Will there be an African-American President in my lifetime?  Check.

Will there be universal health care for Americans in my lifetime?  Check.

Will there be flying cars in my lifetime? Depends on how you define a car, Virgin Galactic and Icon Aircraft may have arguments that this is a “Check” too, but I am still waiting for the flying Delorean.

Will Marijuana be legalized in my lifetime?  This seems to be on it’s way.

On this day, Thursday, March 25, 2010, it was announced that California has certified, officially named the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, for November’s ballot Wednesday after backers turned in signatures from hundreds of thousands of voters.  This would make California the first state to legalize marijuana since the 1930s.

Now obviously just because it’s on the ballet, does not mean it will pass, though many speculate there is an enormous amount of support for this.  The reasons for support are not because California is home to an abnormally large population of stoners.  Instead, the support stems more from the economic crisis going on in the grand state of California and many feel the legalization AND taxation of marijuana may be the solution to the crisis.

If it’s approved, adults 21 and older would be permitted to possess up to an ounce of marijuana; anyone could grow up to 25 square feet of plants per residence; and local governments would be asked to craft rules on distributing and taxing marijuana. The Secretary of State’s Office said it would take effect the day after Election Day (Do I see a new Hallmark Holiday in the works?)

The interesting fact that will come into play when/if the initiative is passed, is how the federal government will respond.  Though the state will have legalized it, the federal government will not have. While the Obama administration last year promised to turn a blind eye to sick people, even though medical marijuana also conflicts with federal law, it may not be willing to do the same when it comes to street-corner dealers and people who just want to get high.

No official word has come from DC yet.  Yet Salwa Ibrahim, spokeswoman for the pro-legalization campaign led by cannabis activist Richard Lee of Oakland seems to think not much will be done.  “The federal government is going to allow the state of California to move forward with this.  We’re not worried about it.”  

It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out!

Gilt.com is legit.  The Gilt Groupe provides access, by invitation only, to Men’s, Women’s and Children’s coveted fashion and luxury brands at prices up to 70% off retail. Each sale lasts 36 hours and features hand selected styles from a single designer.

First Come, First Served

All sales take place only on www.gilt.com and their full collection of merchandise is always available at the start of the sale, so be sure to log on early.  To introduce each brand, the designer bios and reels give you a preview of upcoming sales, must-have pieces and featured designers.

Some great features I noticed:  

• An “add to Outlook calendar” feature that sets the reminder in your Outlook to remind you when the sale you are interested begins.  
• An iPhone app that alerts you of sales you’re interested in, allows for purchases right from your phone, and preview upcoming sales.  
• Of course Gilt also has the common share features for Facebook and other social networking sites.

The Pricing

 Here’s a couple examples of the low prices on Gilt.com:

Men’s 

• FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT DUVET SET (KING) - Retail Price: $200; Gilt.com: $108
• A.TESTONI - PEBBLE GRAIN LEATHER BELT - Retail Price: $245; Gilt.com: $68
• DKNY Leather Jacket - Retail Price: $275; Gilt.com: $128

Women’s

• TART - LENA JEWEL STRAP DRESS - Retail Price: $216; Gilt.com: $109
• SWAROVSKI KIOSQUE JET BAG - Retail Price: $750; Gilt.com: $375
• PRPS 5 POCKET SKINNY JEAN - Retail Price: $378; Gilt.com: $128

On top of fashion products, jewelry, and household products, there is also a “JETSETTER” partner site that offers exclusive deals to exotic locations all around the world at some of the most unique boutique hotels, villas, and other vacation rentals you can’t find on any other travel sites.  Of course, being partners with Gilt.com, there is only accessible through invite only.

As a thanks to the support from all my readers, here’s a link for an invite to join Gilt.com and Jetsetter.com to take advantage of their amazing deals:

http://www.jetsetter.com/invite/

http://www.gilt.com/invite/

If you want to keep up-to-date on other exclusive invites to websites like these, sweepstakes, or events, you can follow this blog through facebook on:

www.facebook.com/therawdeal

apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/the_raw_deal/

The Las Vegas part of the trip was for both business and pleasure.  I met with The Palms Casino and Resort to discuss the possibility of hosting The Perfect Pitch 2010 there.  Their team was excellent in their presentation of their facilities.  I was extremely impressed with how well they exemplified the treatment their guests/clients get.  So we now move forward with trying to put it all together.  The Perfect Pitch 2010 should prove to be a complete upgrade from last year’s event with The Palms allowing us to cater to 2500 people versus 500 last year and the conference being two days this year!!  Not to mention, all of our guests will also be able to enjoy the entertainment that Las Vegas has to offer.  It makes for a much more interesting 4 day weekend get-away.  

