The Inconvenient Truths About Medical Marijuana -- Five Easy References

[Fly by night]

Good morning, all y'all. I have been up since 4:30 am, waiting for another call from my attorney as we take the next step in a seemingly endless battle with the federal government over the confiscation of my farm for the "crime" of growing cannabis for myself and four terminally ill patients. I have been consumed by this legal battle for over six years now, and it's hard to see whether there will ever be an end to this madness that does not involve my losing my home of the past four decades.

However, this OP is not about me or my case. Rather, it is about the science of medical marijuana that continues to be buried, dismissed or sabotaged by an entrenched opposition that includes many powerful actors in this "land of the free".

I have really appreciated the fact that DU has been a supportive forum for ending the war on this beneficial plant. There are often useful and thought-provoking OPs here that serve to educate our membership (and others) about the many issues involved in this arena. Unfortunately, there was an OP yesterday, discussing the motives behind Michael Phelps' prosecution, that devolved into yet another shouting contest here. The most disturbing posts on that thread completely denigrated the plentiful evidence for the beneficial uses of cannabis to treat a number of serious medical conditions. I had not seen that "know nothing" attitude represented here in the past with such vigor.

As a result, I thought I would spend my waiting time this morning to search and share some of the important links that would help educate the nay-sayers here (if they really want to be educated) about the science of medical cannabis. Here they are.

1. Institute of Medicine (National Academy of Sciences): Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base

www.iom.edu/?id=12668

This comprehensive report, issued in 1999, reviews the evidence for the medical uses of marijuana (most of it from foreign universities where science is less sublimated to social control). The IOM report calls for a removal of the restrictions on further research in this country so that our own scientists can contribute to our understanding of the proper uses of this medicine.

2. American College of Physicians: Supporting Research into the Therapeutic Potential of Marijuana

www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/other_issues/medmarijuana.pdf

The American College of Physicians (the second largest medical organization in this country) released this report last year. It is relatively short (under 20 pages) but it does a good job of summarizing the research and supporting physician-supervised access to medical marijuana.

3. National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7002

NORML: Introduction to the Medical Use of Marijuana

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441

NORML is the oldest advocacy group in the US to support a reclassification of marijuana from the most severe and restrictive category (Schedule I) in the Controlled Substances Act that is the underpinning of our marijuana prohibition policies. (Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin and LSD, and more harmful than cocaine and methamphetamine, in that scheduling scheme.) The two reports listed above provide both an overview of the medical research issues and a review of promising clinical research evidence (again, almost all of which has been accumulated overseas) for medical cannabis.

4. Americans for Safe Access: Patient/Physician handbooks on disease-specific conditions for which medical cannabis has demonstrated benefits

www.safeaccessnow.org/sitemap.php (Scroll down for the disease-specific pamphlets)

Along with NORML, ASA (based in California) is an well-respected medical marijuana patient advocacy organization. In the past two years, ASA has published a number of disease-specific pamphlets that review the research evidence for medical cannabis AND compare the safety and efficacy of cannabis versus medications that are already approved for treatment of these medical conditions. These conditions include movement disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, arthritis, cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, aging and HIV/AIDS.

5. Save Bernie's Farm: An Internet Exchange on Medical Marijuana

http://www.saveberniesfarm.com/medical_cannabis/medical_marijuana_history.html

Before my farm was raided in 2002, I was a nationally-recognized consultant in the substance abuse arena. As a result of my work in substance abuse epidemiology, program development and social marketing; I had served as a Congressional adviser on substance abuse under both the Bush I and Clinton presidencies. Consequently, I have had a unique perspective to share with my professional colleagues on the short-sightedness (even slavish mindlessness) of the anti-medical marijuana positions of some of them. This link will take you to an exchange I carried on in a substance abuse forum with two of those opponents. (Although I listed it last, it might be a good place to start if you would like an easy-to-read overview of the issues.)

Sometimes it feels like those of us who are martyrs to the medical marijuana cause are fighting a lonely battle. My own battle received considerable coverage (and an outpouring of support) back in 2007, and is likely to be in the news again this year if the feds take me to court to confiscate my farm. Here is one excellent article on my own case, entitled (appropriately enough) "Marijuana Martyr".

www.nashvillescene.com/2007-04-26/news/marijuana-martyr/

In truth, we are far from alone. We finally have a President who can recognize the truth, and who supports a science-based position from which to enact sensible social policy. We also have a President who has already demonstrated that he wants to hear from us. We need to add our voices to the following organizational voices that have already gone on record supporting physician-supervised access to medical marijuana:

American College of Physicians
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Anthropological Association
American Bar Association
American Nurses Association
American Public Health Association
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Arthritis Research Campaign
HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
Lymphoma Foundation of America
National Association for Public Health Policy
National Black Police Association
National Nurses Society on Addictions
Episcopal Church
Presbyterian Church USA
United Church of Christ
United Methodist Church's Board of Church and Society
Union of Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association.

We are not alone
We are the ones we've been waiting for.
If we never stop fighting (for science, common sense and compassion), we cannot lose.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

1. I wish you the very best of luck with your battle. IMHO marijuana should be legalized. Period.

[ourbluenation]

2. Great post. Your farm is beautiful.

:hug:

[Fly by night]

6. By any chance, were you and your family at my "Welcome Home" party back in May, 2007?

If so, I am now holding annual appreciation picnics here on the farm every May (just before Memorial Day) for as long as the farm is still mine. Y'all come (again).

Even though I was sentenced to two years probation, I had to spend 18 months of that time in a federal Bureau of Prisons halfway house in Nashville. During that time, I was allowed to come home three times. As a result, I lost almost an acre of red raspberries and another acre of blueberries that died from neglect. I am gradually getting the farm back in shape. The Farm commune (which is about 30 miles south of me) has allowed me to come dig blueberry side-shoots to transplant on my farm, since I can no longer afford to purchase replacement plants.

We are blessed.

[ourbluenation]

10. no, but check your inbox.

[Ghost in the Machine]

3. Always glad to give a K&R to my friend Bernie...

It's a shame that you're still having to deal with the Federales over your farm. I'd like to see all of our Pagans and Wiccans get together and put a protective spell over you and your farm...




Peace to you, my friend

Ghost

[Fly by night]

5. Thanks, Ghost. Prayers (and spells) are always good. The prayers of Northern Arapaho people ...

... have kept the farm (and me) safe so far. Before I was sentenced (to 2 years probation) in my criminal case, Northern Arapaho elders held regular sweat lodges and peyote rituals to pray for strength and compassion in my case. (I could swear that I could smell the cedar and sage on the wind every time they did that.) After one peyote ritual, the tribe's most revered medicine man called me from Wyoming to say that it had been revealed that I would not be going to prison (six months before the judge decided that.) His message: "Don't worry. Be thankful for what you have and for today." That's great advice for anyone and any time.

If the Tenase wiccans/pagans need a place to congregate for that spell, all y'all come this way. The spring equinox awaits ....

[Ghost in the Machine]

15. Glad to help out, my friend... have you seen the studies on MMJ treating anxiety & depression?

Anxiety and Depression
http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/full/115/11/3104?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=cannabinoids%2Bpromote%2Bhippocamus%2Bneurogenisis&searchid=1139855602212_4399&FIRSTINDEX=0&journalcode=jci
Cannabinoids promote embryonic and adult hippocampus neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic and depressant-like effects..

---

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17959812?ordinalpos=6&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Cannabinoids elicit antidepressant-like behavior and activate serotonergic neurons through the medial prefrontal cortex.Bambico FR, Katz N, Debonnel G, Gobbi G.
Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1A1.

