting the sales of dandelion supplement that is potential in treating indigestion and related symptoms in the body. Also, with the growth of online retailing and development of retail channels and pharmacies, consumers now have greater accessibility towards a wide band of herbal and dietary supplements which is providing strong market opportunity for the dandelion supplement manufacturers.

This post was originally published on Industry Mirror

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Dandelion Supplement Market Find New Opportunities And Log A Healthy Cagr During The Report's Forecast Period - Industry Mirror

Of all blood cancers, leukaemia and lymphoma are among the most curable.

However, many people, including doctors, still believe the disease leads to immediate death.

This is no longer true today as they are not fatal.

With optimal treatment, the majority of patients go into remission and are considered cured.

These two cancers have been more extensively studied than other forms of cancer, due to the ease in obtaining samples from blood, bone marrow or lymph nodes, spurring the advent of novel targeted therapies for a cure, says consultant haematologist Dr Ng Soo Chin.

Most blood cancers start in the bone marrow, where blood is produced.

Bone marrow contains stem cells, which mature and develop into red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets.

In most blood cancers, normal cell development is interrupted by the uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of a particular blood cell.

These abnormal blood cells, which are cancerous, prevent your blood from performing many of its functions, like fighting off infections or preventing serious bleeding.

Leukaemia or white blood is classified into acute and chronic disease, which is then divided further into subtypes: acute lymphocytic leukaemia, acute myeloid leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).

The presentation between acute and chronic leukaemia differs.

The acute person will tell you he was well a week ago and is now down with symptoms such as lethargy, anaemia and recurrent infection.

Suddenly, he may look pale, so we check his blood count for any abnormalities. A bone marrow exam will further confirm whether it is acute.

With chronic leukaemia, the patient can be unwell for a couple of months.

We are increasingly picking up cases early because of blood test availability.

The survival rate has improved tremendously for acute leukaemia, with more than 50% fully cured because bone marrow transplants are easily available in the country.

For CLL and CML, 95% of patients are alive at the 10-year mark, says Dr Ng.

Generally, chronic leukaemia patients belong to the older age group (50 years and above), but acute leukaemia can occur in all ages.

Leukaemia symptoms are often vague and not specific, so its easy to overlook them as they may resemble symptoms of the flu and other common illnesses.

In fact, chronic leukaemia may initially produce no symptoms and can go unnoticed or undiagnosed for years.

Lymphomas, a type of blood cancer that begins in a subset of white blood cells called lymphocytes, can be classified into Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins.

The main difference between Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins lymphoma is the specific lymphocyte each involves.

Lymphocytes are an integral part of your immune system, which protects you from germs.

Five-year survival rates are high with Hodgkins lymphoma at 86% and non-Hodgkins lymphoma at 70%.

You can beat the disease even if it is detected at a late stage.

Multiple myeloma, which is the third kind of blood cancer, forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell.

Patients often complain of bone pain, and unfortunately, this type of cancer has no cure.

Blood cancers typically involve abnormal white blood cells and can affect paople of all ages, depending on the type of cancer. 123rf.com

Fear of treatment

Chemotherapy is a much dreaded word among cancer patients.

But with advances in medicine, newer chemotherapy-free treatments are now available.

Dr Ng says, Traditionally, cancer is treated via surgery or radiation the layman says we fry and poison them, which is not far from the truth!

Radiation means burning the cancerous area, but a lot of times, the cancer can also be present elsewhere, so there is limitation to this treatment.

With chemotherapy, we use cytotoxic (cell-killing) drugs they go in and knock off both cancer and normal cells.

The short-term effects include vomiting, hair loss, appetite loss and weight loss.

But as doctors, we are looking at a different perspective. We are more worried about white cells dropping (neutropenia) because the patient can pick up an infection that can potentially kill him.

Neutropenia is a condition that results when the body does not have enough neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that is an essential first line of defence against infections.

Thats one risk of chemotherapy, although we can now improve neutropenia by giving a growth factor injection.

But for certain cancers, we need to step up the drugs.

He adds: We are scared of neutropenia, but patients are more concerned about bodily changes.

The older ones get upset over losing hair because they cannot take it when others ask them what has happened to their hair.

