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Federal Interference with State Medical Cannabis Programs Costs Millions |
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Since states began adopting medical cannabis
laws in 1996, the federal government has spent hundreds of millions of
dollars interfering with the implementation of patient programs, according to
report released by ASA last month. The report, What's the Cost? The Federal War on
Patients, details how the Department of Justice (DOJ) over three presidential
administrations has expended nearly half a billion dollars to investigate, raid,
arrest, prosecute, and imprison hundreds of medical marijuana patients and
their providers. The report reveals that President Obama, despite his
repeated pledges to not use DOJ funds to interfere with state programs, has
dedicated nearly $300 million to an extensive crackdown on medical cannabis,
including at least 270 SWAT-style raids at a cost to taxpayers of more than
$8 million. In 2011 and 2012, the DEA spent 4% of its budget on enforcement
activities targeting medical cannabis patients or providers. The ASA report is part of the Peace for Patients
campaign recently launched by ASA that shows Congress the cost, in both
monetary and human terms, of continuing current policy. The report highlights
the stories of <continued
on page 3 > |
Help Free Lori Medical Cannabis Activist Twists Slowly in the Wind Awaiting Trial
Lori Duckworth is a Medical Cannabis Activist
under attack. She has earned this
dubious honor by virtue of being so successful in helping people as she
brings about change in the area that she has drawn the attention and ire of
local Prohibitionists. As a result
she is awaiting trial on some two dozen charges related to Drug Dealing. <continued
on page 3 > ___________________________________________ Cultivating Local Medical Cannabis Systems Is the Way
Forward - by Sunil Kumar Aggarwal The
message that the public receives from the American federal government --
specifically the DEA -- when it's petitioned to recognize marijuana's utility
as a medicinal agent is that it cannot do so because marijuana lacks approval
from the Food and Drug Administration for any indication. Nevermind scores of
other botanicals are routinely used in standard mainstream medical practice
such as aloe vera, saw palmetto, tea tree oil, Witch-hazel(main ingredient in
Tuck's <continued
on page 7 > |
How Safe is Medicinal Cannabis? - David Bearman, M.D. With cannabis poised to be legal
for medicinal use in a twentieth state, it is timely to review the safety and
side effect profile of cannabis. Side
Effects vs. Therapeutic Effects (Safety) When considering the clinical use of a therapeutic agent,
physicians approach the decision to use any medication by comparing the
therapeutic effects to the side effects. <continued
on page 7 > _______________________________ Study: Marijuana
Smoking Not Associated With Airway Cancers, COPD, Emphysema, Or Other
Tobacco-Related Pulmonary
Complications -
Paul Armentano Pulmonary complications associated with the regular smoking of
cannabis are "relatively small" and far lower than those associated
with tobacco smoking, according to a recent review published in the June
edition of the scientific journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society. <continued
on page 10 > |
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* Volume 10, Issue 8 * August * 2013
* www.MercyCenters.org *
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* The MERCY News * |
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The MERCY News Report is an
all-volunteer, not-for-profit project to record and broadcast news,
announcements and information about medical cannabis in Oregon, across
America and around the World. For more information about the MERCY News, contact us. Via
Snail Mail: The MERCY
News 1745 Capital
St. NE, Salem, Ore., 97301 503.363-4588 E-mail: Mercy_Salem@hotmail.com Or
our WWW page: www.MercyCenters.org Check it
out! ___________________________ MERCY On The Tube! in Salem,
Oregon area thru Capital Community Television, Channel 23.
Call In – 503.588-6444 - on Friday at 7pm, or See us on Wednesdays
at 06:30pm, Thursdays at 07:00pm, Fridays at 10:30pm and Saturdays at
06:00pm. Visit – http://mercycenters.org/tv/ |
About
MERCY – The Medical Cannabis Resource Center MERCY is a non-profit, grass roots organization
founded by patients, their friends and family and other compassionate and
concerned citizens in the area and is dedicated to helping and advocating for
those involved with the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP). MERCY is based in the
Salem, Oregon area and staffed on a volunteer basis. The
purpose is to get medicine to patients in the short-term while working with
them to establish their own independent sources. To
this end we provide, among other things, ongoing education to people and
groups organizing clinics and other Patient Resources, individual physicians
and other healthcare providers about the OMMP, cannabis as medicine and
doctor rights in general. The mission of the organization
is to help people and change the laws. We advocate reasonable, fair and effective
marijuana laws and policies, and strive to educate, register and empower
voters to implement such policies. Our philosophy is one of teaching
people to fish, rather than being dependent upon others. Want to get your Card? Need Medicine Now? Welcome to The Club! MERCY – the Medical Cannabis Resource Center
hosts Mercy Club Meetings every Wednesday at - 1745 Capital
Street NE, Salem, 97301 – from 7pm to 9pm to help folks get
their card, network patients to medicine, assist in finding a grower or
getting to grow themselves, or ways and means to medicate along other info
and resources depending on the issue.
visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. The Doctor is In ... Salem! * MERCY is Educating Doctors on signing for their
Patients; Referring people to Medical Cannabis Consultations when their
regular care physician won't sign for them; and listing all Clinics around
the state in order to help folks Qualify for the OMMP and otherwise Get their
Cards. For our Referral Doc in Salem,
get your records to – 1745 Capital Street NE,
Salem, 97301, NOTE: There is a $25 non-refundable deposit
required. Transportation and Delivery
Services available for those in need.
For our Physician Packet to educate your Doctor, or a List of Clinics
around the state, visit – www.MercyCenters.org
- or Call 503.363-4588 for more. Other Medical Cannabis Resource NetWork
Opportunities for Patients as well as CardHolders-to-be. * whether Social meeting, Open to public
–or- Cardholders Only * visit: http://mercycenters.org/events/Meets.html ! Also Forums - a means to
communicate and network on medical cannabis in Portland across Oregon and
around the world. A list of
Forums, Chat Rooms, Bulletin Boards and other Online Resources for the
Medical Cannabis Patient, CareGiver, Family Member, Patient-to-Be and Other
Interested Parties. * Resources > Patients (plus) > Online
> Forums * Know any? Let everybody else know!
Visit: http://mercycenters.org/orgs/Forums.html and Post It! |
2 mercycenter@hotmail.com * |
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<continued from FEDERAL INTERFERENCE WITH STATE
MEDICAL CANNABIS PROGRAMS COSTS
MILLIONS, page 1
> some of those who
have been singled out by the federal government, such as Michigan
organ-transplant recipient Jerry Duval, who surrendered to federal
authorities last month. His 10-year prison sentence will cost taxpayers more
than $1 million due to his serious medical conditions. His son Jeremy has
also been sentenced to federal prison for helping patients under Michigan
law, and the government is seizing the farm that has been theirs for
generations, devastating the family. There were no allegations that the
Duvals violated Michigan's medical marijuana law. The seizure of the Duval family farm is not an
isolated incident. The Obama Administration has aggressively targeted the
property of patients, their providers, and the landlords who lease to
licensed medical cannabis businesses. Hundreds of letters from U.S. Attorneys
threatening asset forfeiture and criminal prosecution have shut more than 500
dispensaries in California, Colorado and Washington state. At least another
100 letters were sent to landlords in California during the preparation of
the report. The Obama Administration has brought as many as 30 asset
forfeiture lawsuits involving medical cannabis, three times as many as the
two previous administrations combined, at a cost of more than $10 million.
Federal law allows the government to seize property without charging or
convicting anyone of a crime. ASA’s report includes recommendations for
Congress, such as amending an appropriations bill to prevent DOJ funds from
being spent on enforcing federal marijuana laws against anyone in compliance
with state medical cannabis programs. The report also calls for the
compassionate release of medical marijuana patients currently serving prison
sentences, as well as the passage of HR 689, federal legislation that would
reclassify marijuana for medical use. More information: ASA report on the costs of
federal interference > http://americansforsafeaccess.org/downloads/WhatsTheCost.pdf
Source material behind the
numbers > http://www.americansforsafeaccess.org/whatsthecostreportestimates
ASA's Peace for Patients
campaign > http://peace4patients.org/
California NORML report on
DOJ enforcement > http://www.canorml.org/costs/Nearly_500_Years_Prison_Time_for_Medical_Marijuana_Offenses
|
California NORML contributed to ASA's
"What's the Cost?" report and produced a related report showing the
number of people prosecuted and imprisoned as a result of the Justice
Department's enforcement efforts. Their report shows the war on medical
cannabis has resulted in 332 people being charged with federal crimes, with
158 of them receiving prison sentences totaling more than 490 years. _____________________________________________________________ <continued from HELP FREE
LORI, page 1 > ( See - Seventy (70) Drug
Warriors Goose-Step Across Oregon in Crusade against Medical Cannabis
Activists While 911 Dispatcher Tells Woman About To Be Sexually Assaulted
There Are No Cops To Help Her Due To Budget Cuts and the stories, below) They’ve raided this
very public, unarmed and harmless person with a SWAT team mentality with the
purpose of prejudicing the case and to bully and intimidate any potential