Once I got back to Los Angeles, it was time for the Hallmark Holiday - Valentines Day.  This is such a silly “holiday,” and LA seems to agree based on all the anti-valentines day behavior and events that were taking place.

I uploaded photos from the whole 3 week vacation for my readers’ enjoyment: http://www.therawdealblog.com/display/ShowGallery?moduleId=324771&galleryId=321284

Just to give you an idea of the crisis in the U.S.:  In 1999, the United States consumed 95 quadrillion BTUs of energy, while producing 61 quadrillion BTUs. The result being a 34 quadrillion BTU energy deficit. We use far more energy than we produce domestically. To keep the lights on and the wheels rolling, we make up the shortfall by importing energy, mainly in the form of tanker-upon-tanker of pricey OPEC oil. And that, is the heart of the energy crisis.

Clearly we need to find an alternative energy source.  One that is non-destructive to our ecosystem and one that is not in danger of being depleted completely.  The answer is algae.

Gene scientist Craig Venter has announced plans to develop next-generation biofuels from algae in a $600m (£370m) partnership with oil giant Exxon Mobil.  

His company, Synthetic Genomics Incorporated (SGI), will develop fuels that can be used by cars or aeroplanes without the need for any modification of their engines. Exxon Mobil will provide $600m over five years with half going to SGI.

“Meeting the world’s growing energy demands will require a multitude of technologies and energy sources,” said Emil Jacobs, vice president of research and development at ExxonMobil. “We believe that biofuel produced by algae could be a meaningful part of the solution in the future if our efforts result in an economically viable, low-net carbon emission transportation fuel.”

Algae is an attractive way to harvest solar energy because they reproduce themselves, they can live in areas not useful for producing food and they do not need clean or even fresh water.  As a biofuel, algae is essentially an organic solar panel.  In addition, they use far less space to grow than traditional biofuel crops such as corn or palm oil.

“Algae consumes carbon dioxide and sunlight in the presence of water, to make a kind of oil that has similar molecular structures to petroleum products we produce today,” said Jacobs. “That means it could be possible to convert it into gasoline and diesel in existing refineries, transport it through existing pipelines, and sell it to consumers from existing service stations.”

The Carbon Trust, a government-backed agency that promotes low-carbon technologies, has forecast that algae-based biofuels could replace more than 70bn litres of fossil fuels used every year around the world in road transport and aviation by 2030, equivalent to 12% of annual global jet fuel consumption or 6% of road transport diesel. In carbon terms, this equates to an annual saving of more than 160m tonnes of CO2 globally with a market value of more than £15bn.

Ben Graziano, research and development manager at the Carbon Trust, said that alge-based biofuels offered the potential for “major carbon savings”. “Exxon Mobil is estimating that algae could yield just over 20,000 litres of fuel per hectare each year, which is in line with our own forecasts. However, producing biofuel from algae on such a massive commercial scale is a major challenge, which will require many years of research and development.”

Venter, who is best known for his role in sequencing the human genome, said the new partnership was the largest single investment in trying to produce biofuels from algae but said the challenge to creating a viable next-generation fuel was the ability to produce it in large volumes. “This would not happen without the oil industry stepping up and taking part,” he said. “The challenges are not minor for any of us but we have the combined teams and scientific and engineering talents to give this the best chance of success.”

The research program will begin with the construction of a new test facility in San Diego, where Venter says different techniques to grow and optimise algae will be tested. These will include open ponds as well as bioreactors, where the algae are grown in sealed tubes. “We will be trying out these different approaches … using newly-discovered natural algae to test the best approaches we can come up with to go into a scale-up mode.”

Venter has spent several years trawling the world’s oceans in search of environmentally-friendly microbes that could be used, in one way or another, to bring down the world’s carbon emissions. The organisms he has found include those that can turn CO2 into methane, which could be used to make fuels from the exhaust gases of power stations, and another that turns coal into natural gas, speeding up a natural process and reducing both the energy needed to extract the fossil fuel and the amount of pollution caused when it is burned.

Welcome to the future.  