Preclinical and clinical studies show that cannabis modulates mood and possesses antidepressant-like properties, mediated by the agonistic activity of cannabinoids on central CB1 receptors (CB1Rs). The action of CB1R agonists on the serotonin (5-HT) system, the major transmitter system involved in mood control and implicated in the mechanism of action of antidepressants, remains however poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that, at low doses, the CB1R agonist WIN55,212-2 pyrrolo<1,2,3-de>-1,4-benzoxazinyl]-(1-naphthalenyl) methanone mesylate] exerts potent antidepressant-like properties in the rat forced-swim test (FST). This effect is CB1R dependent because it was blocked by the CB1R antagonist rimonabant and is 5-HT mediated because it was abolished by pretreatment with the 5-HT-depleting agent parachlorophenylalanine. Then, using in vivo electrophysiology, we showed that low doses of WIN55,212-2 dose dependently enhanced dorsal raphe nucleus 5-HT neuronal activity through a CB1R-dependent mechanism. Conversely, high doses of WIN55,212-2 were ineffective in the FST and decreased 5-HT neuronal activity through a CB1R-independent mechanism. The CB1R agonist-induced enhancement of 5-HT neuronal activity was abolished by total or medial prefrontocortical, but not by lateral prefrontocortical, transection. Furthermore, 5-HT neuronal activity was enhanced by the local microinjection of WIN55,212-2 into the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (mPFCv) but not by the local microinjection of WIN55,212-2 into the lateral prefrontal cortex. Similarly, the microinjection of WIN55,212-2 into the mPFCv produced a CB1R-dependent antidepressant-like effect in the FST. These results demonstrate that CB1R agonists possess antidepressant-like properties and modulate 5-HT neuronal activity via the mPFCv.
---

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17945507?ordinalpos=7&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Enhancement of endocannabinoid signaling and the pharmacotherapy of depression.Mangieri RA, Piomelli D.
Department of Pharmacology and Center for Drug Discovery, The University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.

Cannabinoids are well known modulators of mood and emotional behavior. Current research supports a role for endocannabinoid signaling in the treatment of depression. Changes in levels of the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor or the endogenous CB(1) receptor ligands, anandamide and 2-AG, are observed both in humans suffering from depression and in animal models of depression, and experimental manipulation of CB(1) receptor signaling has also been shown to affect emotional reactivity in rodents. Importantly, inhibitors of anandamide inactivation have demonstrated efficacy in enhancing stress-coping and mood-related behavior. This article will review these areas of research, highlighting the potential of endocannabinoid metabolism modulators as therapeutics for the treatment of depression.
---


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18021439?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
A possible role for the endocannabinoid system in the neurobiology of depression.Serra G, Fratta W.
Dipartimento di Neuroscienze " B B Brodie " Università di Cagliari Cittadella Universitaria 09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy. [e-mail].

ABSTRACT: The present review synthetically describes the currently advanced hypotheses for a neurobiological basis of depression, ranging from the classical monoaminergic to the more recent neurotrophic hypothesis. Moreover, the Authors review the available preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting a possible role for the endocannabinoid system in the physiopathology of depression. Indeed, in spite of the reporting of conflicting results, the pharmacological enhancement of endocannabinoid activity at the CB1 cannabinoid receptor level appears to exert an antidepressant-like effect in some animal models of depression. On the contrary, a reduced activity of the endogenous cannabinoid system seems to be associated with the animal model of depression, namely the chronic mild stress model. Moreover, a few studies have reported an interaction of antidepressants with the endocannabinoid system. With regard to clinical studies, several authors have reported an alteration of endocannabinoid serum levels in depression, while post mortem studies have demonstrated increased levels of endocannabinoids associated to a concomitant hyperactivity of CB1 receptor in the prefrontal cortex of suicide victims. No clinical trials carried out using cannabinoids in the treatment of affective disorders have been published to date, although anecdotal reports have described both antidepressant and antimanic properties of cannabis as well as the ability of cannabis to induce mania that has also been documented. These findings are discussed, leading us to conclude that, although data available are sufficient to suggest a possible involvement of the endogenous cannabinoid system in the neurobiology of depression, additional studies should be performed in order to better elucidate the role of this system in the physiopathology of depression

---

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17762511?ordinalpos=10&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Local enhancement of cannabinoid CB1 receptor signalling in the dorsal hippocampus elicits an antidepressant-like effect.McLaughlin RJ, Hill MN, Morrish AC, Gorzalka BB.
Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Systemic administration of direct cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonists and inhibitors of the hydrolytic enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase have been shown to elicit antidepressant effects. Moreover, the endocannabinoid system in the hippocampus is sensitive to both chronic stress and antidepressant administration, suggesting a potential role of this system in emotional changes associated with these regimens. The aim of this study was to determine if cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the hippocampus modulate emotionality in rats as assessed via the forced swim test. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were bilaterally implanted with cannulae directed at the dentate gyrus of the dorsal hippocampus and subsequently received three infusions of either the cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonist HU-210 (1 and 2.5 microg), the fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB597 (0.5 and 1 microg), the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (1 and 2.5 microg), or vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide) and were assessed in the forced swim test. Infusion of both doses of HU-210 resulted in a dramatic reduction in immobility and increase in swimming behaviour, indicative of an antidepressant response, which was partially reversed by coadministration of AM251. No effect of URB597 administration or any effect following the administration of AM251 alone was, however, observed. These data indicate that activation of CB1 receptors in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus results in an antidepressant-like response. Collectively, these data highlight the potential importance of changes in the hippocampal endocannabinoid system following stress or antidepressant treatment with respect to the manifestation and/or treatment of depression.

http://www.scientificfactsofpot.com/studies.htm

How about "Marijuana is Real Medicine"?

Marijuana Is Real Medicine

By Paul Krassner, Huffington Post. Posted October 2, 2008.

The stories of the medicinal properties of pot will blow you away.



Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine is an important and accessible book -- not heavy on academic jargon, but rather lively and engaging, like a true detective novel -- with a broad appeal to those interested in the medical potential of cannabis, an end to the drug war and grass roots activism. I asked the co-authors, Wendy Chapkis and Richard Webb, how working on the book changed them.

WENDY CHAPKIS: "I certainly was one of those people who thought that 'medical marijuana' was probably mostly a way for Americans to get around ridiculously punitive drug laws. It seemed like a reasonable strategy to me. But the very first time I walked into a WAMM membership meeting, looked around the room and saw people who were ghostly white and frail, people in wheelchairs, people huddled in small groups talking about a WAMM member who needed round the clock care, I realized that medical marijuana was no 'ruse.' These were very ill people. And, as I started doing interviews, the stories of the medicinal properties of pot blew me away.

"I wasn't the only one surprised to discover that marijuana did in fact have therapeutic effects. Many patients were equally astonished. Like me, they had been recreational users who appreciated the pleasurable effects of marijuana and were suspicious of the claim that the herb was medicine. Then they started chemotherapy, for example, found themselves fighting off non-stop nausea, took a hit and the nausea disappeared. Or they had intolerable nerve pain from multiple sclerosis, AIDS or post-polio syndrome, used some cannabis tincture and the pain quieted down. It was funny how surprised we all were that it really worked.

"I think this shows how effective drug-war propaganda really is. Even (or maybe especially) people who are very familiar with marijuana are prepared to believe that it doesn't really work as a medicine. Of course, since the discovery of the cannabinoid receptor system in the body (and the production of endogenous cannabinoids), scientists haven't been at all surprised at the medical properties of the plant -- which I guess helps explain why the feds have been so reluctant to allow any scientific research. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/101389/marijuana_is_real_medicine

We need to keep up the fight for sane, rational drug laws in our Country...