witnesses; they shut down her place, denying her patients their medicine;
split up her and her husband, and otherwise stripped this poor woman of any
and all support she may have and STILL they keep piling it on. They’ve spared no expense so far and
boasted in the Media their intention to continue to do so. See stories, below. And, it isn’t going to be a fair trail by any
stretch of the imagination. It will
be a process of them lying and, through legal technicalities disallowing any
rebuttal of said lies. They will make
it a matter of the accused having to prove they didn’t do anything wrong, to
prove they are innocent. The exact
opposite of the purported deal of innocent until proven guilty that We, the
People, originally set up. That’s the playing field the state has set up
for “Queenpin” Lori. Using power
given to them to fight Cartels and real Drug Lords, who must surely be
laughing their cuticles off as they plant more gardens and head down to the
school yard to do more peddling while the Prohibitionists go after Lori. What Can We Do? Protest the Waste! Tell Everybody You Know and then Everybody
You Don’t Know … Yet. Talk it up
amongst family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. Write to … Everybody: starting with Elected Officials -
Legislators, Judges, DAs, Police Chiefs – and then Newspapers, Forums – LTEs,
Blogs and such. Organize and Event to Raise Funds and
Awareness. <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous page>
Prepare to attend every hearing and court date, in force – proper
and with class, but firm; bringing and being the Media to further get her
story out. Do your best to educate potential Jurors
as to their ability to Nullify this Nonsense. It would be so great to have the whole if
not majority of the jury pool mutiny during voir dire and set Lori free. Donate to Lori’s Defense. Contact via e-Mail >> sonorml@gmail.com Volunteer at the Center, help her
Patients. Or closest equivalent. Protest the Wrong! Prepare to de-elect, de-fund and otherwise
dis-empower the Prohibitionists – and we mean down to the Judges, DAs, Police
Chiefs level - that have now exposed themselves by ganging up on this good
person for purely political purposes – at our expense. Contrast this true victim of the Drug
War versus the wasteful, self-and-Special-Interest-serving Bullies on a power
trip. Be advised you just may
spark real change in your area and beyond. Guerilla Activism made Easy. | How? Lotsa ways. NETWORK and Spread The
Word, both On-Line and Off (!) ON-LINE, You can tell everybody in cyber-space
by e-mailing a link to this website to them and/or (OFF-LINE> printing off
this info and handing out where possible / necessary. Also phone call and
read off and/or visit and hand deliver the info. You can take
literature with you and approach businesses, organizations and even people on
the street while you're out and about. Wear your pot-leaf shirt and register
voters, as feasible. Gather signatures for any related petitions that are
happening at the time as well. Displaying signage at street corners and
over-passes (wear trenchcoat, fedora and sunglasses if afraid of exposure),
and/or anonymously leaving literature and posting on-line at places where
people are likely to find it. Coffeeshops are good places to leave printed material
and you can go to the websites of the local newspapers to post items as well. Distribute “Free Lori”-oriented medical cannabis
brochures and other literature to your friends, family, local leaders and
elected officials in an effort to educate the public and garner support. Educate your community
by Printing, posting and handing out Flyers and other Printables in a mall,
coffee shop, laundromat, college campus, lamp post, telephone poll, business
window |
(ask first), hospital, or anywhere people will
see them. If you're a talk radio
listener, call in and express support for Lori and medical cannabis law
reform. Even if the subject being discussed isn't explicitly about
marijuana, many related issues can be a springboard for talking up Lori’s
case and the Issue. ACTIVATE. Facilitate Meetings
and Meet-Ups in order to accomplish all the above as well as Gather Contact
Info and Get people involved, especially to ORGANIZE -and- EVENT, See
above. Visit - http://www.so-norml.org/ - for more on
SO-NORML. Read more … and Spread the Word! > * New Bill Legalizes Pot Shops | KOBI-TV NBC5 /
KOTI-TV NBC2 > Months after Medford police arrested Lori Duckworth
for allegedly selling marijuana, a law is passed that her attorney says could
have saved the years she might face behind bars. “Today is a huge day
for people on the war against drugs," says Rosas. Justin
Rosas is Duckworth's attorney, he says even though his client is still in
trouble, she's celebrating for others today.
