CannaTherapy Network News

Spanish region approves cannabis spray as medicine

2008-04-11T06:57:00.001-07:00

BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) — Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia announced Thursday it has approved a spray containing cannabis to relieve the pain of certain illnesses.

The region's health department said it took the decision following clinical trials involving patients suffering severe pain or nausea linked to diseases such as sclerosis or cancer.

The oral spray can also be prescribed to AIDS patients who have lost their appetite or women suffering from breast cancer for whom chemotherapy is causing bouts of vomiting.

"Almost half" of the 207 patients tested in the trial, conducted in 2006 and 2007, reacted positively to the treatment, the department said.

Six Catalan hospitals took part in the trials as well as 75 pharmacies who helped patients define the daily dose of the substance they needed to stop their pain.

Catalan authorities said the product, already available in Canada, can only be sold on prescription, and doctors can only prescribe it if other pain-relieving medicine is ineffective.

Cannabis is considered an illegal drug in Spain, but its use is more tolerated than in many other European countries.

AFP

Sinclair calls for marijuana legalization

2008-04-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 6 (UPI) -- Noted poet John Sinclair, speaking at the annual Hash Bash at the University of Michigan, called for the legalization of marijuana.

While the annual pro-marijuana event on the university was minimized to a mere half-hour this year due to a conflict with another student group's program, Sinclair used that time to promote the drug's legalization, The Ann Arbor (Mich.) News reported Saturday.

"People want drugs," Sinclair told the assembled crowd of as many as 2,000 students. "They want to get high ... Because it's all good."

Sinclair gained notoriety at the university for a 1971 "Free John Sinclair" rally held on campus following a marijuana conviction by the poet.

The newspaper said there was one arrest for disorderly conduct and no tickets were issued for marijuana use during this year's gathering.

UPI

USA’s crime-and-punishment or EU’s enlightened approach to marijuana?

2008-04-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

As a parent helping two children navigate their teen years, and as a travel writer who has seen firsthand how Europe deals with its drug problem, I’ve thought a lot about U.S. drug policy — particularly our criminalization of marijuana.

Europe, like the U.S., is dealing with a persistent drug-abuse problem. But unlike us, Europe, which treats drug abuse primarily as a public health issue rather than a criminal issue, measures the success of its drug policy in terms of pragmatic harm reduction.

Europeans seek a cure that isn’t more costly than the problem. While the U.S. spends its tax dollars on police, courts and prisons, Europe fights drug abuse by funding doctors, counselors and clinics. European Union policymakers estimate that for each euro invested in drug education and counseling, they save 15 euros in police and health costs. Similar estimates have been made for U.S. health-based approaches by the Rand Corp. and others.

While Europeans are as firmly opposed to hard drugs as we are, the difference in how they approach marijuana is striking. Take the Netherlands, with its famously liberal marijuana laws. On my last trip to Amsterdam, I visited a “coffee shop” — a cafe that openly and legally sells marijuana to people over 18. I sat and observed the very local, almost quaint scene: Neighbors were chatting. An older couple ( who apparently didn’t enjoy the trendy ambience ) parked their bikes and dropped in for a baggie to go. An underage customer was shooed away. Then a police officer showed up — but only to post a warning about the latest danger from chemical drugs on the streets.

Some concerned U.S. parents are comforted by the illusion of control created by our complete prohibition of marijuana. But the policy seems to be backfiring: Their kids say it’s easier to buy marijuana than tobacco or alcohol. ( You don’t get carded when you buy something illegally. ) Meanwhile, Dutch parents say their approach not only protects their younger children, but also helps insulate teens over 18 from street pushers trying to get them hooked on more addictive ( and profitable ) hard drugs.

After a decade of regulating marijuana, Dutch anti-drug abuse professionals agree there has been no significant increase in pot smoking among young people, and that overall cannabis use has increased only slightly. European and U.S. government statistics show per-capita consumption of marijuana for most of Europe ( including the Netherlands ) is about half that of the U.S., despite the criminal consequences facing American pot smokers.

When it comes to marijuana, European leaders understand that a society must choose: Tolerate alternative lifestyles or build more prisons. They’ve made their choice. We’re still building more prisons.

According to Forbes magazine, 25 million Americans currently use marijuana ( federal statistics indicate that one in three Americans has used marijuana at some point ), which makes it a $113 billion untaxed industry in our country. The FBI reports that about 40 percent of the roughly 1.8 million annual drug arrests in the U.S. are for marijuana — the majority ( 89 percent ) for simple possession.

Rather than act as a deterrent, criminalization of marijuana drains precious resources, clogs our legal system and distracts law enforcement attention from more pressing safety concerns.

But things are changing. For example, in Seattle, Initiative 75, which makes adult marijuana use the lowest law enforcement priority for local cops, was recently reviewed after four years in action. The results clearly show that during that period, marijuana use didn’t measurably increase, and street crime associated with drugs actually went down.

More and more U.S. parents, lawyers, police, judges and even travel writers feel it’s time for a change. Obviously, like Europeans, we don’t want anyone to harm themselves or others by misusing marijuana. We simply believe that regulating and taxing what many consider a harmless vice is smarter than outlawing it.

Like my European friends, I believe we can adopt a pragmatic policy toward marijuana, with a focus on harm reduction and public health, rather than tough-talking but counterproductive criminalization. The time has come to have an honest discussion about our marijuana laws and their effectiveness. We need to find a policy that is neither “hard on drugs” nor “soft on drugs” — but smart on drugs.

The Safe Stoner

We need to get smart about marijuana

2008-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

As a parent helping two children navigate their teen years, and as a travel writer who has seen firsthand how Europe deals with its drug problem, I've thought a lot about U.S. drug policy -- particularly our criminalization of marijuana.

Europe, like the U.S., is dealing with a persistent drug-abuse problem. But unlike us, Europe, which treats drug abuse primarily as a public health issue rather than a criminal issue, measures the success of its drug policy in terms of pragmatic harm reduction.

Europeans seek a cure that isn't more costly than the problem. While the U.S. spends its tax dollars on police, courts and prisons, Europe fights drug abuse by funding doctors, counselors and clinics. European Union policymakers estimate that for each euro invested in drug education and counseling, they save 15 euros in police and health costs. Similar estimates have been made for U.S. health-based approaches by the Rand Corp. and others.

While Europeans are as firmly opposed to hard drugs as we are, the difference in how they approach marijuana is striking. Take the Netherlands, with its famously liberal marijuana laws. On my last trip to Amsterdam, I visited a "coffee shop" -- a cafe that openly and legally sells marijuana to people over 18. I sat and observed the very local, almost quaint scene: Neighbors were chatting. An older couple (who apparently didn't enjoy the trendy ambience) parked their bikes and dropped in for a baggie to go. An underage customer was shooed away. Then a police officer showed up -- but only to post a warning about the latest danger from chemical drugs on the streets.

Some concerned U.S. parents are comforted by the illusion of control created by our complete prohibition of marijuana. But the policy seems to be backfiring: Their kids say it's easier to buy marijuana than tobacco or alcohol. (You don't get carded when you buy something illegally.) Meanwhile, Dutch parents say their approach not only protects their younger children, but also helps insulate teens over 18 from street pushers trying to get them hooked on more addictive (and profitable) hard drugs.

After a decade of regulating marijuana, Dutch anti-drug abuse professionals agree there has been no significant increase in pot smoking among young people, and that overall cannabis use has increased only slightly. European and U.S. government statistics show per-capita consumption of marijuana for most of Europe (including the Netherlands) is about half that of the U.S., despite the criminal consequences facing American pot smokers.

When it comes to marijuana, European leaders understand that a society must choose: Tolerate alternative lifestyles or build more prisons. They've made their choice. We're still building more prisons.

According to Forbes magazine, 25 million Americans currently use marijuana (federal statistics indicate that one in three Americans has used marijuana at some point), which makes it a $113 billion untaxed industry in our country. The FBI reports that about 40 percent of the roughly 1.8 million annual drug arrests in the U.S. are for marijuana -- the majority (89 percent) for simple possession.

Rather than act as a deterrent, criminalization of marijuana drains precious resources, clogs our legal system and distracts law enforcement attention from more pressing safety concerns.

But things are changing. For example, in Seattle, Initiative 75, which makes adult marijuana use the lowest law enforcement priority for local cops, was recently reviewed after four years in action. The results clearly show that during that period, marijuana use didn't measurably increase, and street crime associated with drugs actually went down.

More and more U.S. parents, lawyers, police, judges and even travel writers feel it's time for a change. Obviously, like Europeans, we don't want anyone to harm themselves or others by misusing marijuana. We simply believe that regulating and taxing what many consider a harmless vice is smarter than outlawing it.

Like my European friends, I believe we can adopt a pragmatic policy toward marijuana, with a focus on harm reduction and public health, rather than tough-talking but counterproductive criminalization. The time has come to have an honest discussion about our marijuana laws and their effectiveness. We need to find a policy that is neither "hard on drugs" nor "soft on drugs" -- but smart on drugs.
Rick Steves is a travel writer based in Edmonds.

seattlepi.com

Morocco losing position as top cannabis grower-UN

2008-03-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

RABAT, March 27 (Reuters) - Morocco appears to be losing its position as the world's top cannabis grower to Afghanistan after a drive to eradicate the crop in the African country's impoverished north, the head of the U.N. anti-drugs agency said.

Morocco's multi-billion dollar cannabis harvest almost halved from 2003 to 2006 after officials ordered the destruction of crops, farmers were encouraged to seek other sources of income and drought depleted yields.

Some 70,000 hectares of the dark green, fern-like plant were grown in Morocco in 2006, said Antonia Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

"I think we are around 60,000 hectares at the moment, although the survey is still ongoing," he told Reuters by telephone.

In lawless Afghanistan, however, the opposite is happening.

"What we've seen for sure is a gigantic increase in cultivation of cannabis in Afghanistan," said Costa. "It may very well have overtaken Morocco."

A scientific study of drug cultivation in Afghanistan last year showed a cannabis crop of about 70,000 hectares, he said.

Cannabis cultivation also seemed to be on the rise in the Middle East in Sinai, eastern Lebanon and even parts of Iraq, he said.

Rabat was accused for years of failing to develop Morocco's rugged and isolated Rif mountains where families grow cannabis to stave off grinding poverty.

To draw investment and help lift the region out of poverty, it opened the kingdom's largest container terminal near Tangier last year and is setting up a chain of free trade zones nearby.

Four years ago Morocco's hashish trade netted an estimated $12 billion for dealers and for drug barons who benefited from the complicity of local officials.

Around a quarter of that sum filtered back into the Moroccan economy.

Spurred on by suspicions that sales from hashish helped pay for terrorist activities, Moroccan authorities have tightened drug controls at ports and installed scanners able to detect cannabis within large trucks and containers.

While Morocco remains the world's biggest exporter of processed cannabis, a record 35 tonnes of hashish were seized in Tangier port last year, up 25 percent from 2006.

Costa said that had prompted a shift in tactics by trafficking networks.

"We now see more cannabis being shifted east across north Africa and reaching the shores of Europe in Italy and Greece," he said. "There are reports that some of the money is funding terrorist cells, including groups in Algeria."

Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit drug globally. Cannabis herb production slipped 6 percent to 42,000 tonnes in 2005, according to U.N. estimates.

Reuters

Who do you think it is we have to thank for this switch in ... um, fortunes?

Top 21 Myths of Marijuana Smoking

2008-03-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

Smoking marijuana gives a lot of pleasure, no doubt, but it is the most abused illicit drug in the United States. It is smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe. It is smoked in blunts as well, which are cigars emptied of tobacco and filled up with marijuana. Another drug is added to it. It is also mixed in food or tea. Whatever said and done, it is the most abused drug. Many youngsters are addicted to it. Several myths persist, whether it is a harmful or harmless drug. Different opinions are expressed, some justifying its use and some claiming it to be a health hazard. What are the myths?