Peace,

Ghost

[Fly by night]

22. Great references. Here's my draft (invited) review of "Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine"

Thanks for those additional references, Ghost. Both you and I are well-acquainted with the anti-anxiety and anti-depressant properties of cannabis (thank the Goddess).

In that vein, I was asked by the professional journal, Contemporary Sociology, to review the excellent book, "Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine" (which I would strongly encourage DUers to read.) I've submitted the following (draft) review and am still waiting to hear when/if it will be published. Most people who write reviews for this journal are college professors whose professional affiliations are usually universities. In that light, please note my "professional affiliation" that appears under my name at the beginning of the review. (A little black, though quite accurate, humor for this Friday afternoon)

------

Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine,
by Wendy Chapkis and Richard J. Webb.
New York, NY: New York University Press, 2008.
257pp.$22.000 paperback. ISBN: 9780814716663
Bernard H. Ellis, Jr., MA, MPH
Federal Bureau of Prisons number 16502-075
www.saveberniesfarm.com
Health
787 words

There is perhaps no issue that better illustrates the sublimation of science to social control or the primacy of the criminal justice system over compassion for the sick and dying at the dawn of the 21st century than medical marijuana. In less than the lifetime of one old man, cannabis has moved from being a mainstay in the world’s medical pharmacopeia to a major cause for incarceration. The process through which this transformation took place, the multitude of sound reasons to reverse this mistake and the creative responses of individuals in one community that have worked together to access and use this therapeutically beneficial plant in spite of an entrenched “drug war” mentality that still dominates our national public policy are the foci of Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine. This book provides both a well-researched and documented overview of the science and politics of medical marijuana and an in-depth ethnography of one community’s effort to provide this beneficial medicine to its sick and dying members, in spite of the risks attendant to that effort.

Drs. Chapkis and Webb do an admirable job of delineating the forces (social, political and cultural) that have operated to dampen any rational assessment of the potential that medical cannabis holds for providing symptomatic relief from a number of chronic diseases and for reducing the side-effects of prescription medications (many of them quite toxic) that have been approved to treat those diseases. At the same time, the authors give voice to the patients and providers whose personal experiences illustrate that potential by providing a detailed look at the Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM). This noteworthy community-based organization, located in Santa Cruz, CA, was formed a decade ago to provide less encumbered and less expensive access to medical cannabis for its 250+ members. In the process, WAMM helped shape and inform the national dialog around medical cannabis that, in turn, has influenced thirteen states (so far) to loosen restrictions on accessing this medicine, in spite of continued federal intransigence.

The authors use interviews with WAMM’s founders to document the formation and evolution of this organization; and to describe how the organization has handled the tensions and conflicts that arise when people from different backgrounds, resources and cultural perspectives come together in pursuit of a self-help solution to their medical conditions. Interviews with a sampling of WAMM patients and caregivers, as well as Santa Cruz area physicians, politicians and law enforcement officials, give the reader an excellent perspective on the cultural environment within which an organization like WAMM can arise and flourish. The extent to which WAMM was embraced by the larger Santa Cruz community is well-illustrated in the book by that community’s response to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2002 raid on the collective’s communal cannabis garden just before harvest. That response included the decision by at least one local law enforcement jurisdiction to suspend any further cooperation with the DEA from that point forward.

Several important questions linger after reading this book. How replicable would the WAMM approach be in other less cohesive or progressive community settings? Is reliance on a non-commercial, volunteer-dependent mechanism for producing and distributing medical cannabis a viable model in the long term for serving the millions of people who suffer from diseases and conditions for which medical cannabis has shown much promise? (WAMM’s own experience after the 2002 DEA raid suggests that it may not be.) Finally, although WAMM provided a means through which many terminally ill Santa Cruz residents could access cannabis if they were willing to devote much of their scarce energy, meager resources and limited remaining time to grow, process and distribute that useful medicine; perhaps the most important question remains: why should they have to? One wonders what the average American’s life expectancy would be if anyone who needed immediate access to antibiotics in order to control a life-threatening infection, rather than receiving a prescription to fill immediately at their local pharmacy, were instead handed a booklet of instructions on how to grow their own penicillin.

However, this book answers many more questions than it leaves unanswered. The comprehensive and compelling scholarship displayed throughout this book, and its ability to illuminate critical public policy issues through the experiences and voices of people whose lives have been improved and extended by their access to medical cannabis, is apparent throughout. Dying to Get High: Marijuana as Medicine would be a worthy addition to the reading lists of any number of undergraduate and graduate courses in law, medicine, sociology and public health. It should also be required reading for every local, state and federal public official who still supports our never-ending war on (some) drugs.

[Ghost in the Machine]

67. Excellent Review, Bernie..

I look forward to seeing it published. The work you do is so greatly appreciated. I only hope I can do 1/10th of what you do, and still make a difference.

Educating our legislators is one step, but it's equally as important to educate the public. The public has been lied to since the first anti marijuana laws were passed in Utah because of the Mormon Church.

For most of human history, marijuana has been completely legal. It's not a recently discovered plant, nor is it a long-standing law. Marijuana has been illegal for less than 1% of the time that it's been in use. Its known uses go back further than 7,000 B.C. and it was legal as recently as when Ronald Reagan was a boy.

The marijuana (hemp) plant, of course, has an incredible number of uses. The earliest known woven fabric was apparently of hemp, and over the centuries the plant was used for food, incense, cloth, rope, and much more. This adds to some of the confusion over its introduction in the United States, as the plant was well known from the early 1600's, but did not reach public awareness as a recreational drug until the early 1900's.


However, the first state law outlawing marijuana did so not because of Mexicans using the drug. Oddly enough, it was because of Mormons using it. Mormons who traveled to Mexico in 1910 came back to Salt Lake City with marijuana. The church was not pleased and ruled against use of the drug. Since the state of Utah automatically enshrined church doctrine into law, the first state marijuana prohibition was established in 1915. (Today, Senator Orrin Hatch serves as the prohibition arm of this heavily church-influenced state.)

Other states quickly followed suit with marijuana prohibition laws, including Wyoming (1915), Texas (1919), Iowa (1923), Nevada (1923), Oregon (1923), Washington (1923), Arkansas (1923), and Nebraska (1927). These laws tended to be specifically targeted against the Mexican-American population.

When Montana outlawed marijuana in 1927, the Butte Montana Standard reported a legislator's comment: "When some beet field peon takes a few traces of this stuff... he thinks he has just been elected president of Mexico, so he starts out to execute all his political enemies."

In Texas, a senator said on the floor of the Senate: "All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff is what makes them crazy."

http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/12/22/whyIsMarijuanaIllegal.html

We still have idiots like those above in our government today. Very uninformed, yet very vocal in spreading their ignorance. Other ignorant people listen to them without questioning anything.

Peace,

Ghost

[Ignis]

27. That's a great idea, GitM.

I suggest you start a thread in the Pagan forum (and a thread or link in the Seekers forum), and we'll see if we can get our Progressive Mojo workin'!

:grouphug:

Pagans: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=262

Seekers: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=292

And here's a start on some sources of legal/justice spells to...er...borrow from:
http://www.mojomoon.net/courtnet.html

[Ghost in the Machine]

73. Thank you, Ignis....

Sorry it took so long to reply to you... my girlfriend is going to help me with the wording on the threads in those forums. She's a practicing Pagan and Norse Witch so I think she can help me a lot on this. Once we get the post the way we want it, she's also going to send it out worldwide. She belongs to 7 or 8 'Witch Groups" with over 1000 Witches total.