"This is something they've hoped to champion for some
time." It'll be interesting
to see how it affects the state prosecution." >
http://www.kobi5.com/news/local-news/item/new-bill-legalizes-pot-shops.html * Political
Prosecutions Continue, Despite - or, even Because Of! - Legislation Allowing
Medical Marijuana Retail Outlets | Two Oregon prosecutors say they are moving
forward with criminal cases against people accused of selling medical
marijuana at retail outlets, despite passage of a bill July 6 allowing such
establishments to exist with state blessing. "This conduct was against
the law at the time people committed the crime," said Bracken McKey,
a senior deputy district attorney in Washington County. "We are expected
to hold people accountable." Malheur County District Attorney Dan Norris
said his office also will continue its prosecution of an outstanding
dispensary case from last year.
>> http://www.mercycenters.org/news/2013/Political_Prosecutions_Continue.html * Racketeering,
other new charges filed in medical marijuana cases | Three people arrested in a
series of medical marijuana dispensary raids will face racketeering
and other new charges. >> http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130617/NEWS07/306170342 <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous
page>
* Marijuana Legalization Activists – SONORML – Evicted | By the stroke of midnight this Sunday
evening, Lori and Leland Duckworth, the couple that
runs SONORML (Southern Oregon
chapter for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) will
be kicked to the curb from the building they have rented for the past four
years, without incident. Evicted… no longer welcome. >>
http://www.marijuana.com/news/2013/07/marijuana-legalization-activists-sonorml-evicted/ * In the weeds, Marijuana dispensary raids put
state laws under the spotlight | MailTribune.com > A gaunt, anxiety-ridden Lori Duckworth spent Thursday
cleaning the room where she stored and doled out medical marijuana to patients
seeking relief from various ailments for the past five years. She did this knowing there's a chance she
will never run a medical cannabis dispensary again. "If I'm convicted on all these charges, I will
probably spend the rest of my life in prison," Duckworth said. >>
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130609/NEWS/306090318
* Southern Oregon Medical Marijuana Raids Were A
Waste Of Tax Payer Resources | Carrying out raids, to make marijuana look scary or to discredit medical
marijuana activists, is one of the few tools law enforcement
has left in this civil rights ... The Medford Mail Tribune Editorial Board
commented on the harsh treatment suffered by the Duckworths, stating, “it’s
fair to say local police agencies displayed an excess of zeal”: “After a two-year investigation, police
could have raided the storefronts on any day they chose. The operations
clearly weren’t going anywhere. But
police chose to make the arrests the day before a state furlough day, when
the courts were closed, which in turn preceded a three-day weekend. With
bail for the defendants set as high as $550,000, that meant they likely would
spend at least four days in jail before a bail hearing could be held. On Tuesday, a Jackson County Circuit judge refused to reduce the bail
amounts. It wasn’t until Thursday that a second judge agreed to drastically
reduced bail amounts — a full week after the
arrests. This in a jail where people accused of more serious crimes are set
free on a daily basis.” Once again,
the Medford Mail Tribune, as the publication has done a great job reporting on
this case: The raids occurred as
lawmakers are set |
to consider a bill that would increase state and city regulation of
marijuana dispensaries.House Bill 3460 is expected to reach both the House
and Senate floors for votes, according to its co-sponsor, Rep. Peter Buckley,
D-Ashland. “One police officer can then walk into a dispensary and see if it is
within the regulations,” Buckley said. “The idea that we have law
enforcement spending two years in these raids that happened is an incredible
waste. >> http://www.theweedblog.com/southern-oregon-medical-marijuana-raids-were-a-waste-of-tax-payer-resources/ * Oregon MMJ Raids a Bigger Priority than
Stopping Rapes | More than 70 law enforcement
officers participated in raids against Lori Duckworth and other medical
marijuana providers, but no officer could assist a woman who called 911
begging for help.
... how to move from being an activist
to an ... >> http://www.thecompassionchronicles.com/2013/05/26/oregon-medical-marijuana-raids-a-bigger-priority-than-stopping-rapes/
*
Another Oregon medical marijuana advocate faces drug case | MEDFORD -- Lori
Duckworth wasn't
one to hide her marijuana activism. She was a regular at legislative hearings
on medical marijuana bills. She operated a downtown
storefront where thousands of dues-paying southern Oregon patients got
cannabis. >> http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2013/05/another_oregon_medical_marijua.html * Oregon
Raids on Patient Resource Centers Target Activists for Medical Marijuana | Lori Duckworth, Leland Duckworth, Dave Bond,
Michael Schannom, Chelsea Hopkins and Jill Tanner were arrested in Oregon in a coordinated
search warrant execution targeting the medical marijuana resource
centers.