Top 21 Myths Highlighting Marijuana Smoking

1. It is held that marijuana can cause permanent mental illness. It can cause temporary flare-ups, particularly among adolescents. For example, large doses of marijuana can cause temporary toxic psychosis. This is also rare. It occurs when marijuana is eaten but not smoked
2. Marijuana is considered to be highly addictive. It is less addictive as compared to many drugs and is used as medicine
3. Many feel marijuana is harmless. But this is not true. Marijuana has adverse effects on health. It has a negative impact on psychological health
4. Marijuana has no medicinal value is a myth many believe in. This is not true. Marijuana is used to treat several health problems such as improving appetite, pain relief, controlling nausea etc
5. Another popular myth is that marijuana is more damaging to the lungs as compared to tobacco. The risk is lower in marijuana smokers as they inhale the smoke less and also smoke marijuana less as compared to cigarettes
6. Opinion is held that marijuana is more potent today than in the past. This is also not true. Due to lack of proper storage facilities, marijuana, earlier, lost some of its potency
7. Another myth is marijuana offenses are not severely punished. Statistics prove otherwise. Many marijuana smokers are behind bars. Stringent laws are there which prohibit the use of marijuana. It is the most abused illicit drug
8. Users feel that that their using marijuana will not hurt their kids. In fact, kids have also started using marijuana. If adults smoke it, then kids also may do the same
9. Some feel that marijuana use by kids is okay. This is not so. Teens depend upon it. Their physical and mental health gets affected.
10. Many hold the view that pot can cause high blood pressure. There is no evidence that marijuana can cause hypertension. Some claim it reduces hypertension as it lowers stress levels
11. Marijuana is considered to be useful in the treatment of cancer and other disease. Not necessarily. It can relieve pain, vomiting and nausea caused due to chemotherapy and also improve appetite. It may not necessarily be used in treating cancer as per se
12. Another myth is marijuana impairs short-term memory. It does so only on a temporary basis. When one is no longer under the influence of marijuana, his or her memory is restored
13. Some feel marijuana “flattens” brainwaves. This is not true. In fact, it increases alpha wave activity which is associated with relaxation and meditative state
14. Another popular myth is that marijuana lingers in the body like DDT. This is misleading. Marijuana is not prohibited on this basis
15. Marijuana suppresses the immune system is another myth one tends to believe in. Research has been done only on animals. In fact, studies have indicated that marijuana stimulated the immune system
16. One believes that marijuana prohibition enhances public safety. Not necessarily. There are other drugs which can be more dangerous
17. Many believe that legal marijuana can cause carnage on the highway. Not so. It would be better to legalize the drug. More accidents can be caused due to consumption of alcohol
18. Some believe that marijuana can cause chromosome and cell damage. There is no evidence to this effect
19. It is believed that marijuana leads to harder drugs. Not so. In fact, it can be a substitute to other drugs as well as alcohol. Only if it remains an illicit drug, than it is possible that persons who are selling marijuana illegally, may also sell other drugs
20. A view is held that marijuana damages the reproductive system. Marijuana on its own does not cause any damage. It is generally used in conjunction with other drugs and alcohol
21. One believes that there are a thousand chemicals in marijuana. There are less chemicals in marijuana, around 450 or so

One has to overcome many myths about marijuana smoking. It is less harmful as compared to many other drugs and alcohol. Opinion favors its legalization to prevent its abuse.

ygoy.com

Calling B.S. on the Idea of 'Marijuana Addiction'

2008-03-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

It's laughable that the Feds are pushing the concept of pot addiction when science shows that withdrawal symptoms from caffeine are far worse.
The U.S. government believes that America is going to pot -- literally.

Earlier this month, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse announced plans to spend $4 million to establish the nation's first-ever "Center on Cannabis Addiction," which will be based in La Jolla, Calif. The goal of the center, according to NIDA's press release, is to "develop novel approaches to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of marijuana addiction."

Not familiar with the notion of "marijuana addiction"? You're not alone. In fact, aside from the handful of researchers who have discovered that there are gobs of federal grant money to be had hunting for the government's latest pot boogeyman, there's little consensus that such a syndrome is clinically relevant -- if it even exists at all.

But don't try telling that to the mainstream press -- which recently published headlines worldwide alleging, "Marijuana withdrawal rivals that of nicotine." The alleged "study" behind the headlines involved all of 12 participants, each of whom were longtime users of pot and tobacco, and assessed the self-reported moods of folks after they were randomly chosen to abstain from both substances. Big surprise: they weren't happy.

And don't try telling Big Pharma -- which hopes to cash in on the much-hyped "pot and addiction" craze by touting psychoactive prescription drugs like Lithium to help hardcore smokers kick the marijuana habit.

And certainly don't try telling the drug "treatment" industry, whose spokespeople are quick to warn that marijuana "treatment" admissions have risen dramatically in recent years, but neglect to explain that this increase is due entirely to the advent of drug courts sentencing minor pot offenders to rehab in lieu of jail. According to state and national statistics, up to 70 percent of all individuals in drug treatment for marijuana are placed there by the criminal justice system. Of those in treatment, some 36 percent had not even used marijuana in the 30 days prior to their admission. These are the "addicts"?

Indeed, the concept of pot addiction is big business -- even if the evidence in support of the pseudosyndrome is flimsy at best.

And what does the science say? Well, according to the nonpartisan National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine -- which published a multiyear, million-dollar federal study assessing marijuana and health in 1999 -- "millions of Americans have tried marijuana, but most are not regular users [and] few marijuana users become dependent on it." The investigator added, "[A]though [some] marijuana users develop dependence, they appear to be less likely to do so than users of other drugs (including alcohol and nicotine), and marijuana dependence appears to be less severe than dependence on other drugs."

Just how less likely? According to the Institute of Medicine's 267-page report, fewer than 10 percent of those who try cannabis ever meet the clinical criteria for a diagnosis of "drug dependence" (based on DSM-III-R criteria). By contrast, the IOM reported that 32 percent of tobacco users, 23 percent of heroin users, 17 percent of cocaine users and 15 percent of alcohol users meet the criteria for "drug dependence."
In short, it's the legal drugs that have Americans hooked -- not pot.

But what about the claims that ceasing marijuana smoking can trigger withdrawal symptoms similar to those associated with quitting tobacco? Once again, it's a matter of degree. According to the Institute of Medicine, pot's withdrawal symptoms, when identified, are "mild and subtle" compared with the profound physical syndromes associated with ceasing chronic alcohol use -- which can be fatal -- or those abstinence symptoms associated with daily tobacco use, which are typically severe enough to persuade individuals to reinitiate their drug-taking behavior.

The IOM report further explained, "[U]nder normal cannabis use, the long half-life and slow elimination from the body of THC prevent[s] substantial abstinence symptoms" from occurring. As a result, cannabis' withdrawal symptoms are typically limited to feelings of mild anxiety, irritability, agitation and insomnia.

Most importantly, unlike the withdrawal symptoms associated with the cessation of most other intoxicants, pot's mild after-effects do not appear to be either severe or long-lasting enough to perpetuate marijuana use in individuals who have decided to quit. This is why most marijuana smokers report voluntarily ceasing their cannabis use by age 30 with little physical or psychological difficulty. By comparison, many cigarette smokers who pick up the habit early in life continue to smoke for the rest of their lives, despite making numerous efforts to quit.

So let's review.

Marijuana is widely accepted by the National Academy of Sciences, the Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs, the British Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and others to lack the severe physical and psychological dependence liability associated with most other intoxicants, including alcohol and tobacco. Further, pot lacks the profound abstinence symptoms associated with most legal intoxicants, including caffeine.

That's not to say that some marijuana smokers don't find quitting difficult. Naturally, a handful of folks do, though this subpopulation is hardly large enough to warrant pot's legal classification (along with heroin) as an illicit substance with a "high potential for abuse." Nor does this fact justify the continued arrest of more than 800,000 Americans annually for pot violations any more than such concerns would warrant the criminalization of booze or nicotine.

Now if I can only get NIDA to fork me over that $4 million check.

Alternet

Cannabis Smuggling Comic Adventure

2008-03-21T08:11:00.001-07:00

Welcome to a world of police informants, career criminals, drug-smugglers, dealers, smokers, undercover police, customs officers and binge-drinking nine to fivers who are seduced into crime by their desires to have more than their own lives will ever deliver.

It’s Great Britain, 2008. Two decades of high taxation and social erosion have created the richest black market in Europe.

Over a thousand criminal gangs operate thriving businesses in the drugs trade that inspires, intimidates and corrupts anyone who moves too close.

In the south of Spain, one late summer’s evening, one young man is about to get too close…

Smuggling Vacation <<< For the entire comic!

Supreme Court declines to review Garden Grove marijuana case

2008-03-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

The California Supreme Court today declined to review an appellate court ruling that ordered Garden Grove police to return seized medical marijuana from a patient, lawyers say.

Garden Grove police also had asked the court to unpublish its ruling, which the case would no longer be legally binding regarding other seizures, but the court rejected that appeal, according to Joe Elford, an attorney for the nonprofit group Americans for Safe Access.

In November, Felix Kha won the right to get his medical marijuana back from police when the state’s 4th District Court of Appeal ruled police officer illegally took away the pot from him.

Elford said the Supreme Court’s decisions affirms the rights of medical marijuana patients to possess the drug — and serves as a warning for law enforcement who may engage in such seizures.

OCRegister

Against All Odds House Passes Marijuana Sentencing Reform Bill

2008-03-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE -- House members today defied expectations and passed a bill to reduce the penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana, 193-141, overriding the recommendation of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, which voted HB 1623 "inexpedient to legislate" last month.
Sponsored by Reps. Jeffrey Fontas (D-Nashua), Andrew Edwards (D-Nashua) and Charles Weed (D-Keene), HB 1623 makes possession of up to a quarter ounce of marijuana a violation punishable by a maximum fine of $200.

The bill makes the punishment for marijuana offenses more proportional to the offense and protects offenders from harsh, often unintended, consequences that can stem from a conviction, said Fontas. These consequences can include the loss of student financial aid, he said, making it much more difficult for young people to recover from what often amounts to a stupid mistake.

"How can we expect young people to get back on the right path if we take away every opportunity to do so?" he said before the vote. "If we are so concerned about the message we are sending to young people, I can think of no worse message than that we do not want our young people going to college."

The decision would restore a measure of sanity to marijuana sentencing and reflects the sentiments of most Americans, said NH Coalition for Common Sense Marijuana Policy's Matt Simon, who noted similar reforms were being considered in Vermont and Massachusetts.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

"Our representatives in the House did the right thing for New Hampshire - and especially for New Hampshire's young people," Simon said. "It's time for the Senate to finish the work we've started here and bring some sanity to our marijuana sentencing policies."

Eleven states -- including Mississippi, Nebraska and Ohio -- have laws similar to what HB 1623 proposes. According to government data, marijuana use rates for teens and adults are in these "decriminalized" states are statistically equal to rates in states that jail individuals convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Cannazine

Oral sex, marijuana use linked to throat cancer

2008-03-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The sexually transmitted virus that causes some cervical cancers can also cause cancer in the upper throat, researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report.

The human papilloma virus, more commonly known as HPV, is linked to throat cancers most often in younger, married college graduates, according to the study published in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The connection grows stronger with larger numbers of oral sex partners and increasing marijuana use.

Other head and neck cancers are more often associated with smoking tobacco, alcohol use and poor oral hygiene, suggesting they may be a separate disease, said Dr. Maura L. Gillison, associate professor of oncology and epidemiology at Hopkins and lead researcher on the study.

“Our results indicate that HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck cancers have different risk-factor profiles and should be considered two distinct diseases,” Gillison said. “They just happen to occur in the same place.”
More research will need to be done to clarify the relationship to marijuana use, she said.

“It’s possible that other behaviors linked with marijuana use could be the real culprit, and our results will need to be confirmed,” she said. Chemicals in marijuana called cannabinoids could affect the immune system’s ability to fight a virus.

About 20 million Americans are currently infected with HPV, and another 6.2 million people become infected each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least half of all sexually active men and women will have a genital HPV infection at some point in their lives.

This year, 11,070 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S., the American Cancer Society estimates. A significant portion of cervical cancers are caused by HPV.

The good news is, patients with HPV-positive tumors tend to survive longer and are more responsive to treatment, compared with patients with HPV-negative tumors.

The American Joint Committee on Cancer is now considering incorporating HPV status in its guidelines for determining clinical stages of head and neck cancer.

Examiner

... well oral sex is against the law in the State of California anyway, so I guess WE ARE DOOMED! ;)

Medical Marijuana: Oregon's Flaming Success

2008-03-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician, Toxicologist and Pharmacologist.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - It's difficult for me not to be a bit flamboyant about this but as Oregon's number one leading marijuana doctor with more than 4,000 patients, I do feel exuberant about it.

The Oregon Department of Human Services estimated that only about 500 patients would be eligible for the marijuana permits. (they are not prescriptions) If I remember correctly in the first year we registered one thousand marijuana patients and about 500 were mine. This was my only practice as I have a spinal cord injury which prevents me from running around a regular office.