Young people are not as concerned with hair loss because it can be trendy.

We understand that chemotherapy is less than pleasant and strong doses can impair fertility in young patients, especially women.

Despite current technology, only one-third of patients are successful in freezing their eggs.

What he is concerned about is that chemotherapy can actually increase the patients risk of getting another cancer, especially blood cancer.

It can happen the day after! says Dr Ng.

Most experts believe chemotherapy damages stem cells, so if youre unlucky, you might get acute myeloid leukaemia after undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Its just like crossing the road there is always a risk of being knocked down.

All our cells have a biological clock and there is an orderly exchange of old and new cells.

But with blood cancers such as leukaemia, there is a clone of abnormal cells.

Cancer cells have an advantage over normal cells because they can survive longer.

Chemotherapy is still needed to treat most acute blood cancers, although if the mutation is known, targeted therapies can be applied.

For chronic blood cancers, there is no need for chemotherapy. Oral drugs are enough to combat the disease.

Eventually, many patients are able to wean off the drugs.

As we may be aware, immunotherapy is the buzzword in cancer treatment today.

Also called biologic therapy, it is a type of cancer treatment that boosts the bodys natural defences to fight cancer.

It uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function.

One of the latest treatment modalities is the CAR T-cell therapy, a form of immunotherapy that uses specially altered T cells a part of the immune system to fight cancer.

A sample of a patients T cells are collected from the blood, then modified to produce special structures called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface.

When these CAR T-cells are reinfused into the patient, the new receptors enable them to latch onto a specific antigen on the patients tumour cells and kill the cells.

At the moment, this intravenous therapy is available in the United States and hasnt reached our shores yet. It has to be properly regulated first, says Dr Ng.

A volunteer is having his head shaved to donate hair to make wigs for cancer patients in this filepic. Hair loss is one of the side effects of chemotherapy that affect patients the most.

Following natural remedies

The consultant haematologist errs on the side of caution when patients ask about natural cancer remedies, or the dos and donts during treatment.

We always believe there should be a scientific approach to the problem.

If patients are doing okay while undergoing treatment and there is no weight loss, I tell them to go ahead and do what they always do.

However, just be particular about food hygiene, as there is a chance you may get food poisoning.

If youre undergoing chemotherapy, then youll land yourself in hospital, and if your luck is bad, you may even land up in the ICU (intensive care unit).

So make sure the food is cooked and not left overnight to reduce your chances of infection.

Eat a balanced diet, he advises.

When it comes to exercise, he says to work out within your limit.

Instead of pushing the body and running marathons or climbing mountains, go for walks.

Dr Ng says, Life should go on, but be sensible.

Dont go to crowded places because you may pick up an infection, but dont be withdrawn either. All humans need social interaction.

With the billion-dollar dietary supplements industry, companies are constantly trying to lure customers into buying their products.

A lot of supplements are just glorified vitamins in different packaging.

The more expensive they are, the more people will buy them, thinking they are good.

There are people with good intentions, but unfortunately, there are also a lot of scammers out there that is life.

For the amount you spend on supplements, why not keep the money aside and go for a trip once your treatment is over? he suggests.

Often, the late diagnosis is due to preference for alternative treatment.

These alternative treatments are like fashion shows, after some time, they go out of trend.

For me, youre wasting valuable time because cancer is not your friend.

Yes, chemotherapy is tough, but with the latest chemo-free regimen, patients are more willing to come forward.

The earlier it is treated, the higher your chances of recovering, he says.

To share his 30-odd years of knowledge and experience in the field, Dr Ng has written his third book titled Understanding Blood Disorders.

Intended for patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals, proceeds from the sales of the 270-page book will go to the newly set-up Faith Hope Love Hospice Care Malaysia in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

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Leukaemia and lymphoma have a good survival rate - The Star Online

Better-for-you and save-the-planet ideology among more consumers continues to reshape the food and beverage industries and 2020 will no different.Consumers are driving innovation in the food manufacturing sector as more startups and private brands continue stealing share for traditional food companies.