• Our magnetosphere appears to be at its weakest point in recorded history;
• The sun is due for its Solar Maximum in 2012 (period of greatest solar activity in the solar cycle)
  
• Evidence of the magnetic poles shifting
• Significant climate change with global warming
• Numerous ancient civilizations pointing to this time period as a time of big change
• The galactic alignment where our sun lines with the center of the galaxy (26,000 year event)
• A supposed 12^thplanet, Nibiru, discovered by the ancient Sumerians due to pass through our solar system

Hollywood and the entertainment world are presenting scenarios through feature films, TV programming, and even National Geographic documentaries.  All of these scenarios have one common theme: The World is going to end Dec. 21, 2012.  If you search, most of the results are going to support these fears.  But if you really look hard, you actually will find much more empirical evidence that debunks what so many believe.

David Morrison, an astrobiologist for NASA, has started a site called “Ask an Astrobiologist.”  The site is dedicated to answering questions that site visitors send in about the end of the world.  If you read through the site, you will see many questions regarding the bulleted list I provided above.  In a nutshell, all of the information is VERY unlikely to ever happen. 

The so called “galactic alignment” where the sun crosses the plain that aligns with the center of our Galaxy isn’t going to happen in 2012.  It actually happened 3 million years ago and won’t be occuring again for another 30 million years.  Instead, what the Mayan refer to, and the rest of the world following suit, is the sun aligning with the center of the Galaxy in relation to our view here on Earth.  From our perspective it appears we are crossing the plain of the center of the Galaxy…but we’re really not.  Refer to this site for info: http://the2012deception.net/?p=15

On top of David Morrison, NASA itself is spending some of its precious budget on a public crusade to debunk the 2012 theoriesin hopes to dissipate some of the fear.  And though some insist that this is part of some government conspiracy to cover up the truth, the bottom line is if something like Nibiru was to exist, even the novice astronomer would be able to see the 12^th planet at this point in time.

Now the movie commercials tell you to Google “2012”.  And if you do, you find all the information I’ve already mentioned.  Now…try Googling “Debunk 2012.”  Low and behold- tons of information debunking every single theory of a looming Doomsday in 2012.

I find it fascinating that different civilizations appear to point to this specific day in 2012.  I find it fascinating that our planet seems to be going through changes at this time too.  And even more fascinating that the Sun’s Solar Maximum happens to be in 2012.  But I’m not quick to believe all the hype. 

The Nintendo Wii program has been implemented into rehabilitation programs as an effective, fun, and social treatment modality. The Wii is helping to progress patients, reaching goals of improved coordination-(eye-hand and gross motor), balance (static and dynamic), range of motion, weight bearing….all components addressed working towards an improved independence of functioning  in daily lives.

The Wii is being used in several types of rehab settings, primarily  in-patient acute rehab and skilled nsg facilities-patients suffering from hip/knee replacements, cardio/pulmonary rehab, strokes, multiple sclerosis, etc.

The program addresses many smaller components of rehab to help such patients, such as crossing midline and weight shifting through bilateral lower extremities. Cognitive processing skills are also a key area addressed in this virtual therapy tool, which is essential part of  recovery and progress for many individuals.

Patients are more motivated and enjoying the Wii, and the progress of treatment is justifying the effectiveness.  This could be the most important factor that the Wii bring to rehabilitation.  The Wii does what more traditional therapies attempt to accomplish, by giving patients a second take on rehab and immediate accomplishment/motivation (such as bowling and getting 6 out of 10 pins after having a stroke, playing a game of doubles tennis even with tremors from Parkinson’s disease.)

Currently, games like Wii fitness and Wii sports games are being used.  But as popularity and press on this grows, I imagine we will start to see companies developing games specifically for physical rehabilitation which might in turn further progress the effectiveness of the Nintendo Wii in this process!

We received many amazing submissions for The Perfect Pitch 2009. It was very difficult to select the Top 50. Pitches were evaluated on clarity, viability, consumer need, growth potential, marketing strategy, team capability, scalability and competitive advantages.

Judges will further narrow the Top 50, and the Top 10 will be announced on October 5, 2009.  Not only will be the winners be announced at The Perfect Pitch 2009 Entrepreneur/Investor Conference, but we also have an all-star lineup of speakers that will be sharing and educating their expertise on a variety of business topics, including Richard Branson and Alberto Alvarado, District Director of the Small Business Administration.

CLICK HERE to check out details on the The Perfect Pitch 2009.