The DHS State Medical Board, the powers that be (idiots!) couldn't figure out where all these patients were coming from but subsequent investigations by the U.S. government estimated that Oregon had about 300 thousand regular users. Most are self-treating for a variety of medical conditions.

It has been nine years since medical marijuana was legalized and as of January 1st 2008 we have NOW 16,000 medical permit holders with 7.700 caregiver and growers and 1,700 more pending issuance permit cards.

Many physicians were totally paranoid about signing applications for this "devil weed" which the U.S. government said was "highly addicting and dangerous." (they watched their own movie, "Reefer Madness" which is so absurd even high school kids laugh at it).

Marijuana is less dangerous and less addicting than Starbucks lattes. The worst adverse side effect from a high dose of the pure medicinal agent hashish is maybe sleeping for 24 hours although the pure synthetic THC as prescription Marinol causes severe panic attacks in many people and they avoid it and often use the natural plant instead.

There are many disbelievers that marijuana is truly a good medicine through its been used beneficially for at least 5,000 years and never killed anyone. Frequent writers to the Oregonian decry the legalization of medical marijuana and cite disproved U.S. government propaganda.

The procedure to get an Oregon permit is very strict and now 2,782 doctors have signed applications. If anyone thinks patients are faking symptoms and duping doctors and the system they are deluded by using too much narcotics or anti-depressants. Both are far more dangerous than marijuana.

Salem News

SXSW: Super High Me Smokes the First Day of Film Screenings

2008-03-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

AUSTIN, Texas -- One of South by Southwest 2008's first film premieres opened to a packed and uproarious house of pot aficionados and comedy lovers alike.

Super High Me, spawned from a joke in comedian and star of the film Doug Benson's stand-up act, spoofs Morgan Spurlock's month-long fast food diet in Super Size Me. If you haven't guessed it already, rather than gorging on McDonald's, Benson indulges in another type of refreshment for 30 days -- marijuana.

Luckily, Benson, also a talking head on VH1's Best Week Ever (and High Times' 2006 Stoner of the Year), doesn't just blaze through the 90 minutes of film.

Though Super High Me could worm its way into the ranks of classic stoner films like Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke, Dave Chappelle's Half-Baked or even Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (if the audience's constant raucous cheering, hoots and laughter is any gauge), the film offered more substance than is standard for the genre.

Instead, Benson embarks on a surprisingly rigorous experiment, undergoing elaborate mental, physical and psychological evaluations for a 30-day period of sobriety before his pot-acular diet. Lightning-quick, effective educational blurbs animated with Reefer Madness-esque graphics punctuate the levity of the film's titular experiment, diving deep into the medical marijuana debate and those affected by it.

Trailer

Other high points of the film (see trailer) included clips of Benson's own diarylike reflections of his experiment in high-larious snippets from nightly performances, where he openly laments and cracks rapid-fire jokes about not being able to indulge in his favorite pastime.

Of course, all of this is just a prelude, an anticipation-building countdown to the meat of the movie -- the nonstop smoke-out.

Surprisingly, the movie's monumental moment -- when Benson inhales a large quantity of smoke from a clunky vaporizer -- is overshadowed by the first half of the film, which is made funnier by the abundance of commentary by fellow comedian friends like Bob Odenkirk, Brian Pohsen and Patton Oswalt (not to mention the steady stream of nostalgic jokes about getting high).

A bright spot, eliciting cheers from the entire audience (save the older woman sitting next to me who harumphed and puffed out her cheeks), came during the pre- and post-pot binge evaluation results: Benson performed better on his SATs, showed an increased sperm count and an increased psychic ability.

During the post-screening Q&A, however, Benson was quick to point out that the film doesn't exactly glorify pot. "I looked like a total idiot," Benson told an audience member who lectured him for "only showing the positive sides of pot."

"And I gained 8 pounds," Benson added.

When asked about Spurlock's response to the film (and if he was going to sue), one of the SXSW panelists piped up: "He liked the film! And promised not to sue, but wished he'd seen it." To which Benson cheerly interjected, "Well, then next I'm doing, Where the Hell Is Osama With My Weed!"

Check back later for an exclusive Q&A as Wired.com sits down with Benson from his hotel room in Austin to chat about his project, the munchies after 30 days of pot, and whether you can ever really get too high.

Super High Me will screen again Sunday, March 9, at 4:15 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center.

blog.wired

Counties file briefs against medical marijuana laws

2008-03-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Lawyers for San Diego and San Bernardino counties have filed new briefs in their case against state medical marijuana laws.
The documents urge the Fourth District Court of Appeal to throw out a San Diego Superior Court ruling upholding the state law that requires counties to issue identification cards to qualified medical marijuana patients.

“The county will suffer harm if it is required to comply with the pre-empted medical marijuana laws,” states the San Diego County brief, filed Friday.

State and federal officials conflict over the medical value of marijuana.

California law allows sick and dying patients to grow and smoke the drug to relieve chronic symptoms. Federal rules state that using marijuana is a crime under any circumstance.

Oral arguments in the landmark case are expected this year.

SignOnSanDiego.com <<< Go here to add your comments

HIGH NOON

2008-03-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

Larimer County is at the center of the battle over medical marijuana

James and Lisa Masters were getting ready to take their daughters fishing on the morning of Aug. 2, 2006, when two social workers and two police officers knocked on their door.

"We were just finishing folding laundry, getting ready for the day," says James, "and we had just recently medicated."

They had picked a bad time to take their medicine. The Masters are both medical marijuana patients, whose doctors recommend they get high to treat various physical and neurological illnesses.

The social workers raised allegations of child abuse and neglect toward their daughters, ages 4 and 6. The police officers, who the Masters were told came along in case the parents got violent - maybe in a fit of reefer madness - smelled the weed.

Inside, the Masters had 18 marijuana plant clones and an imminent harvest of 12 two-foot-high, bud-laden plants, which they say was for people suffering from glaucoma, cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis and other crippling diseases.

The Masters' home was serving as the county chapter of the Colorado Compassion Club, a statewide network that provides quality weed for medical marijuana patients, including themselves. Despite having doctors' recommendations for the medicinal crop as allowed through a state constitutional amendment, the Larimer County Drug Task Force snagged the pot - and child protection services snagged the Masters' daughters, who were separated from their parents for nearly two months.

"They came here with the understanding that we were medical [marijuana] patients," says James. "There's no reason that two happy, well-adjusted girls should ever be taken away from their family because of cannabis."

James and Lisa, now reunited with their daughters, are facing criminal charges for distributing a controlled substance. The bust raises all of the usual questions about the misplaced priorities of the War on Drugs. But, even more, the Masters' upcoming trial, scheduled for June 4 at the Larimer County Courthouse, is being called a "test case" for the rights of medical marijuana patients and caregivers.

The outcome could affect how Colorado regulates the cultivation, distribution and sale of the drug for medicinal use. Ultimately, the Masters' trial could lead to an expansion of the state's medical marijuana program and a wider acceptance of pot as a healing remedy instead of just another way to get stoned.

The Compassion Club
James doesn't know exactly what's wrong with his body. He might have porphyria - an enzyme abnormality - or an overstock supply of hepatitis antibodies, although he's never had the disease or a vaccination. What the Fort Collins native does know is that, "since the age of 23, I've been throwing up every day," he says.

He suffers from constant nausea, stomach cramps, muscle spasms and swelling. James is 29 years old and walks with a cane. In the first year of his illness, he fell into a coma. Later, incontinence kept him from holding down jobs or attending college, and he suffered from depression, unable to provide for his young family. The doctors prescribed him a lineup of pharmaceutical narcotics, including diazepam, hydromorphone and antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs.

"For the first three or four years of my marriage, I had a living corpse on my floor," says Lisa. "They had him on 11 medications at one point."

Lisa, 31, has her own list of physical maladies. Three protruding discs in her neck, two of which are possibly herniated. Joint swelling and muscle spasms. Carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. Bursitis in both ankles.

Marijuana, the Masters say, provides relief from their sicknesses, numbing muscle and nerve pain and nausea.

"Symptomatically, I noticed I had less episodes when I was smoking," says James, "but, at that point [in 2001], I had kids and I couldn't afford marijuana."

In 2000, James remembers when the state passed a medical marijuana law, but he says it meant "absolutely nothing" at the time because there was so little information about the program. When he asked his family physician to refer him, the doctor refused to help and even failed to tell James about the state health department website for potential patients.

Colorado voters passed Amendment 20 in 2000, which allows doctor-recommended patients with debilitating diseases to smoke pot and hold up to two ounces, or six plants (with three or fewer being mature, flowering plants), of marijuana. Under the constitutional amendment, medical marijuana users are supposed to register with the state.

In January 2006, citizens in Gunnison County decided in favor of medical marijuana user Ryan Margenau. The jury held that, according to Amendment 20, a patient doesn't need to be registered, but does require a recommendation from a Colorado doctor.

"Patients don't have to go through every single step to be legal. They can just have a doctor's recommendation, and it's worth noting that the doctor's recommendation can be oral or written," says Brian Vicente, one of two attorneys representing the Masters and executive director of Sensible Colorado, a nonprofit group that works on behalf of medical marijuana users and supports pot decriminalization.

The staff of Colorado's Medical Marijuana Registry approves applications but does not issue licenses or permits. The state won't connect potential patients with doctors who will recommend pot for treatment, does not share information on how to acquire or grow weed, and does not recognize patients who have been approved for medical mari-juana use in other states.

Through another friend, the Masters met Thomas and Larisa Lawrence, a Denver couple, in 2003. Thomas Lawrence is a registered medical marijuana user, and he and his wife had begun serving as caregivers, maintaining a garden of high-quality pot for other patients. They shared information about doctors who would consider recommending people for treatment. The Lawrences eventually created the Colorado Compassion Club in 2004 to run a marijuana dispensary for patients, who donated money for pot, seeds or clippings.

The Masters first received doctors' recommendations in the summer of 2004, and they began coordinating with the Lawrences to help distribute pot to patients in Northern Colorado. Lisa cooks and bakes with ganja, providing meals for patients with throat illnesses or those who have never smoked. (She says her daughters know the couple smokes and grows pot for other sick people, but claims they never smoke in front of the girls and they've kept their plants and drugs in a locked study.)

Last May, James began organizing weekly gatherings to spread the word about how to enroll for medical marijuana privilidges, ultimately opening the Larimer County chapter of the Compassion Club.

"I started holding meetings," says James, "and what I heard over and over again from people with cancer, HIV, full-blown AIDS, was, ‘Where do I get medicine?'"

The Masters started their own garden for Compassion Club patients last summer. Their first homegrown crop consisted of the 12 mature plants the county drug task force confiscated in the August 2006 bust of their home.

Rocky Mountain Chronicle
for the rest of the story.

'Cannabis' could help smokers quit

2008-03-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

Smokers trying to quit could do so in the future with the help of cannabis-based medicines, a university has said.

Scientists at the University of Nottingham are also looking to see whether such medicines could be used to treat obesity, diabetes and depression.

The research has focused on cannabis-like compounds which naturally exist within the human body called endocannabinoids. Scientists believe they could have a crucial link to addictive behaviour.

Dr Steve Alexander, associate professor at the university's School of Biomedical Sciences, said: "In terms of getting better medicines the endocannabinoid system has a lot to offer.

"The range of cannabis-related medicines is currently limited, but by increasing our knowledge in this area we can increase our stock."

Professor David Kendall, a cellular pharmacologist at the university, said: "The brain is full of cannabinoid receptors.

"And so, not surprisingly with diseases like depression and anxiety, there's a great deal of interest in exploiting these receptors and in doing so, developing anti-depressant compounds.

"We know that the endocannabinoid system is intimately involved in reward pathways and drug-seeking behaviour.

"So this tends to indicate that if the link involving endocannabinoids and the reward pathway, using inhibitors, can be interrupted, it could turn down the drive to seek addictive agents like nicotine."

Cannabinoids have also been shown to bring down blood pressure and it is hoped that related compounds can be used in patients with conditions like hypertension.

The Press Association

Alzheimer's Patients May Benefit From Cannabis-Derived Medicines

2008-03-08T06:43:00.000-08:00

LONDON, March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Cannabis-derived medicines may one day be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease which affects 417,000 people in the UK.

