Federal Medical Marijuana Program Going to "Pot"

For the past three decades, Uncle Sam has been providing a handful of patients with some of the highest grade medical marijuana around. The program grew out of a 1976 court settlement that created the country's first legal pot smoker.

Advocates for legalizing marijuana or treating it as a medicine say the program is a glaring contradiction in the nation's 40-year war on drugs — maintaining the federal ban on pot while at the same time supplying it.

Government officials say there is no contradiction. The program is no longer accepting new patients, and public health authorities have concluded that there was no scientific value to medical marijuana, Steven Gust of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse told The Associated Press.

At one point, 14 people were getting government grow medical cannabis. Now, there are four left.

The government has only continued to supply the marijuana "for compassionate reasons," Gust said.

One of the recipients is Elvy Musikka, the chatty Oregon woman. A vocal marijuana advocate, Musikka relies on the pot to keep her glaucoma under control. She entered the program in 1988, and said that her experience with marijuana is proof that it works as a medicine.

They "won't acknowledge the fact that I do not have even one aspirin in this house," she said, leaning back on her couch, glass bong cradled in her hand. "I have no pain."

Marijuana is getting a look from states around the country considering calls to repeal decades-old marijuana prohibition laws. There are 16 states that have medical marijuana programs. In the three West Coast states, advocates are readying tax-and-sell or other legalization programs.

Marijuana was legal for much of U.S. history and was recognized as a medicine in 1850. Opposition to it began to gather and, by 1936, 48 states had passed laws regulating pot, fearing it could lead to addiction.

Anti-marijuana literature and films, like the infamous "Reefer Madness," helped fan those fears. Eventually, pot was classified among the most harmful of drugs, meaning it had no usefulness and a high potential for addiction.

In 1976, a federal judge ruled that the Food and Drug Administration must provide Robert Randall of Washington, D.C. with marijuana because of his glaucoma — no other drug could effectively combat his condition. Randall became the nation's first legal pot smoker since the drug's prohibition.

Eventually, the government created its program as part of a compromise over Randall's care in 1978, long before a single state passed a medical marijuana law. What followed were a series of petitions from people like Musikka (seen at left) to join the program.

President George H.W. Bush's administration, getting tough on crime and drugs, stopped accepting new patients in 1992. Many of the patients who had qualified had AIDS, and they were dying.

The AP asked the agency that administers the program, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, for documents showing how much marijuana has been sent to patients since the first patient in 1976.

The agency supplied full data for 2005-2011, which showed that during that period the federal government distributed more than 100 pounds of high-grade marijuana to patients.

Agency officials said records related to the program before 2005 had been destroyed, but were able to provide scattered records for a couple of years in the early 2000s.

The four patients remaining in the program estimate they have received a total of 584 pounds from the federal government over the years. On the street, that would be worth more than $500,000.

All of the marijuana comes from the University of Mississippi, where it is grown, harvested and stored.

Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly, who directs the operation, said the marijuana was a small part of the crop the university has been growing since 1968 for all cannabis research in the U.S. Among the studies are the pharmaceutical uses for synthetic mimics of pot's psychoactive ingredient, THC.

ElSohly said the four patients are getting pot with about 3 percent THC. He said 3 percent is about the range patients have preferred in blind tests.

The marijuana is then sent from Mississippi to a tightly controlled North Carolina lab, where they are rolled into cigarettes. And every month, steel tins with white labels are sent to Florida and Iowa. Packed inside each is a half-pound of marijuana rolled into 300 perfectly-wrapped joints.

With Musikka living in Oregon, she is entitled to more legal pot than anyone in the nation because she's also enrolled in the state's medical marijuana program. Neither Iowa nor Florida has approved marijuana as a medicine, so the federal pot is the only legal access to the drug for the other three patients.

The three other people in the program range in ages and doses of marijuana provided to them, but all consider themselves an endangered species that, once extinct, can be brushed aside by a federal government that pretends they don't exist.