Without further ado, here are the entrepreneurs who submitted the Top 50 Pitches:

Alatico
Sun + Wind + Sea = Clean Water for a Thirsty Planet
Posted by:jvrahnos

Auction Bridal
Redirecting the cost of love…
Posted by:sbarkley

Auri Footwear
New Technology and Fashion Footwear Brand Launches
Posted by:orosenbaum

Beyond Zero™ Corporation
100% Authentic Frozen Liquor Cubes!
Posted by:bzcorp

BidDay.com
A Bleeding Edge International Enterprise Level Real Estate sales, analysis, evaluation, and vendor coordination system.
Posted by:rezekedw

Bionit
Biomass Based Diesel Fuel Replacement
Posted by:doctorkosan

Bundlebuy.com
Join a bundle, Save a bundle
Posted by:ryanhart2003

Canditto
Rent a Canditto and all your wedding guests’ digital photos are saved instantly — and forever!
Posted by:Canditto

CheXout Systems Inc.
Bridging the gap between cell phone payments and physical merchants.
Posted by:chexout

CoKnown
It’s not known til it’s CoKnown. Welcome to the Knowledge Age.
Posted by:EricMay

COLLEGE HUNKS HAULING JUNK
Let Tomorrow’s Leaders Haul Your Junk Today
Posted by:nrf02000

Cookology, Recreational Culinary School
Cooking school caters to suburban foodie with hands-on cooking classes for adults and kids.
Posted by:mariakop

Didrick Medical Inc.
We are a small company unable to satisfy the increasing global demand for our patented artificial fingers.
Posted by:Daniel222

EBBLOCK: Preemptive Recycling Sustainable Building
800 Million customers/consumers in 2 years: Designing the Future of Logical Packaging.
Posted by:Ebblock

Gathr.Me
Gathr.Me: A simple, elegant web portal that manages users’ online communications, media, accounts, profiles.
Posted by:mdurwin

Green Wavelength
Bumble Bee Inspired Wind Turbine
Posted by:sansoy

Greneden
The Most Economical, Energy Efficient and Ecological Building Method in the World
Posted by:Greneden

Homeminders.com
Bad Things don’t have to happen to Good Homes
Posted by:jackthickett

ICON Aircraft
The Next Powersport
Posted by:ICONaircraft

InnovaPrep LLC
InnovaPrep prepares samples for better biological detection.
Posted by:Crimson6

Invis-A-Rack
Invisible to Invaluable in Seconds
Posted by:Invis-A-Rack

Io Dupont LLC.
Io Dupont is an growing new technology company
Posted by:IODUPONT

Juci Inc.
The Future of Beverages
Posted by:sharon13m

LaughStub.com
Fandango of live comedy
Posted by:scotrichardson

LtWv Next Gen Gaming Controller
LtWv turns all computers around the world into a Wii like experience
Posted by:xtracooltech

Magic Flash Drive
MagicFlashDrive.com - “We fix your PC online in real time!”
Posted by:magicflashdrive

Malama Composites
Green Building Material
Posted by:LeifPC

Mars Global Initiative, LLC
Crowd sourcing and branding a manned mission to Mars
Posted by:phillund

Nativ Boardriding Company
A unique new snowboard: The “Nativ Snowsurf” translates the feel and style of surfing and skateboarding to the snow.
Posted by:jwgerlach

NerdsToGo Expansion
NerdsToGo will be a household name brand!
Posted by:NerdsToGo

nSPEC
Mobile Enterprise Inspection Platform for Gov’t and AEC - New Corp spin out from established Companies
Posted by:ygaffen

OneCubicle.com
OneCubicle.com is the online destination for 20-somethings to Brand Themselves Professionally.
Posted by:OneCubicle

PeanutButter
PeanutButter - Foreign Language Software that Sticks
Posted by:dalefranklin

Personal Storage Solutions
NetFlix for Self-Storage
Posted by:dpeck1

PlayItOver(tm)
Instant replay of sports video on any mobile phone
Posted by:gdearth

Pop Test
Non Invasive Diabetes Testing System
Posted by:raltschul

Procedura LLC
Web-based virtual demonstrations of medical procedures, designed to supplement informed consent and mitigate risk for insurers and doctors.
Posted by:pkraft

Rockin’ Water™
Rockin’ Water™ Rocks Kids Beverage Market
Posted by:jhoward1

Seatchute, LLC
“Parachute Equipped Aircraft Seats & Office Chairs”
Posted by:seatchute

Sentry Card International L.L.C.
Proactive Credit Card Fraud Prevention System
Posted by:sentry

Sky
Live Like Everything is for Sale - Real Estate, etc.
Posted by:lanke

SnoworSand: Your Ticket to the World
What would the travel industry look like if real people were part of the package?
Posted by:tkurlas