Peace,

Ghost

[Spangle]

4. Put together nicely

I don't smoke, but I see it less harmful then drinking, which I do. Go figure. I would be excellent for our economy, since a lot of snack foods would be made and sold. <wink>

ON the medical issue, facts are facts. It helps. It's way crazy that doctors are prevented from giving it to their patients. Even crazieer, that patients can't have cheep and easy access to it.

I think it's a money issue. Folks could grow their own. Not pay big Pharma or a cut to the store. However, like I said, the snack industry might get a surge.

[John Q. Citizen]

11. It's a control issue much more than a money issue. You can't out law being young, being black,

or being 'counter culture."

But you can outlaw the common denominator.

[midnight]

7. This week I asked if there was anything that the Rep. were not

waring against?

[druidity33]

8. THANK YOU.

As one who suffers from IBS and has only found 1 medication that helps alleviate the abdominal pain associated with my condition... i thank you from the bottom of my heart. I live in MA, so they have made penalties less severe recently for possession, but no stipulations about growing it. And it is still illegal here.

Bookmarked.

K&R.


And good luck to you. May your case set precedent for the good guys!

[lame54]

9. You should put it to music...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atMQzRFvCIY

Yes man! Legalize it! Decriminalize it!
And I man Mr. Banton will advertise it... Sensimelia!

Me send a letter to the residence of the president
with a stamp on the front saying very urgent.
The message inside went something like: Legalize it! Sensimelia!

Sensimelia is a herb that grows naturally
just like any other plant or tree.
Natural as the birds, natural as the bees
and just like them sensi ought to be: Free!
To be grown anywhere that we please
in the city in the town and in the country. Free!
In the hills and in the valley
sensi should be there for everyone to see.

To call sensi a drug is very absurd
it should be known as a natural herb.
So much diseases sensi has cured
that's why doctors use it all round the world.
For glaucoma and fever, rheumatism, arthritis and asthma
insomnia, emphysema and to block epileptic seizure.
To alleviate pain and nausea
associated with the AIDS and cancer.
Some say it is the best stress reliever
Lord knows I am believer.

Give me the ganja cookie, and the herbal tea.
Sensimelia is: Irie!
I don't care what no government say.
Sensimelia is: OK!

Legalize it! Yes man legalize it now!

We want legalization, decriminalization and emancipation
for all those sentenced to incarceration for participation
with the healing of the nation.
It's just another case of political insanity
abusing the rights of humanity.
But we should all plant a seed of this weed that we need
to avoid an ecological calamity.
We can use for paper to save some trees
use it for fuel to save some seas.
Use it for medicines to help fight diseases
and use it for food when we hungry.

Legalize it! Fe we medication.
Legalize it! Lord fe we meditation.
Legalize it! Woe throughout the nation.
Legalize it! Yes we sensimelia.

Yes! From downing street to D. C.
time to paint the white house green.
You know what I mean... Scene!

[Karenina]

20. Hear, hear!!!

:smoke:

[rudy23]

12. Thank you! Not that it'll make you feel better, but I think a few of those doing the shouting

were just doing the jobs they were paid to do.

I don't know whether that's more or less disturbing, but I truly believe that.

[Fly by night]

18. Agreed. The paid shills for Big Pharma & the criminal justice/industrial complex are ever-present.

You did your best to hold your own yesterday, and I thank you for it.

Frankly, I am glad that bunch has not bothered to comment on this thread. Maybe (hopefully) they're reading the links I provided -- knowledge is power, maybe powerful enough to ram a sock down the naysayers' throats. One can only hope.

[rudy23]

19. Thnx for this thread---this debate needed some well sourced, well organized info.

As fun as it is to bat down fallacies all day, after awhile it was clear they were just trying to dilute the thread with noise.

[librechik]

28. Thanks for your courage and persistence, FBN

and best of luck (sadly, it may be too much to hope for justice) re your case.

[Time for change]

13. Thank you for all this research on a very important issue

[Fly by night]

31. Thanks, TforC. You provide the model for what well-researched DU OPs should look like.

Just trying to keep up.

Besides, neither of us are very good at gratuitous profanity as a come-on to our threads. Thank heaven.

[Greyhound]

14. An excellent use of your time, thank you and a hearty K&R.

Growing up I never imagined that we (American society) would still be so profoundly ignorant on this issue and still tolerating the absurdly anti-American status of this wonderful species.

"Things in this life change very slowly, if they ever change at all"

[iamthebandfanman]

16. thanks for doing the right thing

keep on fighting. there are tons of us out there that use marijuana as a medication, whether they like it or not.
sure , i still use it for fun occasionally... but mainly it keeps me sane.
if i had a dollar for every person with a mental condition who told me they were smoking weed to cope , id be a rich man.
it does have medical uses. even beyond pain relief.

[windoe]

17. K&R Good luck

I hope we all live to see this country recover from such insane policies and return to balance.

[LynzM]

21. Thanks for the excellent summary and links.

I personally know two people who frequently self medicate (for PTSD and social anxiety), and it is a gentler and more effective treatment than any of the "pharma" meds they've tried thus far.

Keep up the fight, and please post about what we as a community can do to support you. I wish I could offer to drop by your farm and help tend your crops. :hug:

[Fly by night]

33. You might like this diary entry on my web-site: "What a Pot Grower Grows When He Can't Grow Pot"

http://www.saveberniesfarm.com/diaries/38.html

There's still lots of Garden to tend down here, even if it's not as "kind" as it once was. I feed 15 families out of my four decade raised-bed organic garden by my house; and I have large plantings of blueberries, thornless blackberries, black raspberries and muscadine grapes on the ridge to pick. There's also lots of persimmon trees all over the farm, and four varieties of mint and watercress growing in or near the main creek. Plus wild bergamot (a very fragrant herb) growing in my pastures.

This farm isn't heaven ... but you can see it from here.

[LynzM]

35. Oh, wow...

That sounds wonderful and fantastic! :D If I'm ever down your way, I'll be sure to drop you a line!

[Royal Sloan 09]

23. K & R, Thanks for the information!

Such a great resource to help inform oneself and perhaps help others understand, if they're open-minded (kinda leaves out a certain group).
This info will be beneficial in future discussions, as the huge megaphone media machine will undoubtedly start squawking long and loudly to drown out all of our voices, that dissent against the owners.

Yes, We Cannabis!
:smoke:
Legalize

[quidam56]

24. California is falling into a sea of debt. It's time to legalize and tax marijuana and hemp.

It's great for anyone who has Fibromyalgia.

[Fly by night]

26. Agreed. I used it for fibromyalgia, degenerative joint disease and diverticulosis.

It worked better (and cheaper) than any expensive prescription drugs I was prescribed.

Besides, there are a number of those drugs -- any that are opiates -- that I am allergic to anyway.

[Politicalboi]

25. Best of luck to you

This is maddening. I know this is a long shot, but it worked for 2 people this week. Maybe you should go to a town hall meeting where President Obama is going to be and bring some friends so more of you can maybe ask a question. Tell him your story and maybe we can get an answer from Obama right there on the spot. Remind him of the people who have been getting Marijuana from the government for years now and how come the rest of us can't? President Obama should have this question asked of him every time he greets the crowds and takes questions. It would help the economy too.

[pleah]

29. K&R

[Bluenorthwest]

30. Wildly informative post

And well presented to boot! Best of luck to you and thanks for your hard work for such a long time!

"If we never stop fighting (for science, common sense and compassion), we cannot lose." Quote of the day.