Professor Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, will present new findings to a group of international experts at a Cannabinoids Medicines Symposium to be held at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) in London on Monday, 10 March. The research, still at an early stage, indicates that memory loss, the main symptom of Alzheimer's, can be slowed down significantly in mice by some of the chemicals present in cannabis. The next step will be to initiate human trials to see if the same effect can be achieved on the human brain.

The research is promising for the millions of suffers of the disease and their carers. Alzheimer's disease is the commonest form of dementia, which affects an estimated 24.3 million people worldwide.

It is ten years since the RPSGB launched its protocols to demonstrate the therapeutic effectiveness of cannabis. These protocols led to the Government funded UK trials that looked at the medicinal benefits of cannabis for patients with multiple sclerosis and in the treatment of severe pain. Cannabis-derived medicines have subsequently entered the market and are currently available to patients in Canada.

Professor Tony Moffat, who is chairing the Symposium on Monday said: "We have come a long way in ten years and there is still a lot of research ground to cover. There is currently considerable interest in the medical benefits of cannabis and related compounds for a range of conditions including arthritis, multiple sclerosis and neurological pain. Although recent press coverage has focused on the abuses associated with the plant, cannabis-derived medications may offer novel opportunities in drug discovery."

Notes to editors

About Professor Mechoulam's research

The research was conducted by Professor Raphael Mechoulam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and a team led by Dr Maria de Ceballos, Cajal Institute, Madrid. In the studies, mice were injected directly into the brain with a molecule found in the human brain of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, which is known to be responsible for memory loss. These animals were then treated over a week with cannabidiol. The animals were then assessed as to their learning ability measured by the time needed for them to find a hidden platform in a maze. Mice injected with cannabidiol found the platform within 25-30 seconds, compared to 45-55 seconds of those in a control group who had not been treated with cannabidiol.

UK statistics on Alzheimer's disease

- Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia

- The disease affects around 417,000 people in the UK

Alzheimer's Society http://www.alzheimers.org.uk

Source: Worldwide Statistics on dementia

- Approximately 24.3 million people suffer with dementia

- 4.6 million new cases of dementia are reported every year which equates to one new case every 7 seconds

- The number of people affected with dementia will double every 20 years to 81-1 million by 2040

Source: The Lancet 2005; 366:2112-2117 http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673605678890

About Alzheimer's

People in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease may experience lapses of memory and have problems finding the right words. As the disease progresses they may:

- Become confused, and frequently forget the names of people, places, appointments and recent events

- Experience mood swings. They may feel sad or angry. They may feel scared and frustrated by their increasing memory loss

- Become more withdrawn due either to a loss of confidence or to communication problems

Source: Alzheimer's Society: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk

About the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB)

The RPSGB is the professional and regulatory body for pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales. It also regulates pharmacy technicians on a voluntary basis, which is expected to become statutory under anticipated legislation. The primary objectives of the Society are to lead, regulate, develop and represent the profession of pharmacy. For further information visit http://www.rpsgb.org.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of GB

Article from The Earth Times

Bipolar medication helps addicts quit cannabis

2008-03-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

A COMMON medication used to treat people with bipolar disorder could help cannabis addicts kick the habit without suffering withdrawal symptoms such as aggression and depression, a study has found.

Researchers at Corella Drug Treatment Services and the University of NSW studied 20 people who used cannabis every day for at least nine years, prescribing them 500 milligrams of lithium twice a day for seven days. They found that three months after the treatment most of the users were smoking cannabis less often, and many had given up completely.

Cannabis is the most commonly abused illicit drug in Australia, and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre estimates that one in 10 people who try it will become addicted.

Heavy users who try to give up usually experience marked disturbances in mood, sleep and hostility, which can cause them to relapse, making recovery more difficult, but the chief investigator of the study, Adam Winstock, said yesterday that the possibility of finding an effective treatment to manage withdrawal was exciting. "This was a very small trial, and it was carried out in hospital with people who were highly motivated and did not have mental health problems or used other drugs, so it had its limitations, but I'm hoping the results can be matched in a controlled trial next year because we were very impressed with the outcome." Dr Winstock said.

All the participants reported they had been abstinent for an average of 88 per cent of the days since their treatment, and 29 per cent had not used cannabis at all. Studies in rats had shown they experienced an increase in levels of the hormone oxytocin when given lithium during withdrawal from cannabis. Oxytocin is dubbed the "happy hormone" and is released during lactation, orgasm, childbirth, hugging and touching and can produce feelings of wellbeing.

"When the rats were made to go through withdrawal without lithium they appeared to be aggressive and moody, but when they were given lithium they were a little more chilled," Dr Winstock said. "Many people say they smoke a lot of pot because they are depressed, but the truth is that most people in our trial cheered up significantly when they stopped. The bottom line is that quitting can be difficult, but there is help available, and if people do stop smoking pot every day most of them get a lot happier and get a lot more out of their lives," Dr Winstock said.

Sydney Morning Herald

What is wrong with those folks? I am hoping that this is not indicative of the general intelligence level of the entire country.

College Physicians Argue for Legalization of MMJ

2008-03-07T06:25:00.000-08:00

Washington -- The idea that marijuana can be good for your health is being supported by a position paper released by the American College of Physicians (ACP), the largest group of internal medicine doctors in the United States.

The paper supports the use of medicinal marijuana as an effective medicine to deal with side effects of chemotherapy treatments and symptoms like HIV-related weight loss and pain from glaucoma.

Tim Kelly, president of the UW chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said the federal government has spent too many years ignoring evidence that points toward the medicinal benefits of cannabis.

The federal government claims there is no scientific evidence that says marijuana is useful for those suffering from life threatening diseases, terminal illnesses, or both, Kelly said.

Under federal law marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug and is grouped with narcotics such as heroin and crystal methamphetamine. Both drugs are highly addictive and neither have been shown to have any medicinal value.

“For too long the federal government, specifically the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has stated that there are no acceptable medical uses of marijuana,” Kelly said.

David C. Dale, a UW professor of internal medicine and the president of ACP, argued for a change in government policy.

“We have recommended that the classification be changed,” he said. cause

To date, Washington is one of 12 states that allow the use of medical marijuana. However, those who are prescribed the drug are not safe from federal prosecution.

ACP believes there should be an exemption from federal prosecution for physicians and pharmacists who prescribe and/or sell medicinal marijuana and for the patients who use it, Dale said. Under the current federal laws an offender can receive up to five years in prison for possessing 100 kilograms of marijuana and up to 10 years for 1,000 kilograms.

Those caught with less than 15 grams of marijuana face paying a fine of $100 or more.

The report released by the ACP is an important step in the movement NORML has been working toward, Kelly said.

“I think the report that the ACP released asking the federal government to lift its restrictions on research and accessibility to medical marijuana is a great tool in our fight for medical marijuana,” he said.

According to the ACP report, research expansion has been hindered by a complicated federal approval process, the limited availability of research-grade marijuana and the debate over legalization.

“The irony to it all is that the DEA severely limits who can legally obtain marijuana for research, causing the problem of little scientific evidence,” Kelly said.

The Daily

Czech court supports cannabis grower

2008-03-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

Prague- The Czech Supreme Court has upheld a complaint of a woman who had grown cannabis for medical purposes and who had been found guilty of illegal production and possession of drugs by lower level courts and ordered the Prague City Court to deal with her case again.
"The growing of cannabis is not the production of a drug," the court panel headed by Vladimir Jurka said four weeks ago in the verdict that was published on its website now.

Police found 70 plants of cannabis in the woman's vegetable garden. She said she used them to treat her illnesses. She suffered from sole pain and an ulcer and said that her doctor knew that she used cannabis.

The Supreme Court's verdict does not mean legalising cannabis growing. The court stated, however, that the lower level courts should thoroughly prove whether the grower intended to produce marijuana from cannabis or just use it for medical purposes.

The state attorney who supported the woman's complaint said "doctors in the Czech Republic are aware of cannabis medical effects and its use is tolerated if positive results are registered."

In 2005, the Supreme Court issued a verdict that could be interpreted that cannabis growing is legal unlike marijuana production and such interpretations appeared in the media.

The court refuted them and stated that cannabis growing without a permit is illegal since cannabis is a drug.

However, the court said that cannabis growing could not be automatically identified with the production of drugs and courts should thus thoroughly consider the circumstances of each individual case.

ČeskéNoviny.cz

And to think that "Sanity" in the courts comes from the East ... Who-da-thunk? ;)

Pot long shot

2008-03-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

Pot long shot
Sunday, 2 March, 2008

Jamaica is considering the legalisation of marijuana, a drug revered by members of the island's large Rastafarian population who say smoking it is part of their religion.

A seven-member government commission has been researching possible changes to the Caribbean nation's anti-drug laws, which some police complain are clogging courts and jails with marijuana-related cases, a government official said.

"We have discussed it, and we are preparing a report to present to the prime minister," said Deputy Prime Minister Kenneth Baugh.

In 2003, a government commission recommended legalising marijuana in small amounts for personal use.

Backlash from US feared

But lawmakers never acted, saying legalisation might entail loss of their country's US anti-drug certification.

Countries that lose it face economic sanctions.

A US State Department report on Friday said Jamaica is the largest producer of marijuana in the Caribbean and a major hub for drugs bound for the US.

Members of the Rastafarian movement, which emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s out of anger over the oppression of blacks, have long lobbied for the legalisation of the drug that they say brings them closer to the divine.

There are an estimated 700,000 Rastafarians in the world, most of them among Jamaica's 2.6 million people.

Source

Depression: Medical Marijuana is a Successful Therapy

2008-02-29T06:45:00.000-08:00

Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician, Toxicologist and Pharmacologist. He has experience with 4,000 medical marijuana patients.

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - The Merck manual includes Depression in Psychiatric and Mood disorders in which anxiety and PTSD are also included. They show several pages of the why and wherefores so I'm not going into a psychiatric tirade.

I do feel there is an extensive overlap in all of these psychiatric conditions and I hope my point will become clear to the reader.

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Plan, (OMMP) did not include any psychological medical conditions which I felt was a sad mistake. If a patient tells a doctor that marijuana works for ANY condition, it is best if the doctor listens and pays attention.

The old crap, "It's all in your head" is certainly active here.

Very few doctors have been recipients of an artillery or mortar barrage. It would alter their conception. At any rate, all of the above conditions are real AND in some patient's heads. The worst thing is they are difficult to dislodge and get over.

As far as depression itself is concerned, it seemingly was first noted by Doctor Tod Mikuriya who reviewed medical records of about 38,000 marijuana patients at the Oakland, California Cannabis Buyers Club database. He found that many interrelated psychiatric conditions according to patient's histories, were ameliorated with cannabis/marijuana.

He also found that VA doctors were treating these patients with a wild grabbag of psycotropic medications. (See Friedman, M.J. et al April 2006 American Journal of Psychiatry.)

Subsequent medical articles have indicated the abject failure of these medications. These include Serotonin, contraband drugs like Paroxetine, anti-depressants like Trazadone, MADIS like Phenetzine, Tricyclies like Amitriptyline, anti-analgesics like Propanalol, anti-convulsants like Gabapentin and anti-psychotics like Respiridone, Respiridone. I am flummoxed and wonder the rationale of these. They all have well-known BAD adverse side effects.

Early in my practice with marijuana applicants, I learned that Vietnam Veterans had discovered this herb while fighting the war. They told me that cannabis/marijuana worked well for psychic as well as physical medical problems.

Both Dr. Tod Mikuriya and Ed Glick R.N. found in history taking and reviewing medical marijuana and records that marijuana provided effective treatment. I ended up with at least 400 PTSD veterans who fortunately had other acceptable physical ailments so that I could help them get marijuana permits.

Got a question or comment for Dr. Leveque?
Email him: Newsroom@Salem-News.com

More information on the history of Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of Phil Leveque about his experiences in WWII.
Order the book by mail by following this link: Dogface Soldier.
If you are a World War II history buff, you don't want to miss it.

Salem-news.com

States must tackle medical-marijuana issue

2008-02-29T06:36:00.000-08:00

State legislatures around the nation have avoided approving medical marijuana laws — mostly out of fear they would be labeled as soft on crime.

Yet it's pretty clear the public has sympathy for those who truly need marijuana to treat diseases such as glaucoma or to ease the suffering caused by cancer. As a result, voters in 10 states — including Washington and Oregon — have taken the law into their own hands and approved medical-marijuana initiatives.Unfortunately, as can often be the case with voter-approved laws, there can be some unintended consequences. Sure, that happens when laws are made by elected legislators, but it happens less often. The legislative process provides for a debate on the issues that can expose potential problems.