Lori Duckworth, Leland Duckworth,
Dave Bond and Michael Schanno were arrested in Southern Oregon (SO-NORML);
Chelsea Hopkins and Jill Tanner (The Greener Side) were arrested in Eugene
according to ... >> http://www.weedist.com/quicklink/oregon-raids-on-patient-resource-centers-target-activists-for-medical-marijuana/ *
Southern Oregon NORML Activist Lori Duckworth Arrested Documentary | So Oregon Activist Lori Duckworth Arrested Documentary Medical
... <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous page> Harvesting
Medical Marijuana 2 Drying & Curing .mpg by MMMReport
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsKIlpJNVXU <<
Save Our Soul – Lori
Duckworth Facing Life in Prison for Medical Marijuana | Lori Duckworth is a medicinal marijuana activist
who is facing life in prison for giving away free medicinal marijuana to sick
people. >> http://undergrounddocumentaries.com/save-our-soul-lori-duckworth-facing-life-in-prison-for-medical-marijuana/
-and- http://banoosh.com/blog/2013/06/07/save-our-soul-lori-duckworth-facing-life-in-prison-for-medical-marijuana/ * Southern Oregon Justice? | National Cannabis Coalition > Recently, I blogged
about the recent wasteful
and harmful raids in Southern Oregon and am happy to update NCC readers with the news
that all of those accused have finally been released from jail. The judge
that set bail for David Bond and Lori & Lee Duckworth at over a half
a million dollars a piece recused himself and a new judge reduced their
bail. Unfortunately, Lori and Lee Duckworth are unable to have any contact
with each other, the first time they have been apart for any significant
amount of time in over two decades of marriage. Oregon activists have
rallied around the Duckworths who have been unnecessarily targeted and treated
badly, most likely because of their political activism. - Read more at: http://nationalcannabiscoalition.com/2013/06/southern-oregon-justice/#sthash.bmNTFTh8.dpuf * Raids On Patient Resource Centers
Target Activists For Medical Marijuana
| Duckworth are long-time medical marijuana ... medical marijuana cards. Lori ... >> http://www.examiner.com/article/raids-on-patient-resource-centers-target-activists-for-medical-marijuana
* DEA Raids Medical Marijuana Gardens in Oregon |
Lori Duckworth, executive director of the Southern Oregon chapter of the
National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, or SONORML, said DEA
agents pulled 17 plants from a
garden and are seeking a warrant to search the owner’s home in Ashland. “The garden is on Tolo Road and it had
been harvested,” Duckworth said. “There were around 198 plants there, but after
harvest there was only around 17 left.”
Duckworth said the cleaned and dried marijuana was at the grower’s
home. The DEA searched his house and found some marijuana drying. The DEA is seeking |
to search his
business. “They asked him for consent
to search his business but he did not consent,” Duckworth said. “But they
were seeking a warrant at the time the grower was in my office today.” The grower came to SONORML seeking
advice on where to turn, Duckworth. She said the man is among several local
growers who are disturbed by the recent raids. “People are scared,” Duckworth said. “This is week four, the
fourth raid in a row.” The raid
came one day after SONORML and its supporters staged a protest in downtown
Medford decrying the raids. “I
guess they didn’t get the message,” Duckworth said. “All this is doing is
leaving disabled people without their medicine.” >> http://420medicated.com/2011/dea-raids-medical-marijuana-gardens-in-oregon/ * Feds Shut Down Oregon Medical Marijuana
Farm | Lori Duckworth, a medical marijuana activist who lives in Josephine
County and works at a medical marijuana resource center in Medford, Oregon, said
she was en route to Bowman’s operation to protest the federal government’s
action. “I
am not on my way here to support James Bowman or High Hopes Farm,” she said. “I am here to protest if they seize any of the patients’ medicine.” “These patients are now losing their
medicine.” Duckworth said she was
not surprised by the crackdown on High Hopes. “He was so large and so frank and so open about his operation
that at some point he would be a target,” she said. The feds are probably hoping the raids send a message to
others to close up shop.
