Nurse Investigated for 'Sedition' After Writing Letter to Editor
By E&P Staff. Published: February 11, 2006
editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001995631&imw=Y
NEW YORK Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) has asked Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson for a
thorough inquiry of his agency's investigation into whether a V.A. nurse's letter to the editor criticizing
the Bush administration amounted to "sedition."
Merely opposing government policies and expressing a desire to change course "does not provide
reason to believe that a person is involved in illegal subversive activity," he said. Bingaman said such
investigations raise "a very real possibility of chilling legitimate political speech."
Laura Berg, a clinical nurse specialist for 15 years, wrote a letter in September to a weekly
Albuquerque newspaper criticizing how the administration handled Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq
War. She urged people to "act forcefully" by bringing criminal charges against top administration
officials, including the president, to remove them from power because they played games of "vicious
deceit." She added: "This country needs to get out of Iraq now and return to our original vision
and priorities of caring for land and people and resources rather than killing for oil .... Otherwise, many
more of us will be facing living hell in these times."
The agency seized her office computer and launched an investigation. Berg is not talking to the press,
but reportedly fears losing her job.
Bingaman wrote: "In a democracy, expressing disagreement with the government's actions does not
amount to sedition or insurrection. It is, and must remain, protected speech. Although it may
be permissible to implement restrictions regarding a government employee's political activities during
work hours or on government premises, such employees do not surrender their right to freedom of
speech when they enlist in government service."
He said he wants the matter investigated so V.A. officials will have guidance about handling similar
situations in the future.
Berg signed the letter as a private citizen, and the V.A. had no reason to suspect she used
government resources to write it, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico,
which last week asked the government to apologize to Berg for seizing her computer and
investigating her.
V.A. human resources chief Mel Hooker had said in a Nov. 9 letter that his agency was obligated to
investigate "any act which potentially represents sedition," the ACLU said.
Peter Simonson, executive director of the ACLU of New Mexico, told The Progressive magazine:
"We were shocked to see the word 'sedition' used. Sedition? That's like something out
of the history books."
In a press release, Simonson also said: "Is this government so jealous of its power, so fearful of
dissent, that it needs to threaten people who openly oppose its policies with charges of
'sedition'?" Find this article at:
editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001995631&imw=Y
MAP: Cannabis - Medicinal
news from MAP. Such as ... PUB LTE: National Nurses Group Backs Medical Marijuan. Thu, 09 ...
Marijuana Party Cannabis Cannabis - California Cannabis - Canada Cannabis - Medicinal
Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada ..... visit:
www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm
Legal Medical Marijuana Patients, Proponents Speak Before American Nurses Association
June 17, 1996 - Washington, DC, USA. Activists for medical marijuana, including Barbara Douglas and
Irv Rosenfeld -- two of the eight remaining legal marijuana patients -- and Mary Lynn Mathre, RN of the
cannabis reform organization Patients Out of Time, recently spoke at the Centennial Conference of the
American Nurses Association (ANA) in Washington, D.C. Their presentation, entitled "Therapeutic
Cannabis and the Law: Ethical Dilemma for Nurses," was received "incredibly well" by the numerous health-
care professionals in attendance. Activists note that no members of the ANA mounted any vocal
opposition to the theme of the presentation. Visit:
www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3604
The MarijuanaNews.Com - Original Marijuana Blog
- with Richard Cowan, "Freedom has nothing to fear from the truth"
... No US Jails Allow Medical Cannabis. No Appeals Left ... California Nurses Association -- Representing 30,000 Registered Nurses -- Urges Judge Breyer Not to Wait For Appeals ... visit:
www.marijuananews.com/marijuananews/cowan/medical_cannabis.htm
Ohio Patient Network (OPN)
- is a non-profit coalition of patients, caregivers, activists and medical professionals who support the
compassionate use of cannabis for various medicinal purposes. Their mission is to coordinate
information between patients, medical professionals, and attorneys, as well as to educate the
public. They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit coalition of patients, caregivers, activists and
medical professionals who support the compassionate use of cannabis for various medical
purposes. Contact: Ohio Patient Network, P.O. Box 26353 - Columbus, Ohio 43226-0353
* 1-888-OH-Patient (1-888-647-2843) or visit:
www.ohiopatient.net/newsletter/
Cannabis Buyers Clubs: Articles & Info;
This page is more of historical value considering the events of the past two years. But this is a
glimpse at a moment in time in California ... they'll just be pulling CBC stuff into this page then they
organize it all a bit more as time permits ... Visit:
www.marijuana.org/CBCNews&InfoPage.htm
Supreme Court Rules Feds Can Arrest State-Recognized Medical Cannabis Patients
State Laws Authorizing Physician-Supervised Use Of Marijuana
Unaffected By Ruling. Washington, DC: The US Supreme Court today (6/6/05) reversed a
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision which found that the federal prosecution of patients who
cultivate and possess marijuana for their own medicinal use is an unconstitutional exercise of
Congress' Commerce Clause authority. As a result, the court struck down an injunction barring the
Justice Department from arresting the respondents -- California medical cannabis patients Angel
McClary Raich and Diane Monson -- for violating the federal Controlled Substances Act. Ms.