Darren Seifer, food consumption analyst at NPD Group, recently outlined four trends in 2020. Seifer said he expects tailwinds behind the a few trending behaviors from plant-based protein demand to greater sustainability expectations. He said plant-based food and beverage alternatives have been around, but Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods helped propel the plant-based alternative market from niche to mainstream. But consumers also like their meat.

Since nearly 90% of these consumers also use traditional meat and dairy, its fair to say people arent necessarily becoming vegetarians or vegans; rather, consumers are integrating these products as additional options for their daily repertoire. Watch for continued growth of burger alternatives at foodservice operators and for in-home consumption as these options become more widely available across both, he noted, while also wondering if alternatives will be a fad or a trend.

This trending flexitarian diet behavior caught the eye of Tyson Foods in recent years and the meat giant continues to invest in alternative and blended meat products. Tyson launched its Raised and Rooted brand of blended proteins at retail earlier this year. Tyson CEO Noel White has said the company continues to innovate in this space there will be more products that combine plants and animal proteins into better-for-you offerings that also have a smaller carbon footprint.

Seifer said more U.S. consumers are adopting some plant-based alternatives into their diets such as Almond milk and cauliflower pizza. He said millennials and Gen Z consumers have grown up with many of the products and they push the demand in alternative proteins and dairy. He expects this trend will continue into 2020 with the largest meat companies like Tyson Foods and Cargill paying close attention.

FOOD AS MEDICINEHe said the top reason consumers use plant-based alternatives is that theyre considered healthier options, and consumers want to take control of their health with food choices. He said viewing food as medicine is another trend he expects to continue in 2020.

Nearly one quarter of U.S. adults report they are on a nutrition plan with the goal of promoting long-term health, but not necessarily weight loss. This represents a dramatic shift in the way consumers approach food and beverage choices compared to their behavior in the 1980s and 1990s, when they changed behaviors in response to a specific health issue, he noted.

Increasingly consumers see food and beverages as a pathway to better health; this is more pronounced among younger adults. And when health issues arise, many turn to natural alternatives for help.One in five adults manages a health condition with food and beverage choices. This doesnt mean they arent taking medication, but that many first look at their food and beverage consumption options as a first solution before medication.

BREAKFAST/SNACK SHIFTHe also said breakfast and morning dayshifts for eating are becoming more important to consumers and the days of serving cereal for breakfast are fading. He said breakfast was also a meal many consumers used to skip, but that too is changing.

There has been an increase in morning snack occasions as well as restaurant meals that nearly equals the in-home (breakfast) decline. Categories increasing during this time are portable and functional, reflecting the needs for speed and health, which drive much of consumer behavior in the morning. We expect sustained growth for categories like breakfast sandwiches, juices with functional benefits, such as energy and categories with protein, like eggs, Seifer noted.

Tyson unveiled in September two new Jimmy Dean product lines, Biscuit Roll-Ups and Morning Combos. The biscuit roll-ups wrap eggs, meats and cheese in a flaky biscuit to provide 10 grams of protein per 2-piece serving. The frozen boxes of 8 roll-ups are 240 to 270 calories per serving and come in three varieties: sausage, egg and cheese; egg and cheese; and egg, ham and cheese.Tysons Morning Combos breakfast food line pair items like pancakes or blueberry muffins and sausage into bite-sized meals that can be eaten on the move. Each package contains 8 grams of protein.

Breakfast as a meal occasion is evolving, and were excited to lead innovation and the development of products that provide options for everyone, Steve Silzer, marketing director for the Jimmy Dean brand at Tyson Foods, said in the product release.

SUSTAINABILITY FOCUSSeifer said sustainability will continue to be a third-level concern in the food and beverage manufacturing industries in 2020. Food companies selling to Walmart are measured on their sustainability efforts and the retail giant recently reiterated its goal to reduce 1 gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions from the supply chain by 2030.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon recently spoke at the Evolve Conference in Los Angeles about the retailersclose to the core ways in which it can enact change. McMillon said selling more sustainable products and focusing on more efficient packaging methods to reduce waste were two of the ways its moving the needle. He said Walmart is on track with the gigaton goals set in 2017. The EPA said Walmarts 1 gigaton removal of greenhouse gas is the equivalent of taking 211 million passenger cars off of roads for an entire year.