[Uncle Joe]

32. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for your work, Fly by night.:thumbsup:

[leftstreet]

34. K&R

[4sanity]

36. message from a user

I thank you for this post, it is wonderfully informative. I smoke pot because of a medical condition that has taken me very close to suicide in the past two years. The drugs that they have given me to control my symptoms are very strong and have debilitating side-effects. So I tried pot. It works. Nuff said!!

[Fly by night]

37. Thanks. I am glad that you are better. There's much to live for, including ...

... working to remove any barriers to the comfort and healing (physical, mental and emotional) that cannabis can provide.

I am so pleased that this thread has been up all day and there is still not a single negative post on it. That's a good enough St. Valentine's Day gift for me.

[MagickMuffin]

38. I must've missed yesterdays thread, Could you post a link so I can review it?.?.?

In 1994, Nadelmann founded the Lindesmith Center, a drug policy institute created with the philanthropic support of George Soros. In 2000, the growing Center merged with another organization to form the Drug Policy Alliance and Drug Policy Alliance Network, which advocate for drug policies grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights. Described by Rolling Stone as “the point man” for drug policy reform efforts, Ethan Nadelmann is widely regarded as the most prominent proponent of drug policy reform.

http://www.drugpolicy.org/about/keystaff/ethannadelma/


Dr. Lester Grinspoon's website:

A little about me. I am on the faculty (emeritus) of the Harvard Medical School in the Department of Psychiatry. I have been studying cannabis since 1967 and have published two books on the subject. In 1971 Marihuana Reconsidered was published by Harvard University Press. Marihuana, the Forbidden Medicine, coauthored with James B. Bakalar, was published in 1993 by Yale University Press; the revised and expanded edition appeared in 1997. Other books include The Speed Culture: The Use and Abuse of Amphetamines in America, Cocaine: A Drug and its Social Evolution, Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered, and Psychedelic Reflections.

http://www.marijuana-uses.com/




It is unfortunate that in this country that we can not have an honest debate about Cannabis. I noticed that just this week someone posted an article about Cannabis causes "cancer" funny how they released this article in the wake of Phelps exposure of his smoking Cannabis:shrug:

In Texas I know someone who was busted with about 1 gram of Cannabis and here the law was changed to charge someone with under 2 oz, instead of the actual amount in your possession.

Possession: 2 oz or less* class B misdemeanor Incarceration: 180 days Fine:$2,000

Their punishment was a year probation and several thousand dollars.




I bookmarked your thread for further reading. I will send you vibes in regard to your plight.

[Fly by night]

42. Here's yesterday's OP that I referred to. Just curious ...

... why did you post Nadelmann's and Grinspoon's bio sketches? I can't make the connection with this OP. Now here's the link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5037856&mesg_id=5037856

[MagickMuffin]

53. The reason was because Grinspoon and Nadelmann are fighting for our rights

concerning Cannabis.

Dr. Grinspoon has been at the forefront of Cannabis research for several decades and deserves to be recognized for his dedication to the Cause.

Dr. Grinspoon runs 2 websites: 1) Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine that includes thousands of individual anecdotes concerning the medical uses of marijuana as well as Q&A; and 2) Uses of Marijuana that allows for people to submit essays relating to the 'enhancing' effects that marijuana can have on the user. The focus is on effects which are meaningful for the individual: not merely 'increased appetite', but rather effects such as increased creativity, rushes of insight/new ideas, or increased appreciation for music, art and nature.

Grinspoon's son used marijuana and Lester explained the way marijuana helped his young son while he was dying from leukemia in the 1970s, completely eliminating the horrible nausea & vomiting he experienced after each of his chemotherapy treatments and, thereby, making the final year and a half of the boy's life far more comfortable, for his son, and for Grinspoon and his wife by not having to endure the pain of witnessing their son suffer.

Nadelmann has been trying to change the drug laws in this country and really never gets much attention for his courage to fight for the end to the War on drugs.


I apologize if I didn't seem to make the connection to the OP, but I think a lot of people on DU might not even know who these heroes are and thought this would be a good place to introduce them and provide a little education about them. I was hoping people might check out their links to learn even more about them.

[Fly by night]

57. Thanks for the explanation and thanks for posting. I have met Nadelmann and hope to meet Grinspoon.

I agree that they are both worthy of introducing to the DU community. They are among a handful of academics or former academics who put principle before personal advancement and did the right thing, regardless of the consequences.

[MagickMuffin]

59. There is a petition trying to get Nadelmann named the Drug Czar

Wouldn't that be a hoot.

http://drugczarofmydreams.com/node

Petition Signers: 3526 Signatures


Yes We Can•nabis

[Fly by night]

61. Too late for that, since Obama has appointed the ONDCP director. But ...

... Nadelmann could still be a good appointment to head the DEA (in order to dismantle it.)

[MagickMuffin]

70. Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske has accepted a job in the Obama administration

I saw the thread about Kerlikowske, but it has not to my acknowledge been announced where he will be working.

I think perhaps he would be better suited to DEA, and Nadelmann as ONDCP director. But who knows what will be happening with the War On Drugs.


I know the War on Drugs IS wasteful spending especially the War Against Marijuana Growers and Users, and since our country is facing an economic crisis worse than the Great Depression, maybe we shouldn't be fighting a War on Drugs and use those resources for fighting a War on Homelessness and Hunger and making sure Americans have a place to live and food for their bellies.


If the laws were changed I know that I would be a farmer and grow it for using in my recipes. YUM!

[Fly by night]

71. NORML and DPA both sent out emails saying Kerlikowske would be White House "Drug Czar"

That title goes with the ONDCP Director's position, not to the DEA head.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

39. just felt moved to say, thank you for fighting for a just cause....

Thank you for going through what you're doing for all our sakes.

I loved to see what you said about the Arapaho Elders praying for you too. So beautiful.

[ms liberty]

40. K&R. This is great, thanks for the resource! Bookmarking...n/t

[kenichol]

41. Thanks!

I love hearing from you-

[psquare]

43. What I would like to know is -

Say you had a condition where you wanted to alleviate your pain through medical marijuana -

If you could take a pill with the active ingredient and it would lessen your pain, but not make you high, would you take it instead?

If you could drink something, or eat something, or breathe a nebulized something, and it would lessen your pain, but not make you high, would you take it instead?

Has there every been a double-blind study on MMJ in which patients were not told if their MMJ had THC or not, and the THC was shown to have worked better?

How many MMJ patients just want to get high because they like smoking pot and when they are high they feel better?

I grew up in the 60's, went to college in the 70's, I have never smoked and I can't stand the smell, habits and culture of all smokers, whether cigarettes, cigars, pipes or pot.

While I was in college I saw a lot of students protesting pot laws. Why did they protest them? Because they wanted to get high, of course. That's what they all told me! Were they lying?

So let's make pot legal. Would it make you feel better if your daughter is going out on a date, and he drives up smoking a joint. You'd tell her to have a nice time?

You're getting on an airplane, and in comes the pilot through the jetway. He's just had a few joints on the tarmac before flying you across the country. Are you glad to be on board?

I for one do not mind that pot is illegal. I support scientific efforts to isolate the effective ingredients of MMJ (the pain-effective, not high-effective) and deliver them to patients by means other than smoking it.

It seems like I am the lone voice on one side of the issue and if that is the case, so be it.

[Fly by night]

46. Wow. 73 posts in 3+ years here. I guess I'm honored, even though you broke the thread's cherry ....

... for having no negative posts on it. Oh well, far be it from me to stifle discussion, even if you may not have bothered to read any of the links I provided -- at least four of which answer some of your questions. (Go ahead and visit the links -- they won't bite or "get you high".)