Raich and Ms. Monson had filed suit in federal court in 2002 seeking to bar the US Justice Department
from taking legal action against them for their state-sanctioned use of medicinal cannabis. visit:
norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6550
Beatty Fires Up Nurses
Carla Marinucci, Political Writer - San Francisco Chronicle, September 23, 2005.
visit: www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/09/23/BAGCVESMKG1.DTL&hw=nurses&sn=001&sc=1000
Actor Warren Beatty, met with thunderous applause and chants of "run, Warren, run" by a crowd of
California nurses,
vowed Thursday he'll continue to criticize Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Republican
governor's "insulting and bullying" attacks against the state's nurses, teachers and firefighters.
"Government is not show business," said Beatty, who was repeatedly interrupted by standing
ovations as the keynote speaker of the California Nurses Association convention, which concludes
today in Oakland." Government by show, by spin, by cosmetics, by photo ops, by fake
events, by fake crowds, that's a mistake.
"Not facing facts is a mistake. ... And I'll tell you another mistake -- going after the nurses. Nurses
save our lives. They take care of us," Beatty said.
The nurses union has been among Schwarzenegger's most vocal critics for much of the year since he
tried to overturn lower patient-staffing ratios at hospitals that had been put in place by former
Democratic Gov. Gray Davis.
They have been joined by other public employee unions opposing the governor's three Nov. 8 special
election measures, which would toughen teacher tenure rules, change the state's budget process and
give retired judges the power to draw election districts.
Nurses and their supporters cheered and waved a sea of "Stop Arnold" signs to greet Beatty at the
speech, which -- after it was suggested he may announce a run for governor -- drew a crowd of
national political and entertainment reporters.
Beatty told reporters, as he has in the past, that this was "not the time for this conversation" but
didn't rule out the possibility of running for governor.
Beatty headlined a program including a "who's who" of the governor's biggest critics -- including Rose
Ann DeMoro, the head of the California Nurses Association; Lou Paulson, president of the California
Professional Firefighters; and Barbara Kerr, president of the California Teachers' Association.
Many nurses in the audience said they were grateful that they had a defender such as Beatty.
"We're honored that a lot of people in the public eye are taking a strong stand, because a year ago, it
wouldn't have been popular to criticize the governor," said Jan Rodolfo of Oakland, an oncology nurse
at Summit Medical Center. "Arnold didn't understand that the public sees this profession as a
public service."
---------------------
Beatty Speach Text: www.calnurse.org/?Action=Content&id=1170
Nursing Association Journal Backs Access to Medical Marijuana
May 2, 2001 - New York, NY, USA. Marijuana is a safe and effective medication and nurses
should support legal access to it, asserts a commentary in the April issue of the American Journal of
Nursing, the official journal of the American Nursing Association (ANA).
"Patients need professional guidance about the safe administration of cannabis, and they need access
to a legal and unadulterated supply," concludes the article, entitled "Therapeutic Cannabis: A patient
advocacy issue." An estimated 2.5 million nurses nationwide receive the publication. Visit:
www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4292
National Nurses Society on Addictions
POSITION PAPER
Access to Therapeutic Cannabis
Seriously ill individuals are suffering because of the prohibitory federal policies which list cannabis
(marijuana) as a Schedule I drug of the Controlled Substances, which means it cannot be used by
patients or prescribed by physicians.
Therapeutic Value
Cannabis has been used medicinally throughout the world for centuries. Cannabis contains more
than 60 cannabinoids which are unique to the cannabis plant, one of which is
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive cannabinoid. However it appears to
be the combination of various cannabinoids which seem to have the greater therapeutic value.
Support for Therapeutic Cannabis
Thirty five states, have recognized marijuana's therapeutic potential and have passed legislation
supporting its value. Therapeutic use of cannabis/marijuana is also supported by several
organizations including the Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics, the American Medical Student
Association, the California Medical Association, Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse (MAMA), the
National Lymphoma Foundation, the National Association of Attorneys General, Patients Out of
Time, Physicians for AIDS care, and the Virginia Nurses
Association. Visit: www.druglibrary.org/olsen/MEDICAL/POT/nnsaposi.html
American Nurses Association Endorses Access to Medical Marijuana
7/3/03 - Nine years of work by Patients Out of Time (www.medicalcannabis.com), a
nonprofit organization devoted to the medical marijuana issue, paid off last week when the American
Nurses Association (ANA) adopted a resolution calling for safe access to medical marijuana for
patients under appropriate doctor's supervision.
The ANA now joins dozens of other health professional organizations, including the National Society
of Nurses on Addiction and the American Public Health Association, in calling for eased access to
medical marijuana.
The measure overwhelmingly adopted by the nurses resolves that the ANA will:
· Support research in controlled investigational trials on the therapeutic efficacy of
marijuana/cannabis, including alternative methods of administration.
· Support the right of patients to have safe access to therapeutic marijuana/cannabis under
appropriate prescriber supervision.
· Support the ability of health care providers to discuss and/or recommend the medicinal use of
marijuana without the threat of intimidation or penalization.
· Support legislation to remove criminal penalties including arrest and imprisonment for bona fide
patients and prescribers of therapeutic marijuana/cannabis.
· Support federal and state legislation to exclude marijuana/ cannabis from classification as a
Schedule I drug.
· Support and encourage the education of registered nurses regarding current, evidence-based
therapeutic use of marijuana/ cannabis.
Visit: stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/294/nursesendorse.shtml for more details.