Seifer said its important for food and beverage marketers to engage in real sustainability efforts because consumers want it.

Food and beverage is unique since taste and health needs are satisfied first, before other needs are addressed. A products packaging could be recyclable and sourced sustainably, but that wont matter if consumers find the taste unpalatable. This explains why animal welfare and sustainability rank low among the reasons for using plant-based foods, he said.

But, consumers are still interested in how products are produced and they want to feel better about supporting brands that use sustainable methods, he added.

When comparing two similar products, consumers could find them equal in taste, convenience, and price, but if one uses sustainable production methods while the other product does not, that could be the deciding factor, Seifer concluded.

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NPD Group: 'Food as medicine' one of the trends to watch in 2020 - talkbusiness.net

When Brooke Brumfield wasnt battling morning sickness, she craved nachos. Like many first-time expectant mothers, she was nervous and excited about her pregnancy. She had just bought a house with her husband, a wildland firefighter who had enrolled in paramedic school to transition to firefighting closer to home. Everything was going according to plan until 20 weeks into Brumfields pregnancy, when she lost her job at a financial technology startup and, with it, her salary and three months paid maternity leave. After building a new business to support her family, she had clients, but childcare was limited, and her husbands schedule was always shifting. By the time her baby arrived, everything was beyond overwhelming, Brumfield says. I pretty much felt like a truck hit me.

Brumfield had heard stories from friends and family about a way to minimize the stress and emotional fallout of the postpartum period: consuming her placenta, the vascular organ that nourishes and protects the fetus during pregnancy and is expelled from the body after birth. The women swore by the results. They said their milk supply improved and their energy spiked. The lows caused by plummeting hormone levels didnt feel as crushing, they explained.

Brumfield enlisted her doula who, for a fee, would steam, dehydrate, and pulverize her placenta, pouring the fine powder into small capsules. She swallowed her placenta pills for about six weeks after delivering her daughter. She said they helped her feel more even, less angry and emotional. When her milk supply dipped, she says, I re-upped my intake and [the problem] was solved.

Social scientists and medical researchers call the practice of consuming ones own placenta placentophagy. Once confined to obscure corners of alternative medicine and the countercultures crunchier communities, it has been picked up by celebrities (Kourtney and Kim Kardashian, January Jones, Mayim Bialik, Alicia Silverstone, Chrissy Teigen) and adopted by the wider public.

Although there are no official estimates of how many women ingest their placenta after delivery, the internet is increasingly crowded with placenta service providers preparers of pills, smoothies, and salves to support new mothers in the slog to recovery. But the purported benefits are disputed. Depending on whom you ask, placenta-eating is either medicine or a potentially dangerous practice based on myth. How did this practice go mainstream, despite a lack of reported scientific or clinical benefits? The answer may say much more about the world new mothers live in than it does about the placenta.

* * *

In any doctors office or primary care setting, a provider treating a patient will often mention new research that supports a recommended treatment. A pregnant woman diagnosed with preeclampsia, for example, might learn from her health care provider that low-dose aspirin has been shown in recent studies to reduce serious maternal or fetal complications. But the basis for placentophagy, a practice that lies beyond the boundaries of biomedicine, is a 16th-century text.

Li Shizhens Compendium of Materia Medica, or Bencao gangmu, first published in 1596, is a Chinese pharmacopoeia and the most celebrated book in the Chinese tradition of pharmacognosy, or the study of medicinal plants. It appears on the websites of placenta service providers and in the pages of the standard references for practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a millennia-old medical system with a growing global reach.

A physician and herbalist, Li drew on his empirical experiences treating patients but also on anecdotes, poetry, and oral histories. His encyclopedia of the natural world is a textual cabinet of natural curiosities, according to historian Carla Nappis The Monkey and the Inkpot, a study of Lis life and work. Containing nearly 1,900 substances, from ginseng and peppercorn to dragons bone and turtle sperm, Lis book describes dried human placenta as a drug that invigorated people, and was used to treat impotence and infertility, among other conditions. For advocates of placentophagy, this book serves as ethnomedical proof of the long-standing history of the practice and by extension, its efficacy and safety.