All four have become crusaders for the marijuana-legalization movement. They're rock stars at pro-marijuana conferences, sought-after speakers and recognizable celebrities in the movement.

Irv Rosenfeld, a financial adviser in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been in the program since November 1982. His condition produces painful bone tumors, but he said marijuana has replaced prescription painkillers.

Rosenfeld likes to tell this story: In the mid-1980s, the federal government asked his doctor for an update on how Rosenfeld was doing. It was an update the doctor didn't believe the government was truly interested in. He had earlier tried to get a copy of the previous update, and was told the government couldn't find it, Rosenfeld said.

New Jersey O.K. -- N.Y. 50,000 + Aressted in 2010

In 2010, more than 50,000 people were arrested for possession of marijuana; a vast majority of them were racial minorities and male. Civil rights lawyers say that many of them were stopped as part of the Police Department’s broad stop-and-frisk practice and were arrested after officers told them to empty their pockets, which brought the drugs into open view.

Commissioner Kelly’s memo now makes clear that displaying the drug must be an “activity undertaken of the subject’s own volition” and that individuals may not be charged with violating the law if the marijuana “was disclosed to public view at an officer’s direction.”

While the memo, reported by WNYC last week, is an important step, it does not by itself end the problem. The United States Justice Department and New York lawmakers should investigate the legality of practices that led to the arrests of hundreds of thousands of people since the mid-1990s.

Under New York law, possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana is a violation subject to a $100 fine for the first offense. Possession of any amount that is in public view, however, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail and a $500 fine.

This statute was supported by district attorneys in the 1970s because they believed it would free the police to fight serious crimes. That changed in the mid-1990s when the city began emphasizing street stops as an important part of its policing approach. Since 1996, the city has taken more than 536,000 people into custody for the lowest-level marijuana charge, according to Harry Levine, a sociologist at Queens College who has tracked the data closely. From 1981 through 1995, that number was 33,700.

Police have characterized marijuana arrests as important for keeping criminals off the street. But, in testimony submitted to the Legislature this summer, Professor Levine estimated that a significant majority of those arrested in 2010 had never been convicted of any crime, based on an analysis of data reported to the state.

Young African-Americans and Hispanics, who are disproportionately singled-out in street stops, make up a high percentage of people arrested for marijuana possession — despite federal data showing that whites are more likely to consume marijuana. This policing practice has damaged young lives and deserves deeper scrutiny by federal and state monitors.

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San Jose Council Votes to Limit Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to 10

San Jose City Council voted Tuesday to approve rules allowing medical marijuana dispensaries, San Jose Mercury News reports.

The council voted 8-3 to allow only 10 clubs out of the nearly 12 dozen pot dispensaries that spread across the city over the last two years to survive.

Pot club activists, however, were not happy about the decision and called the new regulations unworkable and threatened to fight them in court or at the voting booth. "If we don't get our due process, we'll find somewhere else to get it, whether it's the court or the ballot box," Lauren Vasquez, an attorney and medical marijuana patient, told Mercury News.In April, the council moved toward limiting the number of dispensaries to 10, but marijuana activists lobbied against the decision, arguing that the cap would result in Costco-sized marijuana superstores that would invite federal drug raids.

The clubs, which city officials say have all been operating illegally, will also be restricted to certain commercial and industrial areas and required to grow all their medical marijuana on site. "We'll have something in place that will make it impossible for us to operate," Dave Hodges, founder of the All American Cannabis Club, one of the first marijuana dispensaries in the city, told Mercury News.

(Source)

Depraved Reporter + Fake Medical Issues = Sensationalism

State health-care regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into two medical professionals who were issuing medical-marijuana authorizations at Hempfest.

The investigation was initiated by the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday based on an Aug. 21 story in The Seattle Times, which described a reporter's ability to get a medical-marijuana authorization based on complaints of back pain.

Tim Church, a DOH spokesman, declined to name the two health-care professionals but said the state's naturopathic-advisory committee had opened a complaint. "It was opened as a result of media reports," he said.