>> http://www.thcfinder.com/marijuana-blog/medical-marijuana/2012/09/feds-shut-down-oregon-medical-marijuana-farm * Hemp News - Hemp.Org, Campaign for the Hemp > Medical marijuana activist Lori Duckworth, 48, and her husband, Leland Duckworth,
49, on Thursday were raided at the Southern Oregon ... >> hemp.org/news/category/cannabis/lori-duckworth * Oregon: Medical Cannabis Advocate Accused of Selling |
Medical marijuana activist Lori Duckworth, 48, and her husband, Leland Duckworth,
49, on Thursday were raided at a downtown Medford storefront where thousands
of ... >> http://hemp.org/news/content/oregon-medical-cannabis-advocate-accused-selling-marijuana * KDRV 12 - Medical Marijuana <continued on next page> |
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Suspects in Court | KDRV > Three
of the four people arrested in a recent raid on medical marijuana storefronts ... Lori
Duckworth says it has been ... and the other cannabis
activists. >> www.kdrv.com/medical-marijuana-suspects-in-court _____________________________________________________________ <continued from CULTIVATING
LOCAL MEDICAL CANNABIS SYSTEMS IS THE WAY FORWARD, page 1 >
pads), etc., without having
achieved FDA-approval for any condition. Many doctors and patients prefer to
use such medicinal plants for their superior side effect profile, low cost,
and efficacy, and nobody is raising a huge fuss over this. A number of years ago,
however, the DEA decided to allow industrial, mass-produced, highly
standardized marijuana produced by a British pharmaceutical company to be
brought into the United States for a series of large clinical trials with the
goal of getting the highly standardized marijuana product FDA-approved for
interstate marketing. Since the company, GW Pharmaceuticals, has already won
approvals from the national drug agencies of over 20 other countries, it is
very likely that they would be able to do so in the U.S. With the company's
stock now being traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange, it is clear that the
company's fortunes and size, like the cannabis plants in their English
greenhouses, are growing taller day-by-day. What is interesting about this
is that the DEA and former American Drug Czar office staffers who have been
hired to tout the company have revealed a very core fact about what types of
marijuana cultivation and utilization for medicinal purposes will be
endorsed, supported, and financially rewarded and what types will be opposed,
stymied, and criminally prosecuted. In this age of global warming and
economic deprivation, what is being fostered by the DEA is the old industrial
model of medicine: mass production, standardization, and monopoly production,
allowing only a handful of employees of a single company the privilege to
privately cultivate cumulatively thousands upon thousands of
marijuana-cannabis plants, the starting seeds for which were obtained from a
rich Dutch seedbank which had collected deposits from around the world. The company's R&D program
has brought a liquid carbon dioxide whole-plant extraction made from two
cannabis strains, one high in THC and the other high in CBD, to American
states that lack any kind of medical marijuana laws and allowed select
patients with severe pain due to cancer the chance to utilize this marijuana
when enrolled as part of a research study. The results of their studies do
indeed show, in large, multicenter, randomized placebo-controlled trials --
exactly the kind that DEA says do not exist -- that marijuana works. At the
same time, as more and more states attempt to |
move forward with establishing
their own local systems of cannabis production for medical purposes --
systems that have the potential to create local self-sufficiency for
producing and supplying cannabis at reasonable cost and even empowering
patients to be able to produce their own medicine through gardening -- the
response from the DEA and DOJ is selective arrests, raids, intimidation, and
asset forfeiture, resulting in increasingly restrictive laws, many of which
now disallow patient cultivation and unfairly restrict eligible patient
populations. Moreover, these laws allow no opportunities to support research
and development to further improve cannabis medicines, mainly because of federal
restrictions. They do, however, give some
patients needed relief, many of whom cannot and should not have to wait
indefinitely for the federal solution to "the medical marijuana
problem." Some apologists for the federal control model suggest that patients
who have shown clear benefit from locally produced medical cannabis, such as
those with severe neurological disorders documented by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on
CNN, be switched to some future pharmaceuticalized cannabis or to a federal
supply of cannabis, such as from the federal farm in Mississippi, which
supplies only four patients today who are grandfathered into a now-closed
program. In other words, these apologists would tamper with a locally
developed solution that is clearly successfully working for patients in order
to preserve centralized control of cannabis production. Why is the federal government
not fostering local medicinal cannabis systems, and instead choosing to
support the top-down, one-supplier model? Following the recommendations of
the American Herbal Products Associations, we need to be decentralizing
medical cannabis. This is the only way to ensure that most who need it will
be able to access it at a reasonable cost and that discovery and innovation
can be optimized. There is nothing inherently amiss with cannabis-based
pharmaceutical production, but the operation of such industry and its
eventual product approval should not be allowed to exclude or impede general
medicinal access to the class of organic botanicals from which such preparations
are ultimately derived. If people understood that this
decision to allow only 'the few' to legitimately produce cannabis rather than
'the many' was being made on their behalf, perhaps they would be compelled to
stand up for a right that is essential for all: to farm and cultivate members
of the Plant Kingdom in your locality.