But like many claims to age-old provenance, the origins of placentophagy as a postpartum treatment are disputed. Sabine Wilms, an author and translator of more than a dozen books on Chinese medicine, scrutinized classical Chinese texts on gynecology and childbirth and told me theres no written evidence at all of a woman consuming her own placenta after birth as a mainstream traditional practice in China, even if formulas containing dried human placenta were prescribed for other conditions, as described in Lis book.

Beyond Lis 400-year-old encyclopedia, evidence of postpartum placenta-eating is nearly impossible to find in the historical record. Womens voices are notoriously difficult to unearth from the archives, and even in the 19th century, the details of childbirth and what happened to the placenta went largely unreported. But when two University of Nevada, Las Vegas anthropologists pored over ethnographic data from 179 societies, they discovered a conspicuous absence of cultural traditions associated with maternal placentophagy.

The earliest modern recorded evidence of placentophagy appears in a June 1972 issue of Rolling Stone. I pushed the placenta into a pot, wrote an anonymous author, responding to the magazines call asking readers to share stories from their personal lives. It was magnificent purple and red and turquoise. Describing her steamed placenta as wonderfully replenishing and delicious, she recounted eating and sharing it with friends after delivering her son.

Raven Lang, who is credited with reviving the oldest known and most commonly used recipe for postpartum placenta preparation, witnessed placentophagy while helping women as a homebirth midwife and TCM practitioner in California in the early 1970s. These women lived off the land, she explained, and might have drawn inspiration from livestock and other animals in their midst.

It wasnt long before placentophagy made its way beyond Californias hippie enclaves. In 1984, Mary Field, a certified midwife and registered nurse in the U.K., recounted eating her placenta, an unmentionable experience, to ward off postpartum depression after the birth of her second child. I remain secretive, Field wrote, for the practice verges on that other taboo cannibalism as it is human flesh and a part of your own body. She recalled choking down her own placenta. I could not bear to chew or taste it.

* * *

The rise of encapsulation technology, developed for the food industry and picked up by placenta service providers in the early aughts, put an end to visceral experiences like Fields. No longer must women process their own placenta or subject themselves to its purported offal-like flavor. Tidy, pre-portioned placenta pills resembling vitamins can be prepared by anyone with access to a dehydrator, basic supplies, and online training videos.

The boom in placentophagy highlights a longstanding puzzle for researchers. Almost every non-human mammal consumes its placenta after delivery, for reasons that remain unclear to scientists. Why did humans become the exception to this nearly universal mammalian rule? For Daniel Benyshek, an anthropologist and co-author of the UNLV study that found no evidence of placentophagy being practiced anywhere in the world, the human exception raises a red flag: It suggests the reasons that humans have eschewed placentophagy arent just cultural or symbolic, but adaptive that theres something dangerous about it, or at least there has been in our evolutionary history.

Scientific data on the potential benefits and risks of placentophagy is scarce, but a few small studies suggest that any nutrients contained in cooked or encapsulated placental tissue are unlikely to be absorbed into the bloodstream at concentrations large enough to produce significant health effects. Whether and in what quantity reproductive hormones such as estrogen survive placental processing has been little studied, but ingesting them after birth could have negative effects on milk production and may also increase the risk of blood clots.

Yet placental encapsulation services which remain unregulated in the U.S. have found a receptive audience of American consumers. (The food safety agency of the European Union declared the placenta a novel food in 2015, effectively shuttering the encapsulation business on the continent.) Mostly small and women-owned, placenta service businesses position themselves as an alternative to a highly medicalized, bureaucratized birthing process that has often neglected the needs of women. Postpartum checkups focus narrowly on pelvic examinations and contraceptive education. One survey of U.S. mothers found that one in three respondents who received a postpartum checkup felt that their health concerns were not addressed. In contrast, placenta service providers speak the language of empowerment.

That language can resonate with new mothers like Brumfield, who face overwhelming pressures to care for a newborn, nurse on demand, manage a household, and return to work amid anxieties about postpartum depression, dwindling energy, and inadequate milk supply.