Stock Images Agency
Unique Stock Imagery Business
Posted by:randyschwartz

The ONLY Fuel Efficient Automobile Wheel Project!
A new WHEEL that increases fuel economy up to 50% on new AND existing cars!
Posted by:geoffmccue

Tubular Rail Proof of Concept
Tubular Rail the Future of Passenger Transportation for the Green World
Posted by:Sonzala

U*tique
Building the Next Channel in Retail and Advertising: U*tique
Posted by:utique

University Drive LLC
University Drive is revolutionizing the way students approach the college admission process through digital media, software and consulting services.
Posted by:smeairs

VideoMD.com
VideoMD.com: Excellence in Physician-Patient Education
Posted by:Deanostent

Vubiq, Inc.
Gigabit per second speeds at consumer price points
Posted by:adambutton

Wellness Brands Inc
Serious Hydration for Serious Athletes - NASA licensed patent
Posted by:dbelaga

I recently moved into a “resort”-type apartment building that seeks to solve all the needs of their tenants not only by providing amazing amenties, but also integrates commercial space on the bottom floor that can further cater to tenant lifestyle.

One of the commercials spaces, Pizza Fusion, happens to be directly under my apartment.  So convenient that even if I am craving something as symbol as their organic coffee or sugar-cane sweetened soft drinks, I can simply walk downstairs in 1 min and have my craving satisfied.

I feel lucky to have this place below.  I have been practicing a healthy lifestyle for years, but I admit, even I have a craving for “comfort” food like pizza, philly cheesesteak sandwiches, or a soft drink (which I refer to as “pop”).  Pizza Fusion allows me to satisfy these rare, yet very real cravings. 

The concept is very interesting.  First, the entire establishment is built around a green and organic concept.  Everything in the restaurant (including the soy based polished floors) is build from a green product.  The ingredients they use in the food are organic all bought from local distributers and farmers to help support the local economy.

The soda they serve is from a company that sweetens their soda with raw sugar cane juice rather than the nasty high fructose corn syrup that most Americans consume.  If you have read up on it, high fructose corn syrup is extremely unhealthy for you and is linked to being a large factor in many of the obesity cases across the nation.  But it’s not just about being healthy…if you tasted the soda, you’d agree how much better tasting it is than normal Coke or Pepsi products.  The black cherry soda Pizza Fusion has was out due to high demand before the first week of business!!

They have a variety of vegan, vegitarian, and meat dishes to satisfy whatever type of person walks through their door.  Furthermore, they also offer gluten free crust for their pizza for those that are uber health conscious (or have gluten allergies).

The first question most people whom are not familiar/fond of “healthy” food is:  How does it taste?  Answer:  F$%@ing Amazing!!.  Don’t walk into the restaurant expecting to get a grease dripping, fattening pie of pizza or philly cheesesteak, because you won’t get that here.  Instead, you get a “fuzed” version of the popular unhealthy dishes that aren’t dripping with grease and filled with fat, but still taste amazing.

The franchise appears to be fairly new as there are other locations nationally, but seem to be scattered randomly throughout the southwest, south, and southeast (and even one in Saudi Arabia!).  As you can see from the CNN report, this franchise is gaining support fast!!  I would expect we will see not only more Pizza Fusions popping up all throughout the country, but also we may begin to see a trend of other green/healthy fusion restaurants that will offer healthy alternatives to our most devious cravings!

The Business Debate - A “Good” or “Bad” Move for the NFL 

The verdict is in, everyone knows it:  Vick has clearance to play in the 2009-2010 NFL season.  Of course the NFL and the Eagles are going to catch a ton of scrutiny for this decision, posing the question, “Is this a good move for the NFL and the Eagles?”

From a business standpoint, letting Vick play is a great decision for the NFL and the Eagles.  Why?  Well I, for one, am very interested in seeing him on the playing field.  In his previous seasons, Vick was one of the most electrifying and exciting players to watch on the field.  Being from Detroit, I was reminded of the glorious days (glorious in terms of the Lions’ history of horrible teams) of Barry Sanders.  As a young lad, I was excited to go to the Thanksgiving Day games (we went every year) no matter what the record of the Lions was because Barry was always so amazing to watch…even if a loss was the end result.