After an initial investigation into the two individuals, DOH will decide whether to close the case or proceed with a fuller probe and possibly to a disciplinary hearing, Church said. "Anytime we see something that could be outside the scope of a medical professional's license, we take a look at it," he said.

(Source)

How Can Medical Marijuana Improve My Quality Of Life

Demographic Study of People Seeking Cannabis Treatment
Information from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML):
Thursday August 4th, 2011
This is a copy from NORML News, issued today, 8/4/11. Santa Cruz, CA: Patients in California with a physician's recommendation are predominantly using cannabis to treat symptoms of pain, insomnia, and anxiety, according to population data published in the present issue of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs...

Medical Marijuana and Alzheimer’s disease
Published Studies Show Promising Results
Tuesday August 2nd, 2011
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no known cause. It is characterized by a progressive deterioration of memory and overall cognitive functioning. Many patients have aggressive behavior, agitation, appetite loss, depression and difficulty walking...

Compound in Marijuana Prevents Chemotherapy Side Effect
Yet another study shows the tremendous medicinal benefits of Cannabidiol (CBD)
Tuesday July 26th, 2011
Researchers at the Temple University School of Pharmacy reported that nerve pain that results as a side effect of the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel can be prevented by cannabidiol, a compound in the marijuana plant...

New Study Explains Marijuana Tolerance
Reversible decrease in receptors explains tolerance and dependence
Monday July 18th, 2011
A new study from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) explains the mechanism of action for tolerance and dependence with marijuana use. In order to understand this, you must first understand that the medicines in marijuana, called cannabinoids, attach to the body's cells through a receptor, similar to how a key fits to a lock...

Migraine Headaches and Opioid Medication
Short-acting Opioids Not Appropriate for Chronic Long-term Use
Friday July 8th, 2011
Many migraine sufferers are often prescribed short-acting opioids. such as hydrocodone, for their pain. A headache expert reports that this may not be a good long-term solution and that these types of medications may cause side effects that promote more unfavorable outcomes...

Chronic Pain affects 116 million Americans
Institute of Medicine reports on pain as a public health problem
Wednesday July 6th, 2011
The Institute of Medicine reported this week that an estimated 116 million Americans suffer with chronic pain and are dealing with a health care system that is poorly prepared to treat them. Chronic pain patients are often treated, "with some prejudice, a lot of judgment and unfortunately not a lot of informed fact," according to Dr...

The Endocannabinoid System
Understanding the Science behind Cannabis
Thursday May 26th, 2011
Cannabis has been used for thousands of years, both recreationally and medically. People all over the world know the effects of cannabis, yet until 20 years ago, no one knew how it worked within our bodies...

Fibromyalgia Pain responds to Medical Cannabis treatment
Recent study shows reduction in pain and stiffness and increased relaxation and sense of well-being
Monday May 16th, 2011
A clinical study was conducted at the Institut de Recerca Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Spain, to investigate effects of cannabis on symptoms and quality of life for 56 fibromyalgia patients. Half of the patients were cannabis users and 28 were non-users...

Vaporizer Studies - Take a look at the Science
No One should be smoking, Vaporizers save your lungs
Friday April 22nd, 2011
Here is a summary of three scientific studies that show that vaporization is the healthiest way to inhale your medication. Everything about vaporizing is better than smoking. If you find no effect from a vaporizer, it is possible that you have developed high tolerance and it would serve you well to take some time off (7-14 days)...

Venice Beach Medical Marijuana Doctors Raided
Why quality and price do matter
Wednesday April 20th, 2011
On Wednesday 4/20/11, three medical marijuana doctors' offices in Venice Beach were raided and closed. (Link below) The LA Times reported that the warrant was sealed so information on why the offices were raided is unknown at this time...

National Cancer Institute Acknowledges Benefits of Medical Cannabis for Cancer Patients
Tuesday April 12th, 2011
The National Cancer Institute for the first time gives information on its website on cannabis and cannabinoids (the active medicines in the cannabis plant). They report: "The potential benefits of medicinal Cannabis for people living with cancer include antiemetic effects, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep...