I will answer one of your questions, though it looks like you are just being rhetorical with them.

(Your question) "Has there every (sic) been a double-blind study on MMJ in which patients were not told if their MMJ had THC or not, and the THC was shown to have worked better?"

When I worked at the National Cancer Institute in the late 1970s, we attempted a double-blind study of cannabis for its anti-emetic properties with patients undergoing chemotherapy. Nonpsychoactive hemp was used as the placebo given to controls. The study had to be suspended because patients got no relief whatsoever from the control substance so it was obvious they were getting the placebo. It was also obvious to the researchers, so both components of the double-blind study design were compromised. Since patients receiving cannabis were obviously getting relief, the researchers suspended the study and provided cannabis to all patients in the study.

There were also studies comparing whole plant cannabis with Marinol (which, ironically, is the principal psychoactive substance in cannabis AND the one licensed to be delivered in pill form) conducted in a number of states in the 1980s which had legal medical cannabis programs that were supplied by the government's pot farm at Ole Miss. When whole plant cannabis was compared with Marinol for relieving nausea in three states, 23% more patients in Tennessee, 29% more patients in New York and 30% more patients in New Mexico reported greater relief from whole plant cannabis than from Marinol. (The research design was a cross-over design so all patients tried both whole plant cannabis and Marinol in order to compare their efficacy.) This information is provided in at least four of the links I provided. Try them -- you will learn from them.

Cannabis has at least 60 bioactive components, and many researchers believe that these substances act in concert in ways that cannot be replicated easily through synthesized pills. Similar findings have been shown with vitamins (e.g., vitamin E) delivered in pill form versus through foods rich in the same vitamin (i.e., the food delivery system produced more benefits than the pill form).

I hope that answers at least one of your questions. And since you've posted here so seldom, you might not know that there is a "spell check" button at the bottom left of the "post a comment" page. It always helps make posters look articulate, which is something we here at DU prize more highly than at other sites you might visit more often.

Thanks for the post. This evening, you are truly the one exception that proves the rule.

[Hello_Kitty]

50. Barry Goldwater quote in your sig line?

Figures.

[RadiationTherapy]

65. About not dictating morality no less ... as he whines about people getting high.

[uberllama42]

54. You make a lot of irrelevant points.

Sure, people decades ago wanted to legalize pot so they could smoke it without being punished. Some people still feel the exact same way, including some friends of mine. But that has nothing to do with medical marijuana. Legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes and legalizing it for recreational purposes are two completely different things.

Likewise with whether or not I would want a friend of mine (I say friend because I'm too young to have kids) to date a guy who smokes. To be honest I'd feel better about someone who shows up baked than someone who was visibly drunk or carrying a handgun. Almost all of my friends drink, and my father carries a gun; I don't think those things are admirable, but that doesn't mean I think they should be illegal. You've introduced a third question here that has even less to do with medical marijuana. I think doctors should be able to prescribe marijuana in situations where its medical efficacy has been proven; I also think that recreational pot use should be legal. That doesn't mean I think smoking weed builds character.

As for the pilot example: Do you really think that if pot were legalized, the FAA would suddenly allow pilots to fly while intoxicated? No one is advocating that. It has nothing to do with whether or not people are allowed to smoke pot when they're off the job.

[relayerbob]

55. Interesting

that your quote at the end is in diametric opposition to your partiular choice of moral dictation to the rest of us.

No one advocates driving or flying on pot any more than they do driving or flying on alcohol, so that is a specious argument. Great emotional sound to it, but utterly ridiculous. It is pretty easy to test for it and dosages that gets one intoxicated are well-known.

If the active ingredients that make one well were the same as those that make one high, then what difference does it make if it is smoked or consumed as a pill? As far as isolating the medicinal compounds, if it is possible, it sounds like more profits for the pharmaceutical corporations, at the expense of the rest of us .... again.

So, I say, legalize it, tax it and control it, as we do alcohol and tobacco now. Save us all some prisoners, a costly war on drugs and make a few bucks in tax revenues along the way.

[psquare]

56. You don't know me

I love it when I'm reading comments and someone makes a snide comment that they have ONLY 73 posts in 3 1/2 years. Forgive me for not being as what, as good(?) as all the 1000+ crowd. I guess I really should know better. We all have lives and do other things. I love the DU, and forgive me for daring to add a post when I believe I have a legitimate comment. I guess I could pile up the "Me too! K & R!" comments and join the 1000+'er's, but I don't do that - is that okay?

I made it clear that I believe there may be some MMJ compounds you can put into a nebulizer (hey, it's not in the spell check, but I think you know what I mean) or a pill, lotion, whatever, that will provide the benefit of pain relief or whatever. You wouldn't have to smoke it, and it wouldn't get you high. And I'll bet that all the growers and users and NORML folks and everyone will hate it and throw everything at it because you wouldn't smoke it and it wouldn't get you high. That IS the bottom line, isn't it?

I knew about the double-blind which wasn't. I wondered why didn't they use a low-THC vs. high-THC combination. And then when they realized they all knew which was the real pot, they just chucked the study and put them all on the real stuff. In the end it didn't advance the science at all, and it labeled the researchers as just some pot enthusiasts (< thank you, spell check). Why aren't people clamoring for synthetic THC (dronabinol)? I don't know, is it because it doesn't get you high?

So it is pretty easy to test for pot intoxication? Wow, that's a new one on me, I had no idea about that (really). Is it as easy as the blood alcohol test? Just wondering.

I understand that the typical pot used today has something like 10X the THC than pot from 20 years ago. Why don't these growers develop a strain that gives you the relief without the THC and the high? Because it wouldn't get you high? That's just my guess, and I think that you agree with me that whatever it does, it has to get you high, the higher the better.

I have had several sig lines over my 3 1/2 years but I have been a lifelong dem, volunteered in every presidential race since '68 ('72 and '84 I didn't volunteer, in '72 I was a freshman in engineering school and was totally swamped by coursework, and in '84 I was disheartened by Mondale's campaign). I am a student of American politics and I thought Goldwater's line is extremely interesting, knowing how much he is revered by the freepers, and detested by libs. So when someone comments that "it figures" what in God's name are they saying figures? BTW, I think that industrial hemp ought to be allowed to be grown in the US, does that make you all feel better about me? I not a bad person just because I think that the MMJ crowd is being a bit dishonest.

[Heidi]

58. What business is it of yours, or mine, if people want to self-medicate

and/or if being "high" is part of that?

Thank you for your long service to the Democratic party, and I hope you'll reconsider your stance on this issue. If honesty is the issue, we probably ought to take a look at the double standard first: alcohol=A-okay and perfectly legal; marijuana=illegal (and apparently immoral because it gets people "high.")

[Fly by night]

60. My concern is less with your low DU posts than your spouting drug war propaganda here, ...

... particularly since it remains clear that you have not bothered to check out any of the links that I provided. So, for the sake of you and (more likely) others who need to be armed from the same-ole same-ole arguments that just keep a medically useful plant in the pharmaceutical dungeon, I will comment on some of your new points and provide you with even more links. (BTW, I agree with one of the other posters above that the majority of your points in your first post had absolutely nothing to do with medical cannabis.)

(Your point) "I made it clear that I believe there may be some MMJ compounds you can put into a nebulizer (hey, it's not in the spell check, but I think you know what I mean) or a pill, lotion, whatever, that will provide the benefit of pain relief or whatever. You wouldn't have to smoke it, and it wouldn't get you high."