One of the areas not always fully considered with voter-approved medical marijuana laws is the impact on workplace safety. It's now become an issue in Oregon.

Under Oregon's 1998 medical-marijuana law, employers do not have to allow workers with approved medical-marijuana cards to smoke on the job. However, there is no mention about accommodation of workers who smoke the drug at home before coming to work. What if these workers have dangerous jobs in which being physically and mentally sharp is critical to keeping themselves and their co-workers alive?

Two years ago, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled against a registered medical-marijuana user who was fired from his job after failing a urine test. However, the court's decision was extremely narrow and did not fully answer the question about the use of marijuana outside of the physical workplace.

This is clearly a tricky issue. The will of the voters as well as the needs of those with serious health problems need to be juxtaposed against worker safety. Oregon's Legislature took a run at coming to a consensus but failed. The matter will be looked at again next year.

Frankly, this is an issue that would be best addressed by Congress and federal agencies. We believe medical marijuana should be treated the same as any prescription medication. If the drug has side effects that put workers at greater risk of injury or death, workers should be reassigned to a safer job while on that medication.

We can't see that happening in the near future. Congress doesn't have the political courage needed to take action.

So, until that day comes, states will have to tackle the issue. Workplace safety has to be the top priority.

— Union-Bulletin, Walla Walla, Feb. 26

A small price to pay for a big investment

For a modest investment of $3 million, state lawmakers could help ease the shortage of primary-care physicians across Washington.

The South Sound, like Eastern Washington and other sectors of the state, has a shortage of primary-care doctors. New physicians can make more money by going into a specialty.

The shortage of primary-care doctors reduces the quality of care in a community, and it fills emergency rooms with uninsured patients who turn to the ER for primary-care needs such as sore throats and earaches. Cost of treating those patients is expensive, and the cost is shifted to patients with medical insurance.

Everybody loses.

Leaders of the Healthy Washington Coalition, a statewide lobbying group of 65 health-care agencies and associations, want to increase funding for the Washington State Health Professional Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program. With an investment of $3 million, the state would add opportunities for 100 physicians to receive school-loan repayment grants of up to $25,000 a year for three years. In exchange for having a portion of their medical-school costs covered, the new physicians would have to agree to serve as a family-care physician in an underserved portion of the state for three years. Experience shows most graduates of the program serve for six years.

That's a huge benefit for a small investment of state dollars. The $3 million wasn't in the original House budget. The Legislature should look favorably upon this proposal.

Editorial Seattle Times

Hemp's an amazing plant

2008-02-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hemp's an amazing plant
By Mary Lee Minor

Over and over again, I am amazed at the way most everything in life has a relationship to plants.

During the holidays, in an effort to bring comfort to hard-working hands, I passed along my silver tube of cream to my son. This soothing material had been a gift from my daughter, Danielle, when my own hands had developed painful cracks from the sides of my fingernails. You could call this a winter malady. Each night I would massage this ointment into the tips of my fingers. It offered relief.
In David's restaurant business, hands are continually cleansing, frequently immersed in chemicals. The reddened areas itch and are sore. He found that the cream called Hemp Chanvre eased the irritation. This is what led me to searching for more of the substance.
As I entered its name on the Internet, there was a heap of information about hemp, and photographs of it growing. There are hemp farmers worldwide.

Individuals are searching for organic hemp seeds. I could not help them out on that one. The hemp seed crop can produce as much as 300 gallons of oil per acre. Hemp fiber produces 1,000 gallons of methanol per acre.

Hemp is naturally resistant to pests and weeds. Farmers do not need to introduce toxins to reach happy harvests Hemp fibers are nearly 4 times stronger than cotton.

And guess which nation does not produce hemp. All around the world this crop is growing and being used to soothe. Okay, I am aware of the drug connotation. When my daughter gave me the Hemp Chanvre it was due to the presence of panthenol which can improve flexibility of nails and even reduce breaking. There is glycerin in hemp derivatives; it is an effective moisturizer, improving softness and maximizing hydration. We should mention the lanolin, too, which offers protection from rough, dry hands. Lanolin is a rich moisturizer -- no news here.

Hemp seed oil contains fatty acids which help repair the skin's moisture barrier restoring suppleness.

In the midst of checking out all of this pro-hemp material, there appears a print of the plant from 1815. It is identified as a drawing of male hemp (chanvre).

Now I know what the "chanvre" terminology on my tube means, sort of, kinda. I will infer that there is a female counterpart. There is a 1735 print by one Johann Wilhelm Weinman, obviously German.

And then, I recall that in the Black Forest region of Germany, on our Rhine River cruise, I strolled through a village and photographed hemp.

The journey has brought me on an interesting path over the garden fence. I did manage to order two tubes an even treated myself to a tiny bottle of essential lavender oil with a hemp base.

Mary Lee Minor is a member of the Earth, Wind and Flowers Garden Club, an accredited flower show judge for the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs, and a sixth-grade teacher.

bucyrustelegraphforum

I found this to be a refreshing article and it is folks like this fine lady that we need teaching our children, one with an open mind. Our children are our future and we should give them the best shot at it and we should start by telling them the truth in the first place.

BBC film to show effects of injecting cannabis

2008-02-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

The BBC is to break one of the last broadcasting taboos by screening footage of a woman injecting drugs.

Nicky Taylor, a journalist, is filmed smoking cannabis in cafes in Amsterdam before injecting the main ingredient of the stronger "skunk" variety of the drug in a laboratory.

The programme, provisionally called How High Can I Get?, was commissioned from an independent producer.
It will be broadcast on BBC3 in the next few months and comes as the Government considers increasing the penalties for cannabis possession.

Marjorie Wallace, the chief executive of Sane, a mental health charity, said: "It is difficult to see what can be learnt from this experiment. Cannabis affects no two individuals in the same way.

"The majority of people may have little or no reaction, even to stronger forms of the drug.

"But for the 10-20 per cent of those who are considered to be vulnerable, taking it could lead to psychotic illness. "

David Davies, the shadow Home Secretary, said on Sunday night: "I very much hope that this programme will contain a strong anti-drugs message that will stop people experimenting rather than glamourising drugs use."

Miss Taylor was injected with THC, the main component of "skunk" cannabis, last October at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London.

The experiment is legal as it takes place in a laboratory licensed to carry out such tests.

The scientists are running tests to analyse claims that skunk cannabis, which accounts for 80 per cent of the drug sold on the street, causes psychosis.

Miss Taylor was then filmed as the effects of the drug took hold. Dr Paul Morrison, one of the scientists in charge of the programme, told The Daily Telegraph: "I can't talk about the experiences of any of our participants without their say-so."

The BBC also declined to provide a detailed account of what happened.

However, one source who has seen the effects on Miss Taylor said: "The effect was dramatic. It was unpleasant."

The BBC is understood to be keen to show the film on the eve of a decision by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, to recriminalise cannabis by upgrading it from C to B status. Her decision is expected in the spring.

A BBC spokesman said on Sunday that the programme would be screened after the 9pm watershed to discourage younger viewers.

She said: "Nicky fully researched the subject and undertook the trials under supervision, with medical advice. She has not suffered any ill effects since filming finished.

"The film unequivocally highlights the risks of consuming the drug and will be scheduled post-watershed.

"Nicky Taylor is a critically acclaimed journalist who becomes fully immersed in her subject, in order to highlight the risks of potentially dangerous activities.

"Her films have included investigations into plastic surgery, in which she undertook surgery, and binge drinking in which she drank large amounts of alcohol.

"Her approach has proved successful in highlighting important health risks with a younger audience."

The programme breaks one of the last broadcasting taboos. An episode of Panorama that featured a reporter taking LSD in the 1950s was not broadcast for more than 30 years because of fears it may encourage drug taking.

Telegraph

I think this might just be the first instance that I have ever run across of injecting Cannabis. I'll bet you they were disappointed that she didn't freak out or better yet, die. Just another attempt at scare tactics.

End the war on drugs

2008-02-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

Since the passage of the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, drug enforcement policies have been a top priority for the federal government. The Nixon and Reagan years marked the beginning of the controversial war on drugs, arguably the most costly and narrow-minded piece of domestic policy to date. According to the Drug Policy Alliance Web site, the United States spent an estimated $40 billion financing drug enforcement legislation in the year 2000, with $18 billion being allocated to the National Drug Control budget and upwards of $20 billion being spent on the state level. The Drug Policy Alliances estimates that this amount will continue to increase annually in stark contrast to the budget allocated toward funding of other domestic programs, such as federal student loans for higher education.

Though our editorial board was unilaterally opposed to this senseless policy, opinions on how the nation ought to address the problem of dealing with illegal drugs and narcotics were many and diverse. Drawing comparisons to the prohibition era, some of us argued that such heavy-handed governmental control over the sale of illegal drugs will only facilitate the continued rise of petty street crime in urban centers, where organized crime syndicates are able to operate with a high level of anonymity, distributing drugs and contributing to the established states of mob rule in many the poorest of our nation's city districts. This quickly led to a rapid-fire discussion about the much-debated topic of drug legalization in America.

On this controversial topic, our editorial board overwhelmingly favored a modified national drug policy that would lead to the de-classification of marijuana as a schedule I substance. The Controlled Substances Act defines Schedule I substances as substances that have a high potential for abuse and have no established medical benefits. Other Schedule I substances include heroin, LSD and MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy. We find that it is difficult, in the current political climate, for the government to argue that marijuana poses a serious threat as an addictive substance and believe that enough evidence has been established to conclude that marijuana does possess legitimate medical benefits. There are currently 13 states with medical marijuana laws and Cannabis Club dispensaries, according to Cannabis.com's dispensary directory, and we believe it is high time that the federal government intervened to change the scheduling of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act.
Continued...
dailytargum.com

School Of Pot Offers "Higher" Education

2008-02-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

Oakland Trade School Prepares People For Jobs In California's Medical Marijuana Industry

(AP) You know you're in a different kind of college when a teaching assistant sets five marijuana plants down in the middle of a lab and no one blinks a bloodshot eye.

Welcome to Oaksterdam University, a new trade school where higher education takes on a whole new meaning.

The school prepares people for jobs in California's thriving medical marijuana industry. For $200 and the cost of two required textbooks, students learn how to cultivate and cook with cannabis, study which strains of pot are best for certain ailments, and are instructed in the legalities of a business that is against the law in the eyes of the federal government.

"My basic idea is to try to professionalize the industry and have it taken seriously as a real industry, just like beer and distilling hard alcohol," said Richard Lee, 45, an activist and pot-dispensary owner who founded the school in a downtown storefront last fall.

So far, 60 students have completed the two-day weekend course, which is sold out through May. At the end of the class, students are given a take-home test, with the highest scorer - make that "top scorer" - earning the title of class valedictorian.

Before getting to Horticulture 101, the hands-on highlight of Oaksterdam U, the 20 budding botanists, entrepreneurs and political activists at a recent weekend session sat politely through two law lectures and a visiting professor's history talk.

In the lab, Lee measured plant food into a plastic garbage can and explained how, with common sense, upgraded electrical outlets, a fan and an air filter, students can grow pot at home for fun, health, public service - or profit.

Lee explained to his students how to prune and harvest plants, handing the clipping shears to a woman who wasn't sure how close to the stalk to cut without damaging it. He offered his thoughts on which commercial nutrient preparations are best, as well as the advantages of hydroponics, or soil-free gardening.

During a discussion of neighbor relations, he warned against setting boobytraps to keep curious kids out of outdoor gardens.
Students gave various reasons for enrolling. Some said they were simply curious. Others said they wanted tips for growing their own weed, although judging from the questions, a few were ready for the graduate seminar Lee recently added to the curriculum.

Jeff Sanders, 52, said he has been buying medical marijuana since 2003, but wants to open a dispensary in the San Joaquin Valley because he doesn't like having to drive up to San Francisco and paying the markup.

"I see it as a good thing. You are giving back to the community," Sanders said.

Patrick O'Shaughnessy, 37, said he started smoking pot regularly for the first time about a year ago to treat his chronic migraines, depression and anxiety. After attending class, he said felt more confident about growing his own, which he wants to do because the dispensary he frequents often sells out of his favorite strain.

Oaksterdam U draws its name from the jokey nickname for a section of Oakland where some of California's earliest medical marijuana dispensaries took root. The nickname in turn was inspired by the city of Amsterdam, in Holland, where pot use is tolerated.

At one point, the Oaksterdam neighborhood had at least 15 clubs and coffee shops selling pot, a number that dwindled to four when the city started issuing permits and collecting taxes from them a few years ago.

