Cannabis Health Issue #5 July/August 2003 (Article) The early parts of my career involved shows of my original paintings and other artwork in Ontario and later in BC. After moving to the Gibsons BC in 1987, I started &BEYOND GRAPHIX&, painting ... ... go there IACM - The International Association for Cannabis as Medicine ... go there Cannabis Classifieds. NOTE: In the GW Pharmaceuticals ... the bubble of the cannabis movement and my life ...

“… recent work done in Virginia by a brilliant young scientist, Melisa Wallace, conclusively demonstrates that THC also reduces the likelihood of seizures: The most famous patient with seizures who uses cannabis is probably Valerie Corral of the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana: ”

and more at: http://cannabishealth.com/issue_05/issue_05.html

Hempology 101 Textbook, Chapter4. A history of medicinal marijanna, cannabis culture, prohabition and the industry of hemp. (Article) “The use of cannabis to treat this ailment has been known for millennium, in some parts of the world, though it's therapeutic use has been ignored almost completely in current Western medical literature. Although not all epileptics are cured using cannabis, with some patients showing no improvement at all, quite a few do completely stop having seizures with a relatively small prescription of marijuana. Some have dramatic decreases in the regularity, insensity or both, of their seizures. This is definitely one area of research which needs much, much more investigation, particularly if one looks into the ancient spiritual mysticism which surrounds those having epileptic attacks.” And more at: http://www.hempology.com/textbook/ch4.html

Seizures & Cannabis (Article, testimonial) I am a 35-year-old male, a homeowner and married with no children. I work in insurance as a day job, but my real pursuits are music, writing and cannabis activism. I use cannabis to prevent epileptic seizures.

I have experienced occasional seizures since I was a teenager in the 1970’s. I have never sought treatment by a physician because of the severity of the treatment my father was receiving for the same disorder. My father’s daily course of Phenobarbital is a standard treatment for seizure disorder. Because this narcotic is toxic and addictive and deadens the nervous system, I opted to take my chances with seizures, instead.

I remember my mother concurring with my decision not to report my seizures to a doctor. There are a lot of negative consequences to consider such as the social stigmatization, driving restrictions, lack of availability of insurance not to mention the dangerous drugs the doctor would prescribe. We decided to take a "wait and see" attitude to find out if the seizures would become too big of a problem, as they eventually had with my father. I experienced more seizures but kept them secret when possible, even from my parents. I inadvertently began to medicate myself when I started smoking cannabis recreationally in 1980. During the following eight years of heavy cannabis use, I didn’t experience a single seizure. In 1988-89 I abstained from cannabis use for six months as a result of a drug arrest for cannabis delivery and the seizures returned. For more info visit: http://www.rxmarijuana.com/shared_comments/seizures.htm

Grubor v. Pennsylvania - February 1995 (Article, testimony) This case involves the bona fide medical use of a controlled substance for a life threatening medical necessity. After having bloody nocturnal Epileptic seizures for almost five years, the PETITIONER (Defendant) began using the only substance that could stop his seizures, Cannabis. Defendant was treated with Dilantin and other drugs by three Neurologists for 4 1/2 years, but the conventional drugs prescribed by the Physicians did not stop the Defendant's bloody nocturnal episodes. In 1986, Defendant read in the medical literature that Cannabis ("Marijuana" in Spanish) was known to be the only substance to actually "stop" Epileptic seizures. Defendant was in fear of death from his nocturnal Epileptic seizures for two reasons. The first was the possibility of ending a seizure "on his back" and thereby suffocating on the "swallowing of the tongue" effect. But he was also fearing death from "drowning on his own blood." On many a morning, Defendant woke up with blood all over his pillow and sheets. His tongue was severely bitten into on both sides and the taste of blood would last for days. Sometimes it would take weeks for the tongue to heal and the pain resulting from the back spasms during the seizures would last for months.