(My response) I think what you mean is "vaporizer", since that device is being used by mmj users to provide the beneficial substances in cannabis without either the carbon monoxide or carcinogens that are present when cannabis is smoked. Vaporizers work so well at eliminating both direct and sidestream smoke that they can be used inside hospitals in many of the states that have approved medical cannabis.

In addition, the bioactive substances in medical cannabis are already being made available in a variety of forms, including lotions, tinctures, aerosolizers (Google "Sativex"), even suppositories -- and patients indicate they receive relief from all of these delivery forms.

Your principal problem appears to be that medical cannabis users might "get high". As one of the posters (Ghost in the Machine) posted in great detail above, it is precisely that euphoric byproduct of medical cannabis use that has been identified as having anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects. However, researchers have shown that if whole plant cannabis is used, other (nonpsychoactive) substances in cannabis work to mediate the intensity of the "high", mediation that does not occur when single bioactive components like THC are isolated and used alone.

Besides, there are many pharmaceuticals available now which have mood-altering properties and that is precisely why some of them (e.g., anti-depressants, anti-anxiety meds) are made available to patients. Other medications (e.g., analgesics), though intended to reduce pain, also change the user's mood. That is why we have a great problem with prescription drug abuse these days. The bigger problem with many of these prescription meds is that, if taken inappropriately, they can lead to death. There remains no evidence that cannabis has ever caused a single overdose death in all of recorded history.

While you are at it, you should also Google "tolerance", a phenomenon that occurs to naturally reduce the intensity of any bioactive substance once it is taken routinely. That phenomenon is quite common among medical cannabis users.

(Your quote) "I knew about the double-blind which wasn't. (My question -- how on earth do you know about that study? It was published over 40 years ago. I am just curious how you could know about that long-ago study and know so little else about medical cannabis.) "I wondered why didn't they use a low-THC vs. high-THC combination. And then when they realized they all knew which was the real pot, they just chucked the study and put them all on the real stuff. In the end it didn't advance the science at all ..."

(My comment) Actually, it advanced the science too well and threatened the drug warriors' erroneous condemnation of cannabis as highly addictive, highly dangerous and medically useless. Many studies that demonstrate significant medical benefits from the experimental drug are suspended when the impact of the experimental substance so greatly exceeds the placebo as to "un-blind" the study. If you knew much about pharmaceutical research, you would know that.

(Your quote) "... and it labeled the researchers as just some pot enthusiasts (< thank you, spell check) ..." -- (my snarky comment) you're welcome)

(My comment) Please show me anywhere/anytime where my National Cancer Institute research colleagues were ever labelled as "pot enthusiasts".

(Your quote) "Why aren't people clamoring for synthetic THC (dronabinol)? I don't know, is it because it doesn't get you high?"

Once again, you have not bothered to read any of the links I provided in my OP, or you would know that Marinol (synthetic THC alone) has been shown to be more psychoactive (gets patients higher, but in a more unpleasant way) than whole plant cannabis, not less. Those studies have also shown that inhaled whole plant cannabis provides more immediate relief than Marinol, can be titrated in smaller dosages that remain medically beneficial and does not involve liver deactivation of a significant portion of the bioactive ingredients that occurs when the Marinol pill is taken orally. Marinol is also prohibitively expensive and often is not approved by insurance companies for use because of that high cost. I have already shared with you the head-to-head (pardon the pun) studies in three states where patients reported greater relief from whole plant cannabis than Marinol. Here is a useful link -- please actually visit and read this one:

norml.org/pdf_files/NORML_Marinol_vs_Natural_Cannabis.pdf

(Your quote) "I understand that the typical pot used today has something like 10X the THC than pot from 20 years ago. Why don't these growers develop a strain that gives you the relief without the THC and the high? Because it wouldn't get you high? That's just my guess, and I think that you agree with me that whatever it does, it has to get you high, the higher the better."

(My comment) The "10X the THC" myth has been debunked so many times that you folks should really give it a rest (really). Here are a few links -- PLEASE read them because you guys just look silly spouting this nonsense.

"The Myth of Potent Pot" (Slate ezine): www.slate.com/id/2074151

"An Overview of Cannabis Potency in Europe": http://www.emcdda.eu.int/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.Content&nNodeID=875

(Key conclusion) The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), cognizant of the widely echoed claims that marijuana potency has gone through the roof in the past two or three decades, decided to take their own look. Their conclusion: "The available data do not show any long-term marked upward trend in the potency of herbal cannabis or cannabis resin imported into Europe," EMCDDA concluded. "Today's report shows that effective potency of cannabis in nearly all EU countries has remained quite stable for many years, at around 6–8% THC."

"Is Marijuana Much More Potent Now than in the Past?"

http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewanswers.asp?questionID=336

(Key quote) Mahmoud A. ElSohly, PhD, Research Professor at the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Mississippi, stated in a 2000 Journal of Forensic Sciences article titled "Potency Trends of Delta-9-THC and Other Cannabinoids in Confiscated Marijuana from 1980-1997": "The potency (concentration of D9-THC) of marijuana samples rose from less than 1.5% in 1980 to approximately 3.3% in 1983 and 1984, then fluctuated around 3% till 1992. Since 1992, the potency of confiscated marijuana samples has continuously risen, going from 3.1% in 1992 to 4.2% in 1997. The average concentration of D9-THC in all cannabis samples showed a gradual rise from 3% in 1991 to 4.47% in 1997. Hashish and hash oil, on the other hand, showed no specific potency trends. Other major cannabinoids showed no significant change in their concentration over the years."

Besides, as with any psychoactive substance (including tobacco and alcohol), the more potent the substance, the less users have to take to achieve the desired effect. From a public health perspective, that is a good (not a bad) thing.

Finally (your last quote): "I not a bad person just because I think that the MMJ crowd is being a bit dishonest."

(My comment) Spell-check won't help this sentence, although "preview" might. In my opinion, the person who is being dishonest here is not me. My links will take you to my 11 page resume on the www.saveberniesfarm.com web-site, so you can find out exactly who I am and what I have done with my life. (How about letting us see who you are in a similar fashion?)

Besides, I have been on DU for over four years now and have never felt the need (nor understood the value) of changing my sig line. You, on the other hand, have changed your sig line several times, even though you hardly ever post here. Why on earth would you do that, except to confuse the rest of us regarding who you are?

I want to end this reply by quoting from four people who wrote letters of support for me to my federal judge. One is a physician of a patient I helped, one is the widow of another patient I helped and two are patients I helped who -- because of medical cannabis -- are still alive today. I care much, much more about what they have to say than what an uninformed, knee-jerk, drug war propaganda spouting, multiple personality, low post DUer has to say (though I do appreciate your not posting meaningless "K&R" posts here. It is another way, along with poor grammar and spelling skills and multiple DU sig lines, that we can tell our opponents from our friends.) Here are direct quotes from those four people:

Dr. B (whose patient died with metastatic cancer): "The drug that gave my patient the most relief was marijuana. More than a cocktail of morphine, zofran, phenergan, ativan/xanax. Marijuana was the only thing which relieved her unremitting nausea, the only thing that allowed her real respits."

Mrs. H (whose husband died of cancer): "When my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer, the nurses at the Ambulatory Care Clinic (in Columbia, TN) told him he should find marijuana as soon as possible. (Note: medical cannabis remains illegal in Tennessee). Marijuana made it possible for my husband to rest and to sleep and it helped him keep his appetite up."

Dr. A (HIV/AIDS patient): "Marijuana brought an end to my wasting, provided anti-nausea, anti-headache and appetite-enhancing benefits as well as relief from deep depression."