California was the first of a dozen states that have legalized marijuana use for patients with a doctor's recommendation. Despite periodic raids by federal drug agents and the threat of prosecution, clubs and cooperatives where customers can buy the drug of their choice have proliferated; California has 300 to 400, according to advocacy groups.

Entry-level workers are paid a little more than minimum wage, while "bud tenders," can make over $50,000 a year, and owners and top managers more than $100,000, Lee said. But there's also a certain amount of risk - and not just financial, but legal.

Michael Chapman, an assistant agent in charge with the Drug Enforcement Agency's San Francisco office, said authorities are aware of Oaksterdam U and don't see any reason to shut it down. Talking about marijuana is not illegal, and while a small amount of pot is kept on the premises, the DEA tries "to concentrate our case work on the most significant violators," he said.

Still, Chapman said he doesn't like Lee's effort to wrap cannabis education in a cap and gown.

"I think they are sending the wrong message out to the community and it's something that could only facilitate criminal behavior," he said.

CBS News

American College of Physicians Takes Pro-Cannabis Stand (Mostly)

2008-02-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

One-and-a-half cheers for the American College of Physicians, which has issued a statement "Supporting Research into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana." The ACP is the nation's largest medical specialty group -124,000 internists- and is widely respected. "There are no more prestigious letters to have after your name," says Philip A. Denney, MD (president of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians), "than FACP -standing for Fellow of the American College of Physicians."

The statement commits the ACP to five positions:

1. ACP supports programs and funding for rigorous scientific evaluation of the potential therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana and the publication of such findings.
1a. ACP supports increased research for conditions where the efficacy of marijuana has been established to determine optimal dosage and route of delivery.
1b: Medical marijuana research should not only focus on determining drug efficacy and safety but also on determining efficacy in comparison with other available treatments.

2. ACP encourages the use of nonsmoked forms of THC that have proven therapeutic value.

3. ACP supports the current process for obtaining federal research-grade cannabis.

4. ACP urges review of marijuana's status as a schedule 1 controlled substance and its reclassification into a more appropriate schedule, given the scientific evidence regarding marijuana's safety and efficacy in some clinical conditions.

5. ACP strongly supports exemption from federal criminal prosecution; civil liability; or professional sanctioning, such as loss of licensure or credentialing, for physicians who prescribe or dispense medical marijuana in accordance with state law. Similarly, ACP strongly urges protection from criminal or civil penalties for patients who use medical marijuana as permitted under state laws.

From the perspective of pro-cannabis doctors and patients in California, Position 5 is the best and bravest aspect of the ACP statement. The support for physicians who "prescribe and dispense medical marijuana under state law" could have been written with Marian Fry, MD, in mind. Fry and her husband, attorney Dale Schafer, were convicted under federal law for cultivation for sale (to her patients) and are soon to be sentenced.

Position 4 is long overdue. Marijuana was categorized as a Schedule 1 drug -as if it had no medical use and a high potential for abuse- by the federal Controlled Substance Act of 1970. In 1999 dependence on marijuana was deemed "relatively rare and... less severe than dependence on other drugs" by the Institute of Medicine in a report commissioned by the Drug Czar's office. The medical utility of marijuana has been confirmed in numerous ways and settings, including the IOM report and a recent study published in a prestigious peer-reviewed journal ("Cannabis in painful HIV-asssociated sensory neuropathy," by Abrams et al, Neurology, Feb 13, 2007).

Position 2 singles out the Volcano vaporizer as an efficient delivery system (right on, right on).

Position 3 seems to undermine the rest of the position paper. Why open wide the valves on the research pipeline while leaving the main closed and allowing only the slightest trickle? At present the would-be researcher must get an Investigational New Drug Application approved by the FDA and a Schedule I license from the DEA to receive marijuana grown by a NIDA-funded contractor at the University of Mississippi and processed into cigarettes at the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina. The DEA can choke off research, the FDA can choke off research, NIDA can choke off research. Over the years they have taken turns doing so, working a four-cornered stall (the NIH and the Drug Czar's office get involved as needed) as if diagrammed by the Tarheels' legendary basketball coach, Dean Smith himself.

Counterpunch <<< For remainder of article

State Bill Introduced Yesterday Protects Employment Rights of Medical Marijuana Patients

2008-02-21T13:13:00.001-08:00

State Bill Introduced Yesterday Protects Employment Rights of Medical Marijuana Patients
AB 2279 would reverse the State Supreme Court in Ross v. Raging Wire

Sacramento, CA -- Assemblymember Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and several co-authors introduced a bill yesterday that would protect the rights of hundreds of thousands of medical marijuana patients in California from employment discrimination. The bill leaves intact existing state law prohibiting medical marijuana consumption at the workplace and protects employers from liability by carving out an exception for safety-sensitive positions. The employment rights bill, which is being co-authored by Assemblymembers Patty Berg (D-Eureka), Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) and Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego), is in response to a January decision by the California Supreme Court in Ross v. RagingWire. National medical marijuana advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) argued the case before the court and is now a sponsor of the bill.

"The California Supreme Court decision said that an employer may fire someone solely because they use medical marijuana outside the workplace," said Assemblymember Leno. "Long ago, the legislature prohibited patient use of medical cannabis in the workplace or during working hours," continued Leno. "AB 2279 is merely an affirmation of the intent of the voters and the legislature that medical marijuana patents need not be unemployed to benefit from their medicine."

On January 24, in a 5-2 decision, the California Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling that denied qualified patients a remedy from employment discrimination, based either on their status as a patient or a positive test for marijuana. The plaintiff in the case, Gary Ross, is a 46-year old disabled veteran who was a systems engineer living Carmichael, California, when he was fired from his job in 2001 at RagingWire Telecommunications for testing positive for marijuana. "It's important that we not allow wholesale employment discrimination in California," said former plaintiff Gary Ross. "If the court is going to ignore the need for protection, then it's up to the legislature to ensure that productive workers like me are free from discrimination."

The decision in Ross v. RagingWire closed the door on redress through the courts, shifting the debate to the state legislature. California is not alone in its attempt to affirm employment protections for medical marijuana patients. Both Oregon and Hawaii have introduced similar legislation aimed at clarifying the intent of the state legislatures. This recent multi-state effort builds on existing legislation adopted in ten out of twelve medical marijuana states, including California, which already sought to protect patients from employment discrimination. "We welcome and strongly endorse this clarification from the legislature," said ASA spokesperson Kris Hermes. "Despite the ill-conceived ruling by the California Supreme Court, the intent of state legislatures has been to recognize the civil rights of patients and to offer them reasonable protections."

Before the court made its final decision, Ross enjoyed the support of ten state and national medical organizations, all of the original co-authors of the Medical Marijuana Program Act (SB 420), and disability rights groups. Since it began recording instances of employment discrimination in 2005, ASA has received hundreds of such reports from all across California. Employers that have either fired patients from their job, threatened them with termination, or denied them employment because of patient status or because of a positive test for marijuana, include Costco Wholesale, UPS, Foster Farms Dairy, DirecTV, the San Joaquin Courier, Power Auto Group, as well as several construction companies, hospitals, and various trade union employers.

ASA Forum

Pot, guns returned to acquitted medical marijuana patient

2008-02-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

The Shingle Springs medical marijuana patient who a jury last fall found not guilty of cultivation and possession to sell charges will be returned his firearms and the approximately 8 pounds of cannabis seized at the time of his March 2005 arrest.

A judge Friday ruled that the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department must return to acquitted 26-year-old patient Thomas Boberg all 8 pounds of the cannabis and all six firearms owned by Boberg, which consist of four shotguns and a pistol.

Deputy district attorney Worth Dikeman did not object to the guns and other various items being returned, but said he had an issue with the marijuana being handed back to the man he prosecuted unsuccessfully.

Boberg's San Francisco attorney, Zenia Gilg, argued to Judge Eddie T. Keller that her client should get the drug back, since all 8 pounds of it was found by the jury to be legally possessed by Boberg and two other patients he grew it for.
Dikeman responded that the jury wasn't asked to make that determination during the trial.

In the end, Keller ruled to have all of the evidence returned to Boberg.

The two felony charges were brought up against Boberg after sheriff's detectives smelled marijuana while investigating an armed robbery at the home he shared with his girlfriend.

After exonerating Boberg, several members of the jury spoke to and congratulated him on the steps of the Courthouse.

After appearing in court Friday, Boberg said he is happy to get the guns and other items back, but said he's not so sure about taking back the marijuana.

Attorney Gilg said she's seen cases where sheriff's officials return the marijuana, but then tip off the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. Under federal law, marijuana is illegal altogether and has no medicinal value.

Boberg was prescribed cannabis by his physician in 2000 for chronic back pain brought on by a car accident in Southern California. The gunman who entered his home was never caught.

Mountain Democrat

Marijuana Laws Based On Discriminatory Past

2008-02-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

Marijuana has been illegal for a long time. However, unlike with most drugs there has always been a rather distinguished movement to have it legalized. In the American psyche, it lies somewhere between alcohol and everything else. It recent years, doctors and patients touting its medical benefits have brought it back to the forefront, causing some states and cities to either decriminalize it or to allow doctors to prescribe it for medical uses. It is time that the history and reasons for marijuana prohibition be reexamined and hopefully significant and serious debate can be reopened among politicians.

Any intelligent debate, especially in Congress, has been stifled by the knee-jerk reaction to say that it is illegal and it should stay that way. There is some fear marijuana will open a can of worms and "corrupt our youth." However this argument has no firm ground to stand on, especially when upon further examination - marijuana was made illegal without any scientific basis. The passages of the first prohibitive pieces of legislation regarding marijuana, the Uniform Narcotic Drug Act (1932) and the Marihuana Tax Act (1937), were passed based only on racist agendas against minority classes - especially Mexicans - and by overly exaggerated tales of murder and mayhem caused by the drug.

Marijuana legislation began primarily as a regional phenomenon based in southern and western states. For the most part, the legislation was racially motivated. Despite what people may think, Mexican immigration is not a new issue. Today it may be based on nationalism and fairness to the working class, though some may argue otherwise, but in the 1920s and 30s anti-Mexican sentiment was based on blatant racism.

It was generally known that marijuana use in these states was limited to Mexican immigrants. During this time, with the Mexican population growing in Southern and Western states, legislators saw their use of marijuana as a way to stem this tide. There are two reasons that state legislatures made marijuana illegal. The first is that during this time the Temperance Movement was in full swing. This was at the height of alcohol prohibition in the United States. Legislators wanted to ensure with the influx of Mexican immigrants, there was no rise in use of marijuana among the white middle- and upper-classes. Second, the onset of the Great Depression, created an enormous of resentment among the white populations competing for jobs with Mexican immigrants. Marijuana prohibition was the perfect to tool to prevent the loss of jobs among the white populations, because it only affected Mexicans workers.

Continued...
The Daily Campus

Illinois Shooter was Treated with Psych Meds Prior to Shooting Rampage

2008-02-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

It comes as no surprise to anyone who's been following school shootings all the way back to the Colombine High massacre in Colorado: Every young, male shooter that has gone on a killing spree in the United States also has a history of treatment with psychotropic drugs -- typically SSRI antidepressants. These shootings have three things in common: 1) The shooters are young males. 2) The shooters exhibit a mind-numbed disconnect with reality. 3) The shooters have a history of taking psychiatric medications.

This latest shooting by 27-year-old Stephen Kazmierczak shares the same three factors. Stephen was considered a "normal, undistressed person," according to press reports. He was considered "an outstanding student" and even received a Dean's Award for outstanding work in sociology. So what happened to Stephen's brain that caused him to snap and open fire on students in a college classroom?

Psych meds make good people do bad things
Psychiatric medications, of course, are well known to cause extremely violent thoughts and behavior in young males. This is actually acknowledged by the FDA and is found in the black-box warnings printed on the packaging for such drugs. In Europe, the prescribing of many such drugs to children and teens is actually illegal. But in the United States, where psychiatric medications have become the "new medicine" for American youth, nobody seems to pay attention to the simple fact that every school shooting we've seen in the last decade has been committed by a young male with a history of treatment with psychiatric medications.