Because Defendant had no other legal alternative, he began using Cannabis for his life threatening medical necessity in 1986. His actions were and continue to be justified under the criteria set forth in section 503 of the Crimes Code. Defendant has had no seizures for nine years and his termination of the use of the controlled substance is not Medically indicated. Visit: http://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/medical/grubor00.html

Marihemp: Medical: Cannabis vs Dilantin. Safety Ratio. WoDs, etc. (Article, testimonial) [snipped]

I've seen TV shows where patients who have a severe problem with seizures have their two brain hemispheres surgically separated to stop their seizures. (I think I actually saw one case where the doctor removed one full half of one patients brain, as a "cure" to stop the patient's seizures. OUCH!)

[IF I had bad seizures, I would MUCH prefer to use Cannabis to stop my seizures rather than have some doc slice and dice me. However, I suspect that because of our War on Drugs, these severe seizure patients never get a chance to try cannabis to see if it can stop their seizures before their docs slice up their brains....]

In the other hand, I've read that the full suite of Cannabinoids from the Cannabis Plant perform together as the World's most effective anti-seizure "agent" or combination. Also, this herbal extract blend of Cannabinoids is a very safe and effective anti-depressant medicine, from what I have read. [snip]

For the rest, visit: http://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/msg3x2947.shtml

A CRIMINAL -- FOR TURNING TO CANNABIS WHEN MEDICINE FAILED TO HELP EPILEPSY

(Article, testimonial) It's a debate which has rumbled on for years. Now the controversy about legalising cannabis has reared its head again through comments from various MPs circulating in the national media. So what do people in Peterborough think?

Epileptic Marcus Davies spends thousands of pounds on drugs to ease his fits each year. But he doesn't buy them over the counter -- and he currently has four convictions for cultivating, supplying and possessing the drug. Each time he's appeared before magistrates. And each time he's been fined.

Marcus ( 34 ), of Parnwell, Peterborough, is a qualified electronics designer. Yet, in the eyes of the law, he's a criminal.

For the last 16 years, Marcus has been unable to work fulltime because of his epileptic fits. He says all legal medicines failed to work effectively for him, and he spent five years wasting away, suffering from both illness and treatment.

So, in 1988, he tried cannabis. And he claims it changed his life. He had previously been having epileptic seizures every day. "These seizures rendered me useless," he said. "I use to pray that seizures occurred in the late evening, which gave me the night to recover, and during the following day I could behave as a normal person. I have scarring of the tongue and many scars of the limbs damaged during seizures. I smoke cannabis for medicinal purposes.When I don't smoke it, I have convulsions."

Marcus has smoked cannabis medicinally for 13 years, and has welcomed the latest debate on the issue. "This is most definitely a step forward," he said.

Mr Davies estimates he spends about UKP 5,500 a year on the drug which he buys from several dealers in the city.He has little time for dealers, but knows it's the only place he can get the drug. "The people I buy it from know my views on them very well, but they also like my money. Throughout the country that's millions of pounds going to the wrong people," he said. "Cannabis should be brought out into the open.People like myself do not want to be gangsters dealing with the underworld. When I want to smoke a joint, I'll smoke one -- as long as I'm not offending anybody else.But I feel like a criminal, and I don't want to."

Marcus says that within an hour of smoking cannabis for the first time, he felt better than he had for the previous five years. He says he has had only about eight seizures in 13 years of smoking cannabis.

While living in Lancashire, his home was searched by police and for the following six days he stopped taking cannabis. He says he had seizures every hour and was admitted to hospital. "After a brief discussion with the doctor about my case history I was unofficially advised to keep taking the cannabis medicine and keep my head down and my mouth shut. Until now, this is what I've done," he said.

Although epilepsy is the main reason for taking cannabis, he also believes it relieved pain when he had laser therapy on his eye -- treatment made necessary by his diabetes. "Cannabis is very effective at encouraging me to eat at regular times," he added. "This phenomena, known as the munchies, must be extremely useful in the treatment of patients with wasting diseases, and has proved to stimulate my appetite often."