Marijuana and Your Lungs – What is the real deal?
Saturday January 22nd, 2011
Is marijuana smoke really bad for the lungs? What about lung cancer? You can find out the answer to these questions by going to the link below. Dr. Donald Tashkin, Professor of Pulmonology at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine, gives an excellent summary of what he has found over many years of researching the effects of marijuana smoke on the lungs...

What is the California State or County Card?
Wednesday November 10th, 2010
Proposition 215, passed in 1996, allows a physician to recommend cannabis to a patient with a serious and chronic medical condition. This law only provides patients with a legal defense for possession and cultivation...

Medical Marijuana and Lung Disease
Monday April 12th, 2010
A recent study was done to determine the combined and independent effects of tobacco and marijuana smoking on respiratory symptoms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the general population...

Medical Marijuana and Multiple Sclerosis
Tuesday April 6th, 2010
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive neuro-degenerative disease where the brain and spinal cord are damaged by the gradual destruction of myelin, which is the tissue that covers and protects the brain and spinal cord...

Can I get addicted to Marijuana?
Sunday January 17th, 2010
Marijuana is not physically addictive. Marijuana users can use it regularly, even multiple times daily, without any problem giving it up. However some people do experience withdrawal, similar to caffeine withdrawal...

Medical Marijuana and Depression
Sunday January 10th, 2010
Clinical depression is a very serious illness. People with this condition have long-term, often debilitating feelings of sadness and low self-esteem. There can be suicidal thoughts. Depression makes ordinary tasks such as going to work, cooking, cleaning, even personal hygiene, very difficult...

Medical Marijuana and Spinal Cord Injuries
Sunday January 10th, 2010
Patients with spinal cord injuries with paralysis of their legs and/or arms, often have severe chronic pain and muscle spasms. The conventional treatment for these symptoms is synthetic medications, including high dose opiates, tranquilizers, and sedatives...

Medical Marijuana: First Time Use
Sunday January 10th, 2010
The first time use of cannabis is unique. Although no one yet understands why, many people don’t feel anything the first time they use cannabis. They do feel it the second or third time. At times the first time users are noted by the people around them to be acting differently but they themselves don’t notice it...

Medical Marijuana and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Thursday December 17th, 2009
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder that’s triggered by a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death. Post-traumatic stress disorder can develop after someone experiences or witnesses an event that causes intense fear, helplessness or horror...

Medical Marijuana and Tourette’s Syndrome
Tuesday December 15th, 2009
Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by involuntary tics. The cause of this disorder is unknown. Some patients with TS have small tics and others have debilitating tics...

Medical Marijuana and Sleep Apnea
Sunday December 13th, 2009
Sleep apnea is a medical condition characterized by frequent interruptions in breathing of up to 10 second or more during sleep. There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and mixed...

Medical Marijuana and Lung Cancer
Thursday November 19th, 2009
The big question about marijuana smoke has always been, “Will it cause cancer?” A review of the scientific literature still does not give a definitive answer but it appears that a leading and well known pulmonologist (lung specialist) from UCLA has found that marijuana is unlikely to cause cancer...

The Cost of Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis
Tuesday November 17th, 2009
A report published in the British Columbia Mental Health and Addictions Journal (Canada) stated that tobacco-related health costs are over $800 per user, alcohol-related costs are about $165 per user and cannabis-related health costs are about $20 per user...

Medical Marijuana and Fibromyalgia
Monday November 9th, 2009
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by diffuse pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons, with associated fatigue and multiple tender points (places on the body where slight touch causes pain)...

How do I choose which kind of medical marijuana to use?
Monday November 9th, 2009
Many medical marijuana patients are finding natural relief of a variety of medical conditions with this amazing plant. But there are so many strains that it can be overwhelming to find which strain or plant will be helpful for certain conditions...

Medical Marijuana and ADHD
Sunday November 1st, 2009
Many people diagnosed with ADD/ADHD have turned to medical marijuana for treatment of their symptoms with positive results and minimal side effects. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is also known as hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder (ADD)...