American Nurses Association backs medical pot
by Pete Brady (07 Jan, 2004)
America's largest nursing group passes resolution supporting med-pot use and research.
Medical marijuana scored a major public health victory in June when the American Nurses Association
(ANA) adopted a resolution calling for research, education and supervised use of medical marijuana.
The ANA is America's largest nursing association; it has hundreds of thousands of members, with chapters in
49 states. Its support of medical marijuana is a direct challenge to drug warriors,
government-funded researchers, and Supreme Court rulings that have asserted that marijuana is a
harmful drug with no medical value.
Passage of the resolution can be directly attributed to the work and vision of one medical marijuana
advocate - registered nurse Mary Lynn Mathre. Visit:
www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3149.html
American Nurses Association Calls for Patient Access
to Medical Cannabis/Marijuana
July 1st, 2003 - Patients Out of Time, represented by the non-profit’s President, Mary Lynn
Mathre, RN, MSN, CARN, testified on Thursday, June 26 at the American Nurses Association's
2003 House of Delegates Meeting. Held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC from
June 24-27, Nurse Mathre had come a long way when she stood and addressed the Delegates. See more at:
www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=727
Scottish NURSES SET TO BACK USE OF CANNABIS
Nurses are joining the fight to get cannabis products prescribed for patients
A motion calling for patients to be prescribed the drugs has been put forward by the Royal College
of Nursing’s Pain Forum and will be debated at the RCN’s annual conference in Bournemouth this
week.
The move follows concern that people with conditions such as multiple sclerosis and cancer
are not getting adequate pain relief from traditional treatments.
Celia Manson, an RCN adviser, said nurses were concerned about the restrictions on current
cannabis-derived products which could benefit so many people. "Few doctors are able to
prescribe them at the moment. Nurses from the Pain Forum feel there is potential for much
greater use and these should at the very least be investigated."
Last year at its annual conference the British Medical Association voted for cannabis derivatives to be
legalised for medical purposes. The BMA drew up a report which showed cannabinoids had
potential for therapeutic use in a number of conditions including MS, spinal chord injury, stroke and
spastic disorders. Visit:
www.marijuananews.com/marijuananews/cowan/scottish_nurses_to_back_medical_.htm
NURSES Support MEDICAL MARIJUANA
It is difficult for nurses to remain silent when patients are denied access to an effective medical
treatment. That is why the Wisconsin Nurses Association supports the medical
marijuana bill authored by Rep. Gregg Underheim (R-Oshkosh), known as AB 740.
In taking this position, we are squarely in the mainstream of the public health community. The
American Nurses Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American
Public Health Association and the American Academy of HIV Medicine are just a few of the
health care organizations that have acknowledged that marijuana can be a valuable treatment when
used under medical supervision. See list, below, for more.
A large body of evidence indicates that marijuana can relieve a number of debilitating symptoms,
including nausea, vomiting, certain types of pain and the pressure inside the eye that robs glaucoma
patients of their sight. Moreover, it can do so with remarkable safety.
Unfortunately, the issue has become shrouded in fear and myth. Exaggerated claims and
scientific misunderstandings have tended to overshadow facts and common sense.
For example, we are sometimes warned that marijuana is "addictive." In fact, only a very
small percentage of marijuana users ever become dependent - a much smaller percentage than is
seen with alcohol or tobacco.
Under proper medical supervision, drugs that are far more addictive and dangerous than marijuana
are used beneficially by hundreds of thousands of patients every day. And unlike a great many
drugs used for either medical or recreational purposes, marijuana has never caused a fatal overdose.
Contrary to claims sometimes made by opponents, marijuana can provide relief in a number of
instances where conventional drugs fail or have unacceptable side effects. A great deal of
research has shown that marijuana relieves pain through different mechanisms than conventional
pain drugs, including opioids, and can provide relief when these drugs fail.
Particularly encouraging results have come from recent studies involving pain associated with multiple
sclerosis well as peripheral neuropathy, an extremely painful condition that afflicts HIV/AIDS patients
and others.
It is true that a pill is available containing THC, the component most responsible for marijuana's
"high." But research has shown that other components of the plant - called cannabinoids - play
an important role in marijuana's therapeutic benefit and may even help to reduce the unwanted side
effects of THC.
Just as important, the pill takes one to two hours to work and is absorbed slowly and unevenly. That
is why the journal The Lancet Neurology has called oral dosing "the least satisfactory" way to
administer cannabinoids. Patients report that the pill makes them too "stoned" to function,
while with natural marijuana they can adjust the dose to provide relief without excessive
intoxication. The Institute of Medicine, in a 1999 report commissioned by the White House,
made the same point.
Some fear that allowing medical use of marijuana sends the wrong message, encouraging teens to
experiment with it. But government-sponsored surveys have consistently shown that teen
marijuana use has declined, not increased, in states with medical marijuana laws.
In reality, lying to children and teens about a drug's value and risks sends the wrong
message. Young people should be taught that all drugs and medicines present risks and that
medicine should only be taken under a provider's supervision when the patient is sick.
There is no reason to be frightened of medical marijuana. This is a drug with nearly 5,000 years
of recorded medical use and that has been widely used therapeutically throughout the world. It
is safer than many medicines Americans take every day.