Marcus is a representative of Legalise Cannabis Alliance in Peterborough, and has his own website telling his story. He says the only reason that cannabis leads to other drugs is through the pushers. "Being illegal is the only thing that causes it to lead on to other drugs.You have to purchase it from somebody who would sooner sell you something else.It's nothing to do with the drug," he said.

"If we legalise it in this country, we remove that element of society that is getting an awful lot of money for doing nothing.Cannabis needs to be imported properly and the quantity maintained.Tax it by all means -- the Government would make billions out of it."

The debate on cannabis has been welcomed by drugs workers in Peterborough. Lisa Mellen, deputy manager of the Bridgegate Drug Advisory Agency, based in Broadway, said: "We work within the framework of the law at the moment.Debate around drugs is very healthy, and we would encourage it. But cannabis does have its risks. It is not a completely safe drug. Smoking cannabis can cause lung problems or psychiatric difficulties. It is not harmless.However, it is not probably as harmful as other drugs people may choose to experiment with."

While Bridgegate does not see as many cannabis users as those on other drugs, its effects can still be significant. When it does cause problems it's a big problem to that person," Lisa added.

For the full story visit: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01.n1247.a03.html

What is a Seizure? How they are caused, what can be done and more at MERCYs Seizures Info page

Metro subway stations will soon display a batch of ads promoting the legalization and taxation of marijuana as a means to improve sex, save taxes and protect children.

The poster ads, sponsored by the Massachusetts-based nonprofit group Change the Climate Inc., had been displayed on Metro buses, billboards and bus shelters during the past month. They are expected to be posted at 10 subway stations as early as Monday, said Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel.

D.C. Council member Jim Graham, chairman of Metro's Board of Directors, said, "These ads are intolerable, and we need to review our policies so that First Amendment considerations are not allowed to compel us to accept this type of advertising."

Under its policy for public service advertising, Metro reserves 10 percent of its advertising space for nonprofit groups.

Joseph White, founder and president of Change the Climate, said his group is not advocating the use of marijuana but is seeking to prod discussion about drug laws. The ad campaign is the group's third in the metropolitan area since 2001.

"Washington, D.C., is one of our favorite targets because here are politicians who are standing in the way of change," said Mr. White of Greenfield, Mass., a 48-year-old father of three boys.

On its Web site -- http://www.changetheclimate.org -- the group says it aims to "raise the hackles of America's 'morality police' " with its "Enjoy better sex!" ad, which shows a young couple in a romantic embrace. The group says the drug has been used by "many different cultures as an aphrodisiac for thousands of years" and "has been used in India for at least 3,000 years to increase libido and conquer impotence."

But in its Web site's "Myths & Facts" section, the group argues against the assertion that marijuana use can cause impotence, stating, "Most studies of humans have found that marijuana has no impact on sex hormones."

Change the Climate's poster showing a smiling teenage girl does not say how legalizing and taxing marijuana would "Protect our Children!" but the group says on its Web site that regulating pot, like alcohol, would make it more difficult for children to acquire the drug.

According to a survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse last year, 38.7 percent of eighth-graders said they had used alcohol in the past 12 months, compared with 14.6 percent who said they had used marijuana during the same period.

Joyce Nalepka, founder and president of Drug-Free Kids: America's Challenge, said the ads send "a dangerous message to children."

"I think it is irresponsible to promote legalization of marijuana in a country where it already is a major problem," said Mrs. Nalepka, who founded the Silver Spring-based group in 1997. "We have in every city in this country problems with drugs, violence and trying to protect all children."

Two years ago, Metro officials rejected Change of Climate's ad campaign but reversed their decision after the American Civil Liberties Union took up the group's cause, citing the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech.

"While the [subject] may be controversial to some people, we have a commitment to present all sides of every issue," said Mr. Taubenkibel. "As long as an ad is not vulgar, crude, uses no four-letter words and presents their viewpoint, then they have a right to go up."

Mr. Graham, Ward 1 Democrat, said he believes in the First Amendment, "but we are being carried to limits here that no one can tolerate.

"When it leads us down this kind of path, we must find another option," he said of the ads.

The Washington Post first reported about Change the Climate's ads.