Medical Marijuana and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Wednesday October 28th, 2009
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common syndrome that affects the large intestine. The most common symptoms are cramping, abdominal pain, bloating gas, constipation and diarrhea. Although the symptoms can be severe, there appears to be no long term permanent damage to the bowel...

Medical Marijuana and Migraine Headaches
Monday August 3rd, 2009
Migraine headaches can be extremely severe and debilitating. Scientists and doctors are not sure exactly why some people get migraines but it appears that genetics and environmental factors both play a role...

Medical Marijuana: Safer than Prescription and OTC Drugs
Sunday July 12th, 2009
With the recent death of Michael Jackson, and last year’s death of Heath Ledger, both due to prescription drugs, more and more patients are examining their pill bottles and wondering what their future holds...

Medical Marijuana and Arthritis
Monday July 6th, 2009
Over 30 million Americans suffer from arthritis. There are many different kinds of arthritis – osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, infectious arthritis, gouty arthritis are just a few. In general arthritis occurs when there is swelling and pain in the joints with subsequent limitation of movement...

Medical Marijuana And Chronic Back Pain
Tuesday June 30th, 2009
Chronic Back Pain is one of the most common illnesses seen by physicians. Almost everyone has back pain at some time in their adult life. Back pain occurs most commonly between the ages of 30 and 50 due to the aging process and due to a more sedentary lifestyle that begins in this age group...

Medical Marijuana Tinctures
Tuesday June 23rd, 2009
Many medical marijuana patients are happy to learn about tinctures of cannabis. A tincture is an alcohol-based liquid mixture. It is like a concentrated extract. Currently there are tinctures of cannabis made with alcohol, oil or glycerin...

Medical Marijuana and Insomnia
Tuesday June 23rd, 2009
Are you one of the millions of Americans that is suffering from sleeplessness or insomnia? It is estimated that one-third of all adults have insomnia. Some people have difficulty falling asleep, some have difficulty staying asleep, and some have both...

Medical Marijuana: Inhalation vs. Edibles – Why is it so different?
Monday June 22nd, 2009
You have a choice as to how you want to take medical marijuana. You can inhale marijuana either through smoking it or through a vaporizer. Of course the healthier option is the vaporizer as there is no irritating smoke...

Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Medical Marijuana
Saturday June 20th, 2009
Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks are common illnesses affecting many people. How do you know if you have anxiety disorder? Symptoms include excessive and persistent worrying that interferes with everyday functioning...

Fibromyalgia and Medical Marijuana
Saturday June 20th, 2009
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome that is difficult to diagnose and whose cause is unknown. Patients have symptoms of musculoskeletal pain, chronic fatigue, and tender spots in the neck, spine, shoulders and hips...

DEA denies request: Marijuana stuck at schedule 1

The Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis submitted its request to the Drug Enforcement Administration to reschedule marijuana nine years ago.

"They felt as though there was some sort of evidence, there was some sort of scientific evidence, that suggested that marijuana could be used as medicine," says Dawn Dearden, DEA Spokesperson.

At the end of last month, the DEA denied this request-leaving marijuana in the same drug category as heroin. DEA listed marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning it's not considered legitimate for medical use and has high potential for abuse.

"There's like eight factors that we look at, when we look at scheduling a drug. Its potential for abuse, the scientific evidence of any sort of pharmacological affects that it might have, any sort of scientific knowledge regarding whether the drug can be used safely for any sort of medicine or anything like that. The history and pattern of abuse-I mean there's a whole litany of [the factors DEA looks at]," Dearden said.

So in this case, DEA studied marijuana and found it didn't have any medicinal use. The Food and Drug Administration also studied it and determined the same thing.

"There is a high potential for abuse for marijuana. We know that the science isn't there to back it up-that marijuana can be used as medicine. We know that, the FDA has said that and as far as we're concerned, nothing really has changed regarding marijuana's potential for abuse-either before this petition was filed or after it. It's still a Schedule I drug, it's still illegal under federal law," Dearden said.

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