There is simply no reason to arrest and jail patients battling cancer, MS, AIDS or other terrible
illnesses for using marijuana with the recommendation of their health care providers.
Our Legislature should move swiftly to pass AB 740, and Gov. Jim Doyle should sign it into law.
Author: Gina Dennik-Champion
Note: Gina Dennik-Champion is a registered nurse and executive director of the Wisconsin Nurses
Association.
Pubdate: Sat, 10 Dec 2005
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Website: www.jsonline.com
Cited: www.legis.state.wi.us/2005/data/AB740hst.html
Bookmark: www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: www.mapinc.org/people/Gregg+Underheim
Newshawk: Is My Medicine Legal YET? www.immly.org
Nurses stand up for patients
Regarding the two letters saluting nurses and noting that May 6-12 is National Nurses Week,
"Nurses assure public health" and "Thank nurses for their care" (May 6), I would like to take a
moment to offer my thanks and appreciation to the nursing profession and state nurses
organizations.
In 1999, both the Wisconsin Nurses Association (WNA) and the Wisconsin Public Health Association
(WPHA) passed resolutions supporting giving patients legal access to medical marijuana and both
urging, "the Governor of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Legislature to move expeditiously to make
cannabis available as a legally prescribed medicine where shown to be safe and effective."
When Wisconsin lawmakers introduced a medical marijuana bill in late 2001, the WNA issued a press
release stating "It is the position of the WNA that advocacy for this issue needs to occur, and that it
is difficult for RN's to remain silent while seriously ill patients are denied access to an effective medical
treatment." Visit:
www.mpp.org/WI/news_4147.html,
www.wisinfo.com/dailytribune/wrdtopinion/278411088499467.shtml
and: www.mpp.org/WI/news_4208.html
New Jersey Nurses For Medical Cannabis
In 2003 NJSNA passed a resolution on Therapeutic Marijuana/Cannabis, which encourages the
education of registered nurses regarding current, evidence-based therapeutic use of
marijuana/cannabis.
Also, the hard copy of "New Jersey Nurse" (Jan./Feb. 2006 edition) which just came out today, had a
nice article on the Fourth National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics entitled, "Patients 4
for 4; Federal Government Zero." The article had my by-line, but basically I just copied and pasted
info from Patients Out of Time, inc. this quote: "The accreditation of our educational work by the
University of California San Francisco's Office of Continuing Medical Education, the hosting of the
forum by the Santa Barbara City College, coupled with the co-sponsorship of the California Nurses
Association has ensured that the federal government's claim that cannabis has no medicinal value
will again be completely rebutted."
Actually, our resolution passed in 2002 and it did more than encourage education. The resolution
recognized the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana and it urged the governor and state
legislators to expeditiously pass a medical marijuana bill into law.
Ken Wolski, RN, MPA
Executive Director
Coalition for Medical Marijuana--New Jersey
844 Spruce St.
Trenton, NJ 08648
609.394.2137
www.cmmnj.org
Illinois Nursing Association Unanimously Backs Patient Access To Medicinal Cannabis
Chicago, IL: The Illinois Nursing Association (INA) supports the use of medical marijuana by qualified
patients, and is calling upon Congress to reclassify cannabis so that doctors may prescribe it,
according to a resolution passed unanimously by the organization earlier this month.
"It is the position of the Illinois Nurses Association to: Support the right of patients to have safe
access to therapeutic cannabis under appropriate prescriber supervision; ... [to] support legislation to
remove criminal penalties including arrest and imprisonment for bonafide patients and prescribers of
therapeutic cannabis; [and to] support federal and state legislation to include cannabis classification
as a Schedule III [non-prohibited] drug," the INA resolution states.” Visit:
www.cannabisculture.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=wwwmedical&Number=1012163&Main=1011017
Illinois Nurses Back Medical Marijuana Bill
INA Joins Legislator Living with AIDS in Drive to Protect Patients
FEBRUARY 3, 2005 - SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS -- The 6,000-member Illinois Nurses Association (INA)
has lent its support to legislation introduced by Rep. Larry McKeon (D-Chicago) to permit seriously ill
patients to use and possess medical marijuana with their doctor's recommendation, without fear of
arrest or jail under Illinois state law. The bill, HB 0407, has been referred to the Human
Services Committee. Visit:
www.mpp.org/releases/nr20050203.html
Illinois Nurses Join Growing List of Nursing Groups Supporting Medical Marijuana
12/24/04 - The Illinois Nurses Association (INA) has joined at least a dozen state nursing associations and the
American Nursing Association in endorsing the use of marijuana as a medicine. In a position paper
submitted by the INA's Assembly on Health Policy on November 23, adopted unanimously by Board of Directors,
and now prominently displayed on the group's web site (www.illinoisnurses.org), the INA
declared that it is the position of the Illinois Nurses Association to:
· Support continued research in controlled investigational trials on the therapeutic efficacy of
cannabis, including methods of administration.
· Support the right of patients to have safe access to therapeutic cannabis under appropriate
prescriber supervision.
· Support and encourage the education of registered nurses regarding current, evidence based
use of therapeutic cannabis.
· Support the ability of health care providers to discuss and/or recommend the therapeutic use
of cannabis without the threat of intimidation or penalization.
· Support legislation to remove criminal penalties including arrest and imprisonment for bona fide
patients and prescribers of therapeutic cannabis.
· Support federal and state legislation to include cannabis classification as a Schedule III drug.
Visit: stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/368/ina.shtml for more.
New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) Position Statement on Medical Marijuana
The intent of this position is to acknowledge the role of nurses to advocate for patient access to
marijuana for medical purposes and support legislation that would legalize medical marijuana for
symptom relief uncontrolled by conventional therapies.
Position
The New York State Nurses Association:
· Endorses the American Nurses Association Resolution (ANA, 2003) and Virginia State Nurses
Association Resolution Regarding Safe Access to Therapeutic Marijuana and Legalization of
Marijuana for Medical Purposes (VNA, 1995).
· Supports legislative efforts in New York State that would amend Article 33 of Public Health Law
and allow the use of marijuana for certified patients.
· Endorses the use of marijuana for serious and life-threatening medical conditions as defined by
proposed New York state legislation.
Visit: www.nysna.org/programs/nai/practice/positions/position30.htm for details.
Medical Marijuana: Virginia Nurses Association Reiterates Its Support
9/9/05 - The Virginia Nurses Association the first in the
country to come out in favor of medical marijuana, has reconfirmed its support for therapeutic
cannabis and called for immediate legislation to legalize its medicinal use. Representing
some 80,000 Virginia nurses, the association declared last week that it "will continue" to seek the
regularization of medical marijuana as a therapeutic substance.
"The Virginia Nurses Association will continue to support legislation that would legalize the medically
prescribed use of cannabis/marijuana for the purpose of relieving pain and distressful symptoms of
acute, chronic, or incurable illness," the group
proclaimed. Visit: stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/402/vna.shtml
Virginia Nurses Again Demand Medical Cannabis
(PRWEB) September 3, 2005 -- The Virginia Nurses Association, representing some 80,000 nurses,
have recently reconfirmed their support for Medical Cannabis and are continuing their support for
immediate legislation legalizing its medical use.
The Virginia Nurses Association (VNA), at their October 2004 VNA Delegate Assembly,
resolved that:
"The Virginia Nurses Association will continue to support legislation that would legalize the medically
prescribed use of cannabis/Marijuana for the purpose of relieving pain and distressful symptoms of
acute, chronic, or incurable illness." Visit:
ccguide.org.uk/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=10274
and www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/9/emw279873.htm
and www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread21083.shtml
and www.medicalcannabis.com/press/pr_Aug_2005.htm
and www.prweb.com/releases/2005/9/prweb279873.htm
and www.hempevolution.org/media/prweb/prw050904.htm
and on various forum and chat rooms like -
boards.marihemp.com/boards/msg22x141588.shtml
California Nurses Association
CNA leaders writing as representatives of 30,000 registered nurses and members of the medical
community in support of the Oakland Cannabis Buyer’s Cooperative’s efforts to alleviate the
unnecessary suffering and needless pain of patients who meet the medical necessity standard to
receive medical cannabis.
The recent decision to allow distribution of cannabis to patients who fit the medical necessity
standard, as outlined by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, is appropriate. Many, many studies
support the use of medical cannabis to control the side effects of chemotherapy as well as for
specific illnesses such as glaucoma. To deny a patient’s use of any drug that allows them relief
from the ravages of illness would be
immoral. Visit: www.marijuana.org/CNA10-21-99.htm
California Nurses Association
Shaping Tomorrow's Health Care
September 21, 1995 - The California Nurses Association supports AB 1529 (Vasconcellos) which
would eliminate California's prohibition against possessing marijuana or growing marijuana for
individuals using marijuana for medical purposes.
Many patients suffering from and receiving treatment for cancer, AIDS, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis
receive relief from using marijuana. Marijuana helps patients with nausea, vomiting and muscle spasms
where other medications are not effective. Currently, these patients must break the law to use marijuana
to relieve their symptoms. This measure is a compassionate alternative for patients suffering from these
diseases to obtain relief. Visit:
www.freehomepages.com/oregonmedpot/nurse4.htm
Medical Use of Marihuana
Health Canada grants access to marihuana for medical use to those who are suffering
from grave and debilitating illnesses. It is important to note that the
Marihuana Medical Access Regulations
deal exclusively with the medical use of marihuana. They do not address the issue of legalizing
marihuana for general consumption. To learn more about the Regulations and any recent
changes, please view the page devoted exclusively to
Acts and Regulations. This
information is pertinent to applicants and stakeholders, such as health professionals and law
enforcement agencies. Visit:
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/index_e.html
INFO - Fact Sheets On Medical Marijuana, by The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA). DPA is
the leading organization in the United States promoting alternatives to the war on drugs. On July 1,
2000, The Lindesmith Center merged with the Drug Policy Foundation to form the Alliance. Created
in 1994, The Lindesmith Center was the first U.S. project of the Open Society Institute and the
leading independent drug policy reform institute in the United States. The Drug Policy Foundation,
founded in 1987, was the principal membership-based drug policy reform organization in the U.S.