Mrs. A (cancer patient): "Marijuana helped me deal with awful nausea, helped me rest and sleep when I was in great pain."

Unlike you, these people are not being dishonest in the least. They are also risking arrest by going public with their experiences. I believe them, just as I believe one other thing:

You can always tell a "drug warrior" -- you just can't tell 'em much.

Enough. Have a nice life. Or whatever.

[psquare]

68. My nebulizer is your vaporiser

Okay, forgive me for not knowing about the potential for >vaporizers<

In its report, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, released earlier this year, the Institute of Medicine cited the dangers of smoking as a major drawback. The IOM stated, "Numerous studies suggest that marijuana smoke is an important risk factor in the development of respiratory disease... Because of the health risks associated with smoking, smoked marijuana should generally not be recommended for long-term medical use." The IOM suggested that researchers concentrate on isolating medically useful cannabinoids and developing "rapid-onset, nonsmoked cannabinoid delivery systems." Such systems might be similar to the inhalers used for certain asthma medicines.

link: http://www.aids.org/atn/a-327-02.html

Now if the growers, MMJ users, and NORML would get behind vaporizers and publicly denounce the smoking aspect, I would fully support it. Really.

But when I talk to supporters of MMJ, I always get mixed signals. Yes, the benefits for MMJ are rolled out. But there is also the notion that you can decide for yourself if you too need MMJ for anything at all (including just wanting to get high), it's okay. I don't agree with that. When I see the push for nebu... whoops, I mean vaporizers, I like that and I fully support the growing and processing of MMJ for that and of course for pills, lotions, etc.

Thank you for your many links (many of which I did follow), and yes, I had read of the double-blind study years ago, it was quite well known.

[Fly by night]

69. Nebulizers are not the same as vaporizers.

A nebulizer changes liquid medicine into fine droplets (in aerosol or mist form) that are inhaled through a mouthpiece or mask.

A vaporizer (or vapouriser) is a device used to sublimate the active ingredients of plant material, commonly cannabis, tobacco, or any of many other therapeutic or medicinal herbs or blends. Rather than burning the herb, a vaporizer heats the material in a partial vacuum so that the active compounds contained in the plant boil off into a vapor. No combustion occurs.

One other thing: The IOM report (one of my links) was published in 1999, not earlier this year.

Other than that, thanks for your post. Vaporizers are an excellent tool for reducing exposure to harmful substances while allowing patients to access the medically useful substances. The fact that they can be used in hospitals (which are certainly no smoking zones) suggests how well they serve that purpose.

Again, thanks for your post.

[RadiationTherapy]

66. It is the HIGH that kills the PAIN. It is the attitude shift as much as the chmicals that helps.

That said, there is nothing wrong with people getting high. Grow the hell up and realize that every time you feed white sugar and corn syrup to your candida yeast overgrowth YOU ARE GETTING HIGH.

[unapatriciated]

72. I can answer your question regarding Dronabinol

My son has medical marijuana and has also been prescribed Marinol. The later is very expensive, isn't as effective and is a man made chemical that has side effects.
Vasculitis is one of the results of his illness that makes it even riskier for him to use Marionol.
I could care less if smoking pot (but he prefers it in food or vapor easier on lungs) has the side effects of making him high or gives him an appetite. He is in daily pain and only weighs about 100 pounds. So those two side effects are a good thing as far as I'm concerned.
The risk of heart attack from Marionol is not so good.

http://www.medicinenet.com/dronabinol-oral/article.htm

Industrial hemp was not made illegal because it was a drug nor will it get you high. You can buy it you just can't grow it and has nothing to do with this.
There really is no dishonesty in the MMJ crowd, we just look at this as a first step in changing an unjust law.

[Fly by night]

74. Thanks for citing your personal experinece. My prayers are with you and your son.

This is a civil rights/civil liberties issue, as well as about allowing science to stand-down our own nation's lawless and immoral SS troops -- the DEA.

[unapatriciated]

75. Thank You..

He is doing well and is in his third year at the Art Institute of San Francisco. He battled active Dermatomyositis for over ten years last relapse was when he was 25, five years ago. He is almost off all medications but is dealing with the aftermath which left him with daily pain, very little upper body strength and a lot of calcinosis. Most children diagnosed with JDMS are sick for about two years and with treatment have very few lasting effects. A few like my son have a high mortality rate, so we consider ourselves lucky. He has a beautiful, supportive wife and step-son.

[Shakespeare]

76. They have it in pill form already--Marinol. And it doesn't work for shit.

Sometimes you just can't one-up nature; this seems to be one of those times.

Yes, MMJ works, and for a number of maladies. And it's absurd that we're still criminalizing it.

[southern_dem]

62. I think most people

who support legalizing marijuana also agree that people should not operate motor vehicles while under the influence. I certainly would insist it be added to DUI laws.

[Fly by night]

63. For some reason, the word "not" does not appear in your post, as intended. You might need to edit.

This "glitch" is something DU is working on.

BTW, most states have a comparable law to DUI that is called "Driving Under the Influence of Drugs". The problem with cannabis users is that they can test positive for weeks after using, even though they are not "impaired" at the time.

(On edit) Never mind -- it's already been corrected.

[southern_dem]

64. Yeah, I added the "not"

Thanks. :)

[kimmylavin]

44. Great post!

Thanks for all the info!

[proud patriot]

45. thanks

I hope for a successful outcome for you .

So many benefits and such a futile waste to battle.

[unapatriciated]

47. those who think (like Gupta) that there is no medicinal value...

have never had a loved one sick and in pain and see the immediate result from marijuana.
My son's doctor recommended it when he was 15 during yet another round of chemo. He had over a 10 year battle with active dermatomyositis that left him with very little muscle, scared skin and calcinosis throughout his body. He has medical marijuana for the pain from his illness and nausea (side effect from methotrexate, prednisone and cyclosporin). I would much rather he use that than vicodin which not only is highly addictive it has some very nasty side effects.
California has voted medical marijuana in but the feds keep closing down the clubs and farms.
We need to change our drug laws now.

for the guy psquare up-thread....
I wouldn't want my daughters boyfriend to show up with a bottle of beer
nor would I want my airline pilot to down a few shots of Jack Daniels just before takeoff.
Both of those scenarios are far more likely than the ones you suggested.

[NM Independent]

48. Outstanding resource, Bernie. Thank You!!

:yourock:

[bertman]

49. Great thread. Rec. How might one send a donation to your defense fund?

I haven't read the links yet but will try to do so this weekend. Thanks for posting this.

And, for psquare, on a thread a few days ago I described how, in Vietnam, many of my friends were helicopter gunship pilots who were stoners and smoked while flying. These guys were some of the best pilots you could ever imagine and were able to provide close air support for grunts even AT NIGHT with only a 25 yard margin of error--which they never violated.

I'm not saying that I would want my airline pilot to be stoned. Just that my anecdotal experience leads me to believe pot is not necessarily the great danger that many would have us believe.

[Vinnie From Indy]

51. Salute!

You are always welcome in Indy at our house! I wish you the very best in your effort to keep your beautiful farm. What is happening to you is a travesty. Cheers!

[slay]

52. It is far past time to legalize it - I'm an adult and can make informed decisions - but for the ill?

It is just CRIMINAL that ill people suffering from cancer to AIDS to glaucoma to migraines swear by marijuana and often depending on where they live in this country, this SUPPOSED free country, they are denied access to the medication they KNOW helps them. And with vaporizers now where one need not inhale any smoke to get the positive effect, or even baking brownies, there is NO legitimate excuse that pot should be illegal. Now I'll smoke a bowl to that! :smoke: