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THE END OF THE WORLD OR CONSCIOUSNESS REVOLUTION? Instead of predicting a physical destruction of the material world, the Mayan prophecy might refer to death and rebirth and a mass inner transformation of humanity.

And this differs from Daniel Pinchbeck how?

I didn't even know where to put it and now it needs a bob cat to even touch it its so thick I would be scared to walk into it.

Pictures??

Just to emphasize the point again!  

If you hear of a bill to outlaw Salvia being introduced in your state, focus on COMMITTEE HEARINGS.  Forget petitions, forget letter-writing campaigns (the point of which is to try to give the impression that large numbers of people care about Salvia, and they don't).  THIS IS WHAT YOU DO:

Step 1 - Google the web page of your state legislature

Step 2 - Do a search on the bill.  The bill number is likely mentioned in news reports, but if you don't have the number, search for "salvia" and find it.

Step 3 - Click on whatever on the page tells you the history and current status of the bill.

Step 4 - Hundreds of bills being introduced each year, each bill is assigned to a committee to study.  The committees study the bills, and based on their research, select which bills actually go to the full legislature for a vote.  They also have the power to change or amend bills.  Look for the committee the bill has been assigned to.

Step 5 (optional, but excellent) - Look up the members of the committee and their snailmail addresses.  Write a very INFORMATIONAL letter and send it snailmail to each committee member.  Remember, they WANT good information, it makes their job easier.  You are doing them a favor. Sound very informed and put a lot of solid information in the letter.  Do NOT get all emotional in the letter, and do not treat them as the enemy.  Have the tone that you and they are on the same side.   Templates of successful letters are available.

Step 6 - Keep an eye on the web page, either the bill history part or the committee schedule part. Check it once a week to see if hearings are scheduled on the Salvia bill.

Step 7 - When the hearings are scheduled, GO AND TESTIFY.  Or find your straightest-looking, most articulate friends and have them do the actual testifying.  QUALITY counts, not quantity.   Committee hearings are NOT popularity polls, but are part of their study of the bill.   One or two solid witnesses is better than fifty flakes.   The committee members WANT GOOD INFORMATION and the purpose of the hearing is to gather information to help them decide whether a bill should be sent for a vote.  Sound well-informed, have the facts ready at your fingertips.  They may ask questions of the witnesses in order to gather information.  If someone else testifying for the bill has given wrong info, you can correct it.  Dress very straight, because you are creating their visual image of Salvia users.  Gray hair is a plus!

THAT is how you do it.  So far there has been a three for three success rate (ME, CA, OR) using this approach.

People spoke up against proposed ban legislation in ME and CA--in ME the bill was amended to regulation (18+ only), and in CA, the bill died in committee.

And in Oregon too (as you know but forgot!)  A friend and I testified against the Oregon Salvia ban bill in committee hearings, and a few weeks later I received an email from the committee chair saying that as a result of my testimony, they had a better understanding of the issue and the bill would not go forward.

Testifying before committees works -- remember, the committee's job is to study the bill and gather information and make a decision about whether to pass it on to the legislature for a vote.   They don't know anything about the issue and they appreciate good solid information.  QUALITY of testimony counts, not quantity.  One or two really solid witnesses can carry the day.

Nicotine is water soluble.  A simple water extract can be performed, but there will probably be other things besides nicotine in it.  If you don't mind that, then just boil down the tobacco till all you have left is residue.  Don't do this with commercial additive-laden tobacco, though.

The correlation between nicotine and cancer does not mean that nicotine is carcinogenic (and in fact, there has been much lab research on this question, which has failed to turn up any evidence that nicotine is carcinogenic, though there are suggestions that it may help to potentiate other carcinogens).  The correlation is because nicotine co-occurs with carcinogenic substances -- and because nicotine causes addiction, and therefore leads to frequent and regular exposure to those carcinogens.

Nicotine is a deadly nerve poison, but it is not carcinogenic.

Also, in spite of the fact that it is a deadly toxin if swallowed in sufficient quantity, if you don't take enough to kill you, it doesn't actually cause damage to your body.

(At least, other than minor temporary stimulant effects like raising blood pressure, which may be harmful to some, and the general unpleasantness of nicotine poisoning.)

In other words, there is no lasting harm to your body from ingesting sub-lethal amounts of nicotine.

This is the secret of Amazonian Tobacco shamanism, ingesting sub-lethal amounts of this potentially deadly poison.

It is my understanding that tobacco is a herb commonly used by shamans in the rainforest.

Very true.

Havent read that much about it my self. The Visionary art of the... had some information, and I also found some not very informative information on the Internet.

Shamanistic use of Tobacco:
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=11334