The Drug Policy Alliance now has offices in four states and Washington, D.C., and claims more than
25,000 members. Visit:
www.drugpolicy.org/library/factsheets/index.cfm?keywordID=925
SIMM (Stichting Institute of Medical Marijuana) was launched in The Netherlands in
1993. SIMM offers the highest quality of organically-grown medical cannabis on the market
today. Since 1993, they have provided superior cannabis to patients, physicians, pharmacists
and researchers. Their Mission is to make medical cannabis a normal herbal medicine, a
medicine that is prescribed by doctors and obtained at the pharmacies and paid for by insurance
companies. Just as other herbal remedies are treated in the pharmaceutical field. Visit:
www.medicalcannabis.org
NEWs, INFO, Links - MEDICAL MARIJUANA DOCTORS AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS - as of
2002
... psychiatrist and noted proponent of medical cannabis; Dr. Stephen Ellis, who ... Older
Americans. California Medical Association. California Nurses
Association. California Pharmacists .... visit:
www.utopiasprings.com/medmjdoc.htm
ACT, Legis (Org) South Dakotans for Safe Access (SDSA)
* They plan to put the issue of medical use of cannabis to South Dakota voters in the November
2006 general election. ”The time has come ... The need is here.” Contact: Bob Newland, Director, South Dakotans for Safe Access, HC 89 Box 184A, Hermosa SD 57744 * phone: 605-255-4032 or visit:
www.hemphasis.net/safeaccess.htm
Why should You donate to SDSA?
Because they'll do good things with your money. You probably get letters regularly,
asking for some of your money so someone else can do good things with it. SDSA gets them
frequently. Sometimes they send some money.
They want you to try to imagine that you are constantly, or at least frequently, under assault by the
worst pain or nausea you've ever experienced.
Imagine that no prescription medicine will alleviate your discomfort (or that the medicine that does
destroys your liver or costs as much as a new car every year).
Then, imagine that you know of a naturally-occurring herb that will take the pain or nausea away, or
at least reduce it to a tolerable level, with no bad side effects.
Then imagine that your local politicians will put you in jail if you try to obtain some of this
medicine. Visit:
www.sodaksafeaccess.org/goodthings.htm
for more about how you can help.
Oregon's Nursing Leadership Leaves patients Out in the Cold - Rally to welcome the Oregon Nurses Association to Convention!
Thursday, April 7, 2005 - All patients who want to make some progress for medical cannabis
in Oregon should attempt to be at the ONA convention to help educate the nurses about an
issue that they have been dragging their feet on. Real patients providing
information will go a long way toward educating these medical professionals. We urge you to
contact Nurse Ed and be there to educate and help gain the support of this important segment of the
medical profession. The info is below.
Nurse Ed Glick is asking for help educating the Oregon Nurses Association about the real needs of
medical marijuana patients. In the past we have found the nurses, one-on-one, to be very
reasonable. MAMA arranged for Elvy Musikka to be there a few years back and the nurses were
very interested in her story, but they still won't take a position to support access to medial
marijuana. Visit:
mercycenters.org/events/Conf_ONA.htm
Health Organization's Endorsements
Opponents of medical marijuana law reform often argue that few or no health authorities
recognize cannabis as a legitimate therapeutic agent. Most recently, this notion was
repeated by DEA Director Asa Hutchinson, who stated, "We all have sympathy for folks that
need medication, but we have to listen to the scientific and medical community, and they're
saying that marijuana has no legitimate medical purpose." This contention, however, is
altogether untrue. In reality, numerous health and medical organizations from both the
United States and abroad support the use of marijuana as a medicine. The following list
is a sampling of the various health and scientific organizations that back patient access
to medical marijuana. It is intended to provide a cross-section of the medical community's
broad support for medical cannabis, and present a referenced, fact-based response to those
who claim otherwise. As the medical cannabis issue continues to stimulate political debate,
reformers and legislators need to consider the positions of the medical community to better
make informed policy decisions regarding the medical use of marijuana.
Health Organizations Supporting Immediate Legal Access to Medical Marijuana
Organizations Supporting Access to Therapeutic Cannabis
AIDS Action Council - 1996
*Alaska Nurses Association - 1998
Alaska Voters - 1998
Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics - 1981
+American Academy of Family Physicians - 1989, 1995
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
American Medical Students Association - 1993
+*American Nurses Association - 2003
*American Preventive Medical Association - 1997
+*American Public Health Association (APHA) - 1995
Arizona Voters - 1996 & 1998
+Association of Nurses in AIDS Care - 1999
Berkeley, CA - 1979
Breckenridge, CO - 1994
Burlington, VT - 1994
California Academy of Family Physicians - 1996
California Democratic Party - 1993
California Legislative Council for Older Americans - 1993
+California Medical Association - 1994
California Nurses Association - 1995
California-Pacific Annual Conference of the
United Methodist Church - 1996
California Pharmacists Association - 1997
California Voters - 1996
Cannabis Freedom Fund - 1996
Colorado Voters - 2000
*Colorado Nurses Association - 1995
*+Connecticut Nurses Association - 2004
Contigo-Conmigo - 1997
Consumer Reports Magazine - 1997
Crescent Alliance Self Help for Sickle Cell - 1999
Cure AIDS now - 1991
District of Columbia Voters - 1999
+Episcopal Church of the U.S. - 1982