In some ways, placenta consumption is motivated by a desire to perform good mothering, wrote scholars from Denmark and the United States in a paper on the emergence of the placenta economy. It reflects the idea of maternity as a neoliberal project, in which new mothers are responsible for their own individual well-being as well as that of their babies, they added.

Meanwhile, rates of postpartum depression keep climbing, maternity leave policies are stingy, and child care costs are often prohibitive. Its easy to see why many women would be eager to seek help, real or perceived, wherever they can find it.

* * *

Daniela Blei is a historian, writer, and book editor based in San Francisco.

This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article.

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Medicine or myth? The dubious benefits of placenta-eating - Salon

A state senate bill would "criminalize a father teaching his own son how to use a hunting rifle."

Mike Adams on Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 in a blog.

ByWarren Fiskeon Tuesday, December 17th, 2019 at 6:00 a.m.

A prolific conspiracy theorist is sounding a "TYRANNY ALERT" about a bill introduced in the state Senate that he claims would ban firearms training and martial arts instructionin Virginia.

"It would even criminalize a father teaching his own son how to use a hunting rifle," wrote Mike Adams in a Nov. 27, 2019 post on NewsTarget, one of several websites he operates thatare anti-vaccine, critical of science, and promote guns and survivalism.

Adams is based in Cody, Wyo. In June 2019, Facebook revoked an Adams page promoting alternative medicine for violating spam rules. The page, called NaturalNews, reportedly had 2.9 million Facebook likes.

Adams recent post on Virginia centers on a bill recently introduced by state Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, that would add restrictions to Virginias paramilitary activities laws. Passed in 1987, the laws make it a felony to assemble - or teach how to assemble - guns, explosives or incendiary devices with the intention of abetting civil disorder. Violators face a maximum 10 years in prison and $2,500 fine.

Lucas bill would also make it a felony for people to gather "with the intent of intimidating any person or group of persons by drilling, parading, or marching with any firearm, any explosive or incendiary device, or any components or combination thereof." It comes after the August 2017 white supremicist rally in Charlottesvillethat left one counterprotestor dead and others injured.

Adams wrote that the bill, in addition to banning a father from teaching his son how to hunt with a rifle, "would also criminalize all firearms training classes, including concealed carry classes."

He added, "The law would instantly transform all martial arts instructors into criminal felons."

In fact, the legislation would do none of these things.

Lucas bill, as we noted, adds to the list of illegal acts and Virginias paramilitary laws. But it leaves intact the next section of the code, whichwhich exempts from paramilitary laws:

*"Any activity, undertaken without knowledge of or intent to cause or further a civil disorder, which is intended to teach or practice self defense or self-defense techniques such as karate clubs..."

*"Lawful activities related to firearms instruction ortraining intended to teach the safe handling and use of firearms."

*"Lawful sports or activities related to the individual recreational use or possession of firearms."

We tried to contact Adams, but received no reply to three emails sent to an address on one of his websites for media inquiries. A person answereing the phone in Adams' media relations office, who didnt give her name, told us "there probably wont be a response."

It should be noted that Lucas introduced identical bills in each of the last two years that were killed in Republican-controlled Senate committees. GOP senators voiced concern that the bill would be hard to enforce and might violate citizens constitutional right to assemble. Videos of the hearings show no one raising concerns that the bill would affect firearms training or self-defense instruction.

The bill may face better prospects this year, with Democrats controlling both chambers of the General Assembly for the first time this century. Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, has endorsed the legislation.

Our ruling

Adams wrote that a bill in the General Assembly "would criminalize a father teaching his own son how to use a hunting rifle."

Thats flat out wrong. The bill would add a clause to the states paramilitary laws making it a felony for groups to train or march with weapons with "the intent of intimidating others." The bill, however, does not change a code section that exempts from the paramilitary act "lawful activities related to firearms instruction."

Another ridiculous Adams claim: The bill "would instantly transform all martial arts instructors into criminal felons." State paramilitary laws specifically exempt common efforts to "teach or practice self defense or self-defense techniques such as karate clubs."

Adams claims are devoid of truth and inflammatory. We rate them "Pants on Fire."

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Would a Virginia bill really ban dads from teaching sons how to use hunting rifles? - PolitiFact