The mainstream media, of course, is trying to spin the story by claiming Stephen snapped because he stopped taking his medications. MSM headlines proclaim, "Illinois Shooter Stopped Taking His Medications." What these headlines fail to communicate is the fact that psychiatric drugs cause long-term disruptions in the brain which lead to a strong dissociation with reality. These young, male shooters hardly even know they're in the real world anymore. They no longer see their fellow classmates as human beings, but rather as lifeless objects to be used for target practice. For those people taking psychiatric medications, there's even a strong dissociation with one's own life, as evidenced by the repeated willingness of these shooters to ultimately turn their guns on themselves.

These are precisely the kinds of things acted out by people who take psych medications: Disconnection with reality, disconnection with self, and disconnection with others. Modern psychiatric medicine is in the business of taking people who feel depressed and chemically lobotomizing their brains so they feel nothing. Once they feel nothing, there's nothing stopping them from unloading on fellow human beings with firearms. They no longer feel empathy or compassion. Nothing matters anymore. This is strongly characteristic of the well-documented side effects of psychiatric medications.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Illinois shooter's history of taking psychiatric medications was the primary cause of his violent behavior. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if every single shooter in recent memory was treated with psych meds, and if those same psych meds are well known to cause violent thoughts and suicidal behavior, it's fairly obvious that the chemicals are the most likely cause of the behavioral problems. It's also worth noting that before children were prescribed such medications in America, school shootings were virtually unheard of. It was only after psychiatric medicine started targeting young people with mind-altering medications that we witnessed this explosion in violence.

Pharmaceutical-induced violence
Until we stop medication young people with mind-altering psychotropic drugs, we will simply not see an end to this pharmaceutical-induced violence. Even if you somehow manage to take away all the guns, similar atrocities can be carried out with machetes, swords, knives or explosives. The problem here is not simply the weapon, but rather the mind behind the trigger. When minds are disturbed through psychiatric medications and young men are trapped in a chemically-induced state of sub-consciousness with no connection to reality, outbursts of mindless violence are exactly what you're going to get.

In fact, I publicly predicted this school shooting in a December 7, 2007 article about the mall shooter in Omaha, where I said:

There will be more. I hate to be accurate about this grisly prediction, because I grieve for the families of those lost to pharmaceutically-induced violence, but the truth is that until we stop drugging our children with psychotropic drugs, the shootings are not going to stop.

And as sad as this tragedy is for all those affected by this medication-induced violence, the truly sad part is that America still hasn't learned this lesson. If you drug the children with chemicals that cause violence, you're going to see more shootings. It's as simple as that. And if you take away the guns, you'll see bombs, knives or machetes used in these attacks. When disturbed young boys are doped up on psychotropic drugs that promote violence -- and they're drugged by the hundreds of thousands -- it's like playing a national game of Russian roulette (with apologies to Russia). Sooner or later, another kid whose mind has been altered by Ritalin, Prozac or some other drug is going to walk into yet another school or mall and start killing people. This kind of behavior is a direct product of chemical-based psychiatric "treatment."

Let me now continue that prediction by stating that the Illinois shooting won't be the last one, either. As long as the psychiatric industry -- which is now run by Big Pharma -- is allowed to run amok and "play doctor" with the chemicals in children's brains, we're going to continue to see school shootings, bombings, stabbings and other outbursts of violence. While ignorant psych docs will say the population needs more drugs, and while silly voters will call for bans on guns, nothing will actually prevent this kind of violence in America until we stop drugging our children with mind-altering drugs and stop exposing them to extremely violent video games and television shows. In fact, I believe it is the combination of violent TV programming and mind-altering psych meds that ultimately leads to the kind of violence that took place in Illinois.

Natural News Follow the link for the continuation of this article.

Even though this particular article has nothing to do with MMJ, it does however (at the end) encourage to "Think Green." How many of these evil happenings could have been avoided had they "Thought Green" in the first place and not immediately use a chemical bludgeon.

Pot bust blasted as persecution of dying man

2008-02-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

DILLON — The large-scale marijuana bust that law officers here touted as a major success this month was instead the persecution of a terminally ill man who needed the drug to help ease his suffering, a pro-medical marijuana group said Friday.

Patients and Families United, based in Helena, blasted the bust and said it would not stand up in court thanks to Montana’s Medical Marijuana Law passed three years ago. And they criticized law officers for making a terminally ill man’s last days miserable because of the worry that he would end up in prison.

“It amounts to persecution of somebody who’s already so overburdened with a medical condition that no one should have,” said Tom Daubert, founder and director of PFU. “That’s the purpose of our law, to have some relief for somebody who wants to be left alone.”

Daubert said his group will step up to help with the legal defense for the man, whose name has not been released by officials.

Law officers from Beaverhead County and the Southwest Montana Drug Task Force this week were trumpeting the seizure of 96 marijuana plants from a mobile home north of Dillon. They said the sophisticated growing operation was meant to keep a steady supply of marijuana coming, with plants at all stages of development.

They said the marijuana’s street value could be up to $153,000.
Blair Martenson, regional director for the task force, refused to comment specifically on PFU’s comments, saying only that officials were push ahead with prosecution.

“What we have to say will come out in court,” he said.

But Daubert said the man targeted in the investigation, who, along with a woman, has yet to be arrested and charged, is suffering from a horrific disease. He would not specify what it was to protect the man, but said it is a rare degenerative disease that is always fatal.

Daubert said if taken into custody, Beaverhead County taxpayers will be on the hook for medical care that costs a staggering $136,000 a month for injections to keep the man alive.

“Beaverhead County can have some fun with this: pay to keep a guy alive for a trial that probably won’t happen quickly,” he said.

And Daubert lambasted law officers for conducting a three-month investigation without knowledge of Montana’s medical marijuana law. He said assertions that the operation was too large to be for one patient’s use are bogus, because each individual patient in need of medical marijuana requires different quantities.

For some patients, ingesting the marijuana rather than smoking it is the most effective way to ease pain, maintain appetite or gain the other benefits people garner from pot.

“It is not possible on the basis of the number of plants involved to categorically claim that the growing was for anything other than personal use,” he said.

Daubert promised a “vigorous” legal defense of the man. He said although the quantity of marijuana seized far exceeds the one ounce allowed under state law, they will use an affirmative defense to prove that he needed the quantity for his medical needs.

The man is not a registered medical marijuana user, Daubert said. But his medical records will provide more than enough evidence that he has a qualifying condition and needs the drug to help ease his suffering in his final months of life.

“We will bring in experts on dosage, horticulture and quantity issues,” Daubert said. “This will be potentially a major precedent-setting case in Montana.”

helenair.com

Marijuana Legalization On The Ballot?

2008-02-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara, CA -- A group has formed in Santa Barbara to put an initiative on the November ballot that would legalize cannabis for industrial and nutritional products, medicinal preparations, and for recreational and euphoric use. The group announced the California Cannabis Hemp and Health Initiative Campaign on Friday at a press conference on the steps of Santa Barbara City Hall. The initiative would also include clearing all criminal records for people involved in non-violent cannabis, hemp and marijuana offenses.

The group, headed by Jack Herer — called by Dr. David Bearman the man responsible for the rejuvenation of the U.S. hemp industry — argues that not only does cannabis serve as a medicine to many sick, but that cannabis is the only way to reverse the greenhouse effect and can be used as paper, fiber, and food as well. The U.S. government, they say, is hiding these facts.

“I can know about cotton, flack and nylon,” said Herer at the press conference, “but there’s not a word of hemp in the schools.” Herer, who ran for president of the United States twice as a member of the Grassroots party, said that for 5,000 to 6,000 years 60 to 80 percent of the world’s production of fuel and clothing was made from hemp. The group is hoping that the dialogue will begin to introduce the idea that a hemp cultivation program can eliminate greenhouse gasses while replenishing the atmosphere and replacing fossil fuels with hemp bio-fuels.

The press conference unknowingly coincided with an announcement on Friday by the American College of Physicians that endorsed cannabis as medicine. The college, which is the second largest physician group in the United States and includes 124,000 members, also advised the government to stop hindering research on the drug and to repeal its prohibition.

For the Santa Barbara-based efforts to get the legalization initiative on the California ballot, valid signatures from roughly 434,000 people are needed. The group is also looking to bring the discussion to Congress this summer via the Government Oversight Domestic Policy Subcommittee, which is chaired by former presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-OH, a supporter of marijuana decriminalization.

Hemp cultivation is illegal in the United States, but because of California’s Proposition 215, state law allows marijuana use for medicinal purposes. However, federal law supersedes state law, which has caused problems for many dispensaries in California. No dispensaries have been busted by federal agents in Santa Barbara, but many owners received threatening letters from the federal government, and some closed their shops. Still, the number of shops in Santa Barbara and Goleta hovers around one dozen.

“We have a failed drug policy,” said Bearman on Friday. “We need to change the policy for the sake of the economy, for the sake of health, for the sake of people, and for the sake of peace.” Bearman, who is a candidate for the open 3rd District Board of Supervisor seat in Santa Barbara County, said it is “obscene” that laws prevent people from getting medication that can help them, and that the present day drug laws “eviscerate the Constitution.”

A discussion and debate on the ballot initiative will take place on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Public Library’s Faulkner Gallery.

Note: Jack Herer Leads Santa Barbara Group’s Attempt to Get Marijuana Legalization on the November Ballot.

Source: Santa Barbara Independent, The (CA)

Medical marijuana dispensaries may visit East Coast

2008-02-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

Authorized patients benefit from obtaining government regulated drug
Marijuana has become one of the most widely used recreational drugs, the debate over whether or not to legalize, decriminalize or provide medical marijuana has grown significantly over the years.

According to cnn.com, in 1996, California was the first state to approve the use of medical marijuana. MedicalMarijuanaProCon.org said12 states have also created laws legalizing marijuana for patients who qualify, the latest one being New Mexico in 2007.

Not only is California making marijuana legal, it is also making the drug easy to obtain. USA Today reported Marijuana vending machines are offering a quick fix for those with authorized medical and prepaid cards. In order to ensure people aside from patients are not taking advantage of the machines, fingerprints will also be tested.

One of the machines, which will operate and dispense marijuana around the clock, is located at the Herbal Nutrition Center located in Los Angeles. According to The Guardian, the center is one of two that offers legal marijuana dispensary through a green colored machine.

The vending machines, dubbed Prescription Vending Machines (PVM), will not dispense more than an ounce each week. Each purchase will offer a registered customer either one eighth or two eighths of an ounce. By eliminating the vendor, the drugs are sold roughly $20 cheaper than if they were obtained at a pharmacy. Once the card and fingerprints are verified, a bright green envelope containing marijuana is dropped down a slot.

The website for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) includes a state guide outlining marijuana laws and informing readers of differences of each state's drug laws. The laws in California are considered more lenient than New York, in regards to either possessing or selling marijuana.

If any Californian is in possession of 28.5 grams or less, it is considered a misdemeanor, with a $100 fine and no incarceration. In the state of New York, possession of 25 grams or less, at first offense, is a $100 fine with no incarceration. This, however, is considered a civil citation. The second offense does not lead to incarceration, but does include a civil citation and a $200 fine. The third time, one will either be sent to jail for five days or pay a $250 fine for committing a misdemeanor. More than 28.5 grams in California will result in a misdemeanor, six months of jail time and a $500 fine.

The state of New York has five different laws when it comes to possessing more than 25 grams of marijuana. One can go to jail from three months to 15 years and be fined up to $5,000, with felony charges.

Even though the state of New York has harsher rules in comparison to California, Albany, New York passed one of its first legislative hurdles in 2004 that would legalize medical marijuana, according to StopTheDrugWar.org. In 2007, Governor Eliot Spitzer of Albany said he was open to the idea of medical marijuana.

New York has had some history involving medical marijuana. According to thevillagevoice.com, "Between 1982 and 1989, the New York State Department of Health handed out almost 6,000 joints, to more than 200 people. Eventually the availability of Marinol capsules-which contain THC, the active ingredient in marijuana-decreased the demand for the cigarettes." However, the program was shut down.

Source

Supporting Research into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana

2008-02-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

Marijuana has been smoked for its medicinal properties for centuries. Preclinical, clinical, and anecdotal reports suggest numerous potential medical uses for marijuana. Although the indications for some conditions have been well documented, less information is available about other potential medical uses.

Additional research is needed to further clarify the therapeutic value of cannabinoids and determine optimal routes of administration. Unfortunately, research expansion has been hindered by a complicated federal approval process, limited availability of research-grade marijuana, and the debate over legalization. ACP believes the science on medical marijuana should not be obscured or hindered by the debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana for general use. In this paper the College lays out a series of positions on research into, and the use of, marijuana as medicine.