Farmacy - 1999
Federation of American Scientists - 1994
Florida Governor’s Red Ribbon Panel on AIDS - 1993
Florida Medical Association - 1997
Frisco, CO - 1994
Green Party - 1998
Hawaii Kokua Council of Senior Citizens - 2000
*Hawaii Legislature - 2000
*Hawaii Nurses Association - 1999
*Illinois Nurses Association - 2005
Institute of Medicine - 1982 & 1999
International Cannabis Alliance of Researchers and
Educators (I-CARE) - 1992
Iowa Civil Liberties Union
Iowa Democratic Party - 1994 & 2000
Kaiser Permanente - 1997
Lancet - 1997
Life Extension Foundation - 1997
Libertarian Party - 1999
Los Angeles County AIDS Commission - 1996
Lymphoma Foundation of America - 1997
Madison, WI - 1993, 2004
Maine AIDS Alliance - 1997
Maine Voters - 1999
Marin County, CA - 1993
+Medical Society of the State of New York - 2004
Minnesota Democratic Farm-Labor Party - 1992
*Mississippi Nurses Association - 1995
Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse (MAMA) -1992
Multiple Sclerosis California Action Network (MS-CAN) - 1996
National Association for Public Health Policy - 1998
National Association of Attorneys General - 1983
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
National Association of People with AIDS - 1992
*National Nurses Society on Addictions (NNSA) - 1995
Nevada Voters - 1998
New England Journal of Medicine - 1997
New Jersey Nurses Association - 2002
New Mexico Medical Society - 2001
*New Mexico Nurses Association - 1997
*New York State Nurses Association - 1995
*North Carolina Nurses Association - 1996
Oak Creek, CO - 2005
Oakland, California - 1998
Oregon Voters - 1998
Oregon Green Party - 2001
Oregon Democratic Party - 1998
Patients Out of Time - 1995
Physicians Association for AIDS Care
Physicians for Social Responsibility (Oregon) - 1998
Progressive National Baptist Convention - 2004
Republican Liberty Caucus National Committee - 1999
San Diego, CA - 1994
San Francisco, CA - 1992
San Francisco Medical Society - 1996
Santa Cruz County, CA - 1993
+Texas Democratic Convention - 2004
Texas Nurses Association -2005
Unitarian Universalist Association - 2004
United Methodist Church - 2004
*Virginia Nurses Association - 1994, 2004
*Virginia Nurses Society on Addictions - 1993
*Washington Hemp Education Network - 1999
Washington Democratic Party - 1998 & 2000
Washington Voters - 1998
Wisconsin Democratic Party - 1997
Wisconsin Public Health Association - 1999
Wisconsin Nurses Association - 1999
International and National Organizations.
See: www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3390
AIDS Action Council
AIDS Treatment News
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Medical Student Association
American Nurses Association
American Preventive Medical Association
American Public Health Association
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Arthritis Research Campaign (United Kingdom)
Australian Medical Association (New South Wales) Limited
Australian National Task Force on Cannabis
Belgian Ministry of Health
British House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology
British House of Lords Select Committee On Science and Technology (Second Report)
British Medical Association
Dr. Dean Edell (surgeon and nationally syndicated radio host)
French Ministry of Health
Health Canada
Kaiser Permanente
Lymphoma Foundation of America
Multiple Sclerosis Society (Canada)
National Academy of Sciences Institute Of Medicine (IOM)
National Association for Public Health Policy
National Nurses Society on Addictions
Netherlands Ministry of Health
New England Journal of Medicine
New South Wales (Australia) Parliamentary Working Party on the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes
Dr. Andrew Weil (nationally recognized professor of internal medicine and founder of the National Integrative Medicine Council)
State and Local Organizations
Alaska Nurses Association
Being Alive: People With HIV/AIDS Action Committee (San Diego, CA)
California Academy of Family Physicians
California Nurses Association
California Pharmacists Association
Colorado Nurses Association
Florida Governor's Red Ribbon Panel on AIDS
Florida Medical Association
Hawaii Nurses Association
Mississippi Nurses Association
New Jersey State Nurses Association
New Mexico Medical Society
New Mexico Nurses Association
New York State Nurses Association
North Carolina Nurses Association
San Francisco Mayor's Summit on AIDS and HIV
San Francisco Medical Society
Virginia Nurses Association
Life Extension Foundation
Whitman-Walker Clinic (Washington, DC)
Wisconsin Nurses Association
Organizations Supporting Research into Therapeutic Cannabis
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry - 2000
+American Academy of Family Physicians - 1977
American Cancer Society - 1997
+*American Nurses Association - 2003
*American Nurses Association, Congress of Nursing Practice - 1996
American Society of Addiction Medicine - 2000
+Association of Nurses in AIDS Care - 1999
California Medical Association - 1997
California Society of Addiction Medicine - 1997
+*Connecticut Nurses Association - 2004
+Council of Health Organizations - 1971
Federation of American Scientists - 1995
+Medical Society of the State of New York - 2004
National Institute of Health Workshop
on the Medical Utility of Marijuana -1997
+Northern New England Psychiatric Society
+Texas Democratic Convention - 2--4
Wisconsin State Medical Society - 1998
Women of Reform Judaism - 2000
Other Health Organizations Supporting Medical Marijuana Research
International and National Organizations
American Cancer Society
American Medical Association
British Medical Journal
California Medical Association
California Society on Addiction Medicine
Congress of Nursing Practice
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
National Institutes of Health (NIH)Workshop on the Medical Utility ofMarijuana
Wisconsin State Medical Society
Organizations for NO Criminal Penalty for Therapeutic Cannabis use.
AIDS Organizations.