About the Author - Sunil Kumar Aggarwal is Associate Member of the
New York Academy of Medicine, Senior Resident Physician at Large Academic
Medical Center in New York City; GET UPDATES FROM SUNIL KUMAR AGGARWAL, visit
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sunil-kumar-aggarwal/local-medical-cannabis_b_3782901.html
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<continued from CULTIVATING
HOW SAFE IS MEDICINAL CANNABIS?, page 1 >
In considering recommending
cannabis for therapeutic use, a physician applies the same factors as one
would consider when giving patients any medical advice and/or writing any
prescription. One must weigh the side effects vs. therapeutic effects, listen
to the patient’s previous experience with medication for their condition, and
factor in other medical conditions the patient has. We balance the agent’s
side effects against its therapeutic effects. Safety "In strict medical
terms, marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example,
eating ten raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is
physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. [...]
Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active
substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be
safely used within a supervised routine of medical care." 1 In their federally funded
seminal 1999 report the Institute of Medicine concluded that while
"marijuana is not a completely benign substance," that "except
for the harms associated with smoking, the adverse effects of marijuana use
are within the range of effects tolerated for other medications." 2
These side effects include the occasional dysphoria and the even rarer panic
attacks. This is most likely to occur in novice users or with a high dose of
THC and low dose of CBD. NOTE: As it turns out,
according to a NIDA funded study done by Dr. Donald Tashkin of UCLA, the
harms associated with smoking are cough, increased sputum production and
bronchial irritation. He found that cannabis smokers have a lower chance
of getting lung cancer than non-smokers. This is likely |
due to cannabis’ well-documented
anti-proliferative (e.g., anti-cancer) effect. The safety of cannabis and cannabinoids is also borne out by the FDA
approved warning for delta 9 THC (trade name Marinol, generic name
dronabinol). Delta 9 THC is the principle euphorogen in cannabis. The FDA
warning found on the package insert and in the Physicians Desk Reference
(PDR), "Warning do not drive, operate heavy equipment or
engage in dangerous activities UNTIL (caps mine) you determine if Marinol
interferes with these activities" allows people to drive,
operate heavy equipment, and engage in dangerous activity, so long as the
medication (delta 9-THC) does not interfere with the performance of these
activities. Just as significant the FDA
approved a phase III clinical study for Sativex (tincture of cannabis). This
means the FDA found tincture of cannabis safe for testing in humans. That
study, done in upstate New York, demonstrated the value of tincture of
cannabis in treating intractable pain. It should be no surprise that this
tincture of cannabis pharmaceutical has been approved by twenty governments
in the world including Canada, UK, NZ, Spain, Austria, Czech Republic,
Germany, Sweden and Denmark. Sativex, tincture of cannabis, is for sale in
those countries as a prescription medication. "Unlike many of the drugs we prescribe every day, marijuana
has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose." - Joycelyn Elders, M.D. (former
Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service) 3 Some worry about euphoria. While some patients do get euphoria,
few get dysphoria. High CBD strains damp down the euphoria one can get from
THC. As Dr. Donald Abrams, an oncologist at UCSF School of Medicine, has
written and said, "In my patient population, a little euphoria isn’t a
bad thing." (1) Young 1988, op cit. SOURCE
= American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC). JULY 2013 Newsletter * Contact them at 44500 Tide Ave · Arch Cape, OR 97102 or by visiting - http://www.letfreedomgrow.com |
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<continued from MARIJUANA SMOKING NOT ASSOCIATED WITH AIRWAY CANCERS, COPD, EMPHYSEMA,
OR OTHER TOBACCO-RELATED PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS, page 1 > The paper -
authored by Donald P. Tashkin, MD, emeritus professor of medicine and medical
director of the Pulmonary Function Laboratory at the David Geffen School of
Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles - is "the most
comprehensive and authoritative review of the subject ever published,"
according to an accompanying commentary. Donald Tashkin conducted
US-government sponsored studies of marijuana and lung function for over 30
years. His review finds that although smoking cannabis may be
associated with symptoms of chronic bronchitis, studies do not substantiate
claims that it is positively associated with the development of lung cancer,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, or bullous lung
disease. "[H]abitual use of marijuana alone does not appear to lead
to significant abnormalities in lung function," Tashkin writes.