Download Full Paper

Why Is Marijuana Illegal? [VIDEO]

2008-02-15T06:42:00.000-08:00

The first video in the Short Cuts Documentary Series that asks the question: Why is marijuana illegal? Check it out and see what members of the public have to say compared with the experts. For more on how we can make marijuana legal, check out the story here.

Video

Physicians Group Urges Easing of Ban on Marijuana

2008-02-14T19:48:00.000-08:00

Sacramento, CA -- A large and respected association of physicians is calling on the federal government to ease its strict ban on marijuana as medicine and hasten research into the drug's therapeutic uses.

The American College of Physicians, the nation's largest organization of doctors of internal medicine, with 124,000 members, contends that the long and rancorous debate over marijuana legalization has obscured good science that has demonstrated the benefits and medicinal promise of cannabis.

In a 13-page position paper approved by the college's governing board of regents and posted today on the group's website, the group calls on the government to drop marijuana from Schedule I, a classification it shares with illegal drugs such as heroin and LSD that are considered to have no medicinal value and a high likelihood of abuse.

The declaration could put new pressure on Washington lawmakers and government regulators who for decades have rejected attempts to reclassify marijuana.

Bush administration officials have aggressively rebuffed all attempts in Congress, the courts and among law enforcement organizations to legitimize medical marijuana.

Clinical researchers say the federal government has resisted full study of the potential medical benefits of cannabis, instead pouring money into looking at its negative effects.

A dozen states including California have legalized medical marijuana, but the federal prohibition has led to an enforcement tug of war.

In California, federal agents continue to raid cannabis dispensaries, and the small cadre of physicians specializing in writing cannabis recommendations so that people can use medical marijuana has come under regulatory scrutiny.

Given the conflicts, most mainstream doctors have steered clear of medical marijuana.

The American College of Physicians' position paper calls for protection of both doctors and patients from criminal and civil penalties in states that have adopted medical-marijuana laws.

"We felt the time had come to speak up about this," said Dr. David Dale, the group's president. "We'd like to clear up the uncertainty and anxiety of patients and physicians over this drug."

Medical-marijuana advocates embraced the position paper as a watershed event that could help turn the battle in their favor.

Bruce Mirken, a San Francisco spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, said the ACP position is "an earthquake that's going to rattle the whole medical-marijuana debate."

The group, he said, "pulverized the government's two favorite myths about medical marijuana -- that it's not supported by the medical community and that science hasn't shown marijuana to have medical value."

But officials at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said calls for legalizing medical marijuana were misguided.

"What this would do is drag us back to 14th-century medicine," said Bertha Madras, the agency's deputy director for demand reduction. "It's so arcane."

She said guidance on marijuana as medicine ought to come from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is unlikely ever to approve leafy cannabis as a prescription drug.

Two oral derivatives of marijuana's psychoactive ingredient, THC, have won FDA approval, and the agency is also in the early stages of considering a marijuana spray.

An FDA spokeswoman declined to comment on the group's position and referred inquiries to a 2006 media advisory noting that the agency has never approved of smoked marijuana as a medical treatment

In the 12 years since California voters approved the nation's first-ever medical marijuana law, several medical organizations -- including the American Nurses Assn. and the American Public Health Assn. -- have urged Congress to make cannabis a legal medicine.

But the ACP is second in size only to the American Medical Assn., which has about 240,000 members.

The AMA has urged research into medical marijuana but opposes dropping it from Schedule I. Backers of the ACP's position expressed hope that it could help nudge the AMA to adopt a similar stance.

"This could be a sea change," said Dr. Abraham L. Halpern, a professor emeritus at New York Medical College.

Halpern said he intends to petition the AMA to endorse rescheduling marijuana and to push for changes in federal regulations that would prevent federal anti-drug agencies -- the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the National Institute on Drug Abuse -- from having virtual veto power over cannabis research.

The ACP position paper urges the use of non-smoked forms of cannabis as well as further research to identify the illnesses best treated with cannabis and the proper dosages for specific conditions.

It also calls for study of new methods of dispensing the drug and scientific work to further isolate and synthesize the constituent chemicals that could pack the most medicinal value without unwanted side effects.

While calling for more study, the ACP said marijuana already is scientifically proven be an effective appetite stimulant and anti-nausea drug for treatment of AIDS conditions and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. Cancer patients found the drug to be equivalent or superior to prescription anti-nausea drugs, the paper said.

"Given marijuana's proven efficacy at treating certain symptoms and its relatively low toxicity, reclassification would reduce barriers to research and increase availability of cannabinoid drugs to patients who have failed to respond to other treatments," the report said.

It called for further research into cannabis as a pain reliever for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and as an aid in treatment of neurological and movement disorders such as spasticity, pain and tremor in patients with multiple sclerosis, spinal-cord injuries and other trauma. But it cast doubt on marijuana's efficacy for treating epilepsy and intraocular pressure caused by glaucoma, conditions that cannabis specialists in California routinely recommend be treated with pot.

The biggest effect of the report could be symbolic. With a presidential campaign under way, the ACP's stand could gain traction on the campaign trail or in a new administration.

"It's going to depend on how the wind is blowing -- how we the people are thinking and reacting, where we stand on this," said Dr. Jocelyn Elders, U.S. surgeon general during the Clinton administration and a professor emeritus at the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. "I think we've come a long way in the last decade or so."

Note: It calls on the government to drop pot's shared classification with drugs such as heroin and LSD that are considered to have no medicinal value.

Source: Los Angeles Times

NORML Responds To Media Claim: “Pot As Addictive As Tobacco” -- Widely Reported Study Based Its Findings On Only 12 Subjects, Is Contradicted By The I

2008-02-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

Baltimore, MD: The results of a recent study from Johns Hopkins University suggesting that quitting cannabis can trigger withdrawal symptoms as severe as those associated with quitting cigarettes are based on subjective reports from only twelve individuals, and are in sharp contrast to findings reported previously by the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine (IOM).

The widely reported study, published last week in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, evaluated the behavior patterns of twelve participants selected at random to cease their use of marijuana and tobacco for five days. Participants reported their symptoms using a checklist that indicated scores for anger, aggression, anxiety, appetite change, irritability, restlessness, sleep difficulty, and other common withdrawal symptoms. Investigators found that subjects reported experiencing withdrawal symptoms of a similar nature and magnitude regardless of whether they were abstaining from tobacco or cannabis. "These results … suggest [that] cannabis withdrawal is clinically important," researchers concluded.
... follow link

NORML

Making Pot Legal: We Can Do It -- Here's How

2008-02-12T06:42:00.000-08:00

Changing public opinion about pot isn't easy. Changing America's anti-pot laws is even harder -- here's a blueprint to get it done.
This month marks my 13th year working for marijuana law reform. During this time I've witnessed many successes and many more signs of progress. Nevertheless, it remains frustratingly clear that despite sincere efforts and millions poured into campaigns, very little headway has been made toward attaining the larger, essential goals of the movement -- specifically, abolishing the criminal laws that result in the arrest and prosecution of more than half a million Americans every year for possessing even small amounts of herb and establishing a framework for regulating legal access to marijuana to adults.

Is either one of these goals achievable? Certainly. Is either goal realistic? Not until we as a movement instigate significant shifts in both public attitude and political opinion.

Identifying the problems

For several decades, various organizations have pushed for the establishment of a legal and regulated market for adult cannabis use in the United States. Yet, despite extensive educational efforts and millions poured into various legislative campaigns, it's consistently been shown in opinion polls and at the voting booth that only between a third to 46 percent of Americans endorse legalizing the personal use of cannabis for adults.

As a result, the marijuana law reforms that have been enacted over the past several decades have been limited in scope. Specifically, these legal reforms fall into two distinct categories: "decriminalization" (exempting adult cannabis users from incarceration, but not necessarily arrest, under specified circumstances) and "medicalization" (exempting certain state-authorized medical marijuana patients from state-specific criminal sanctions). To date, 12 states -- almost one-third of the U.S. population -- have enacted limited versions of "decriminalization." Twelve states have also adopted various versions of "medicalization." ...

... follow link for continuation of article:
Alternet DrugReporter

Smoke Screen ... The Movie

2008-02-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

"Smoke Screen" challenges the accepted dogma concerning America's drug problems and the so called "War on Drugs". Over the past 36 years, this war has cost American taxpayers more than the WARS in VIETNAM or IRAQ! Still there are more illegal drugs on America's streets today than ever before.

Thatcher Brown a graduate student at UCLA is working on a project to verify the use of cannabis to help in the treatment of pain, nausea and disease. His best friend and neighbor, Jon Marshall, (black) go out for an evening to celebrate the end of the term. They are caught up in the criminal justice system because they, along with two girls are smoking pot.

This WAR, with it's primary goal of incarceration rather than treatment has ruined the lives of millions of Americans with it's primary goal of incarceration rather than treatment. It stresses criminal rather than medical solutions. It denies MILLIONS stricken with cancer and other diseases relief from PAIN and SUFFERING!

Thatcher and Jon, whose parents are upper middle class families, have strong, successful fathers. Robert Brown is a top lawyer who believes that "the law is the law" and those who break it will suffer the consequences of their actions. His mother, Carol Brown is a strong woman determined to help her son.

SMOKE SCREEN is a 90 minute drama as well as a documentary. These "real people" are part of a story involving statements, interviews and lectures by former and current law enforcement, prosecutors, leaders, judges and others who believe the "War on Drugs" has caused their fellow citizens terrible harm. Many feel remorseful about their past participation in this unjust system and believe "you can get over an ADDICTION but you will never get over a CONVICTION". This is a quote from LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a group formed a few years ago and now has thousands of supporters all over the world.

http://www.eldoggo.com/Trailer.htm

It is my opinion that this should be seen by as many folks as possible in the hopes that someday everyone will see what the WOD really is.

Panel votes to ease penalty for pot possession

2008-02-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

MONTPELIER -- Those who wanted marijuana legalized didn't get their way Thursday. Neither did those who wanted the Senate Judiciary Committee to leave the marijuana possession laws alone.

The committee voted 4-1 to tweak the penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. No longer would jail time be an option for those caught with an ounce or less. Instead, all such offenders would be eligible for court diversion, a process by which their criminal record could be erased.

"I know a lot of people wanted decriminalization. We're not going to do that," said Sen. Richard Sears, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "This is better than decriminalization."

Burlington Free Press <<< article continued

Legal Prescription Drugs Killed Brokeback Mountain Star Heath Ledger

2008-02-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

Heath Ledger's death has been ruled an accidental overdose of legal prescription drugs. He father believes it should serve as a wake up call.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The father of Hollywood actor Heath Ledger is asking Americans to pay closer attention to the use of prescription drugs in the wake of a coroner's confirmation that the Brokeback Mountain star lost his life to an accidental overdose.

It is a truly desperate picture that we face as a society that attacks the use of natural medical treatments like medical marijuana, even going so far as to demonize the people who use it to seek relief from sickness and disease, while adopting and allowing slick potions hatched in dollar-driven laboratories to choke the life out of people.

Follow link for the rest of the article ...

Source: Salem News

Study casts doubt on the existence of England

2008-02-05T07:34:00.000-08:00

I just recently conducted a major study -- well actually, I talked to 12 people -- and I asked them about England. None of them had ever been there and most expressed doubts about the place. After all, it's very vague. Is it a country or an island? Is it England, or Britain or the U.K. or part of the EU? Considering the undisputed fact that none of the study subjects had any first-hand knowledge of the place, it seems quite certain that it doesn't exist.

"England's existence isn't as certain as some people would lead you to believe," said lead researcher Pete Guither of the Ministry of Silly Studies.

So what nonsense am I leading to?

This

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Quitting marijuana can cause withdrawal symptoms as severe as those from quitting tobacco, a small study suggests.
The study, of 12 adults who were heavy users of both marijuana and cigarettes, found that stopping either substance triggered similar withdrawal symptoms. [...]
"Marijuana is not as innocuous as some people would lead you to believe," said lead researcher Dr. Ryan Vandrey, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. [...]
The men and women in the current study, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, used marijuana four times a day, on average, and smoked an average of 20 cigarettes per day.
None was in treatment or had any plans to quit either drug.

Um, you quit because you want to, and if you don't want to and some scientist makes you stop, you're likely to get irritable.

So we've got a grand total of 12 people, no inclusion of people who smoke marijuana without cigarettes, no reason for any of them to quit, and a quitting period of only 5 days. And that's the study.

Why does Reuters print crap like this?

Source: DrugWarRant.com