Now, even if someone is not a Detroit fan (most likely 95% of the NFL fans out there!!), I would imagine that there are thousands, if not millions, of the NFL fans out there that agree with me on Vick’s “excitability.”  This means that Vick’s return to the field, after years in jail, will probably attract a number of eyes that normally wouldn’t watch the Eagles.  Also factor in that “Michael Vick” has become a household name that people trash over their family dinner regularly, you now have the non-NFL fans that will undoubtedly watch just because they are interested in the drama (think about how many people gawk at a car wreck).  This most definitely means that the ratings on the games in which Vick takes the field will most likely be quite high…which means more advertising dollars.

The same applies for the tickets sold for the games in which Vick plays.  Teams, such as the Lions, that have had horrible consecutive seasons will most likely see a spike in tickets sales for the game(s) that Vick is taking the field.  This equates to $$$$ to the NFL - Plain and simple.  

Additionally, as the saying goes, “No PR is bad PR.”  Even though the whole world may hate Michael Vick, his presence on the field will attract the eyes of people who may not have ever watched a football game.  This equates to higher ratings which in turn…I already explained the scenario above.  The only question left to ask from a PR standpoint is, “Will Michael Vick’s presence on the field cause people to not watch NFL games or advertisers to not run ads on his games?”  I’m sure that there will be a very small percentage of people that might answer a questionnaire stating this is the reason they don’t watch NFL games.  But let’s be honest people, if you are an NFL fan, no matter how disgusted with Michael Vick, and maybe even the NFL and Eagles for putting him on the field, you’re still going to watch your team play on Sundays.  There maybe a few conservative advertisers that might drop out, but I think it’s safe to assume most will stay on, especially because the ratings will be higher.  

Analyze this data, the only conclusion to come to is:  A phenomenal move on the part of the NFL and Eagles to better their business.

The Business Debate - Ethics and Practices

The second business topic deals more with the moral issues in this case.  As much as businesses and entrepreneurs would like to base decisions purely on the financial result, our society has evolved in such a way that business ethics are a very important part of the decision making process (Although I say very important, when it comes down to it, let’s not forget the point of a business is to make money).

The professional sports industry plays a very large role in the lives of our youth society.  Pro players are role models - no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  Being so, the entities, such as the NFL, that control the industry must take this into account when making decisions such as this case.  Although they are in it to make money, if they were completely irresponsible and allowed rapists, killers, and drug users (known to the public at least!!) to play professional sports, they would undoubtedly be taken to the town square and stoned.

Is it ethical for the NFL and Eagles to put Vick on the field?  Probably not.  If you look at other  careers, such as a lawyer, a felony conviction would get any lawyer’s license to practice revoked.  Granted, an NFL player is not defending criminals or representing accident victims in a court of law, but with the whole “role model” influence such a powerful medium to the youth across the country, one could argue that it’s of very similar significance.

In the end, as I mentioned above, the decision isn’t really going to take away from the NFL audience.  Weigh all these factors together, and I would have made the same decision.

Play on Michael Vick.

With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. Medical research has also shown possible benefits of stevia in treating obesity and high blood pressure. Because stevia has a negligible effect on blood glucose, it is attractive as a natural sweetener to people on carbohydrate-controlled diets. However, health and political controversies have limited stevia’s availability in many countries; for example, the United States banned it in the early 1990s unless labeled as a supplement.

The question to ask is: Why it was banned unless labeled as a supplement by the US FDA? Is it because it’s potentially harmful to humans? In reality, stevia is natural and non-toxic. Compared to nutra-sweet or Splenda which are both derived through a chemical process, it’s actually much healthier for you.

In 1991, when the FDA labeled the plant as an “unsafe additive,” it restricted the import of stevia. This brought on much controversy that brought up questions of whether the FDA acted on results from empirical data that stevia was “inadequate to demonstrate its safety,” or if it was pressure from lobbyists in the artificial sweetener industry. Most likely we all have our opinions on that!

Well guess what…last year the FDA lifted the restriction and stevia can now be used as an additive. Wow, just when you thought our government did not act in the best interest of the people they TOTALLY redeem themselves…or NOT.

The real reason the restriction was lifted is not because they find that it’s in the best interest of public health. Forget that there is this all-natural product that grows from the ground that could be used as a sugar substitute rather than using nasty chemicals that we are finding cause an array of symptoms. Instead, what really pushed them to make the change…COCA COLA. That’s right folks. The beverage giant pushed and the government tipped over.

At least the soda giants took a turn for the better **applause**:

In December 2008, the FDA gave a “no objection” approval for GRAS status to Truvia (developed by Cargill and The Coca-Cola Company) and PureVia (developed by PepsiCo and the Whole Earth Sweetener Company, a subsidiary of Merisant), both of which are wholly-derived from the Stevia plant.