The following organizations are signatories to a February 17, 1999 letter to the US Department of Health petitioning the federal government to "make marijuana legally available … to people living with AIDS."
AIDS Action Council
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
AIDS National Interfaith Network (Washington, DC)
AIDS Project Arizona
AIDS Project Los Angeles
Being Alive: People with HIV/AIDS Action Committee (San Diego, CA)
Boulder County AIDS Project (Boulder, CO)
Colorado AIDS Project
Center for AIDS Services (Oakland, CA)
Health Force: Women and Men Against AIDS (New York, NY)
Latino Commission on AIDS
Mobilization Against AIDS (San Francisco, CA)
Mothers Voices to End AIDS (New York, NY)
National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender Association
National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
Northwest AIDS Foundation
People of Color Against AIDS Network (Seattle, WA)
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Whitman-Walker Clinic (Washington, DC)
Other Health Organizations
The following organizations are signatories to a June 2001 letter to the US Department of Health petitioning the federal government to "allow people suffering from serious illnesses … to apply to the federal government for special permission to use marijuana to treat their symptoms."
Addiction Treatment Alternatives
AIDS Treatment Initiatives (Atlanta, GA)
American Public Health Association
American Preventive Medical Association
Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights (San Francisco, CA)
California Legislative Council for Older Americans
California Nurses Association
California Pharmacists Association
Embrace Life (Santa Cruz, CA)
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
Hawaii Nurses Association
Hepatitis C Action and Advisory Coalition
Life Extension Foundation
Maine AIDS Alliance
Minnesota Nurses Association
Mississippi Nurses Association
National Association of People with AIDS
National Association for Public Health Policy
National Women's Health Network
Nebraska AIDS Project
New Mexico Nurses Association
New York City AIDS Housing Network
New York State Nurses Association
Ohio Patient Network
Okaloosa AIDS Support and Information Services (Fort Walton, FL)
Physicians for Social Responsibility - Oregon
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
Virginia Nurses Association
Wisconsin Nurses Association
Groups opposed to the deliberately vicious and brutal raids on sick and dying for such crimes
as appearing on TV in support of Medical Cannabis.
Amherst, MA - 2000
Alaska Medical Association - 1972
+American Academy of Family Physicians - 1977
American Bar Association - 1977
American Medical Association - 1977
+*American Nurses Association - 2003
+American Public Health Association - 1971
American Social Health Association - 1974
+Association of Nurses in AIDS Care - 1999
+Berkeley, CA - 1972
B’nai B’rith Women - 1974
Central Conference of American Rabbis - 1973
+*Connecticut Nurses Association - 2004
+Council of Health Organizations - 1971
District of Columbia Medical Society - 1973
+Episcopal Church of the US - 1973
Episcopal Diocese of New York - 1975
Gray Panthers - 1975
Illinois Bar Association - 1974
Lutheran Student Movement - 1975
Massachusetts Bar Association - 1974
National Association for Mental Health - 1972
National Association of Social Workers - 1975
National Council of Churches - 1973
National Education Association - 1978
New York Bar Association - 1974
+Northern New England Psychiatric Society
Southern California Psychiatric Society - 1979
+Texas Democratic Convention - 2004
United Methodists - 1976
+Unitarian Universalist Association - 1970, 2002
Vermont Bar Association - 1974
+Washington Democratic Party - 2000
Non-U.S. Organizations
Arachnoiditis Trust, UK - 2000
Australian National Task Force on Cannabis - 1994
Australian Medical Association (New South Wales) Limited - 1999
British Medical Association - 1997
Bundesverband Poliomyelitis (Federal Union for Polio),
Germany - 1998
Canadian AIDS Society - 2004
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police - 2001
Canadian Medical Association - 2001
Canadian Medical Association Journal - 2001
Canadian Medical Journal - 2001
Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe
(German AIDS Support Organization) - 1998
Deutsche Epilepsievereinigung
(German Association for Epilepsy) -1998
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Algesiologie
(German Society for Algesiology) -1998
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Drogen-und Suchtmedizin
(German Society for Drug and Addiction Medicine) -1998
Deutsche Gesellschaft niedergelassener Ärzte zur
Versorgung HIV - 1998
French Ministry of Health - 1997
Health Canada - 1997
House of Lords (UK) Select Committee on Science and Technology - 1999
Infizierter
(German Working Group for Therapists of the HIV infected) -1999
International Association for Cannabis as Medicine - 2000
Legalise Cannabis Alliance - 2000
New South Wales (Australia) Parliamentary Working Party on
the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes - 2000
Lancet (UK) - 1995, 1998
Medical Association of Jamaica - 2001
Medical Cannabis Research Foundation (UK) - 2000
National Commission on Ganja, Jamaica - 2001
National Council on Drug Abuse, Jamaica - 2001
Preventive Medical Center, Netherlands - 1993
Schmerztherapeutisches Kolloquium (Society for Pain
Therapists) Germany - 1998
Stichting Institute of Medical Marijuana (SIMM), Netherlands - 1993
United Church of Jamaica and Cayman Islands - 2000
* Source(s) >> Patients Out of Time; visit:
www.medicalcannabis.com/Grouplist.htm
and >> Minnesota chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws, visit: www.normlmn.com/medicalEndorsements.htm
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Information on Action
Text of The Petition
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