"[F]indings from a limited number of well-designed epidemiological
studies do not suggest an increased risk of either lung or upper airway
cancer from light or moderate use. … Overall, the risks of pulmonary
complications of regular use of marijuana appear to be relatively small and
far lower than those of tobacco smoking." Writing in an accompanying
commentary, McGill University’s Dr. Mark Ware concludes: "Cannabis
smoking is not equivalent to tobacco smoking in terms of respiratory risk. …
[C]annabis smoking does not seem to increase risk of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) or airway cancers. In fact, there is even a
suggestion that at low doses cannabis may be protective for both conditions.
… This conclusion will affect the way health professionals interact with
patients, parents with teenagers, and policy makers with their constituents.
… Efforts to develop cleaner cannabinoid delivery systems can and should
continue, but at least for now, [those] who smoke small amounts of cannabis
for medical or recreational purposes can breathe a little bit easier." Full text of the study,
"Effects of marijuana smoking on the lung," appears in Annals of
the American Thoracic Society. Source
> http://blog.norml.org/2013/07/09/study-marijuana-smoking-not-associated-with-airway-cancers-copd-emphysema-or-other-tobacco-related-plumonary-complications/ *
SOURCE = American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC). JULY 2013 Newsletter * Contact them at 44500 Tide Ave · Arch Cape, OR 97102 or by visiting - http://www.letfreedomgrow.com |
New York Senate Scuttles Medical Cannabis Bill New York politics appeared to get the better of
the latest version of a medical cannabis bill. Passed by the state Assembly,
the bill stalled in the Senate after Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) expressed
opposition and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomburg mocked the bill. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Diane Savino, an
"independent Democrat" and a member of the Senate's leadership
team, who told the press, “there was overwhelming support for medical
marijuana and that didn't move forward, because the governor didn't want to
do it." Mayor Bloomberg made headlines late last month
by telling a radio show that medical cannabis is “one of the great hoaxes of
all time." A recent
survey of 1,400 physicians, published in the New England Journal of Medicine,
showed that 76 percent of international doctors surveyed would recommend
medical cannabis. More Information: Medical Cannabis in NY > http://mercycenters.org/links/NewYork.html
_____________________________________________________________ Hawaii Legislature Approves Program Changes Hawaii’s Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed into law
two changes in the state’s medical cannabis program. HB 668 shifts its
supervision from law enforcement to public health officials; SB 642 expands
the amount and types of usable cannabis patients may possess. The
effective date for switching the program from the Department of Public
Safety, Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED) to the Department of Health
(DOH) is not until January 2015, to give the agencies time to manage the
transition. SB
642 increases the amount of medical cannabis a patient or caregiver can grow
and possess from one ounce and three mature and four immature plants to four
ounces and seven plants whether immature or mature. The bill also stipulates
that recommendations must be from the patient’s primary care physician. SB
642 will also take effect January 2015. Hawaii’s program enjoys strong public
support. A recent statewide poll found that 81% support <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous page>
access
to medical cannabis, and 78% support a dispensary system. More Information Hawaii
SB 642 > http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2013/bills/SB642_CD1_.htm
Hawaii
HB 668 > http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2013/bills/HB668_CD1_.htm
SOURCE
= Americans for Safe Access
(ASA) - Monthly Activist Newsletter -
JULY 2013; Volume 7, Issue 11 * * 1322 Webster Street, Ste. 402 * Oakland, CA
94612 * info@AmericansForSafeAccess.org*
510-251-1856 * AmericansForSafeAccess.org _____________________________________________________________ Two Dispensaries Open in Vermont Medical cannabis patients in Vermont now have access
to their medicine in Burlington and Montpelier, after dispensaries opened
there last month. A third dispensary is slated for Brandon. Vermont lawmakers established a medical cannabis
program two years ago. The program requires dispensaries to grow their own
cannabis in a secure environment. Qualifying Vermont patients can make an
appointment to acquire their medicine. The Burlington dispensary currently provides two
strains of cannabis in three different potencies and offers a sliding scale
to patients in need. The Montpelier dispensary is growing more than a
half-dozen different varieties. More Information: Medical Cannabis in VT > http://mercycenters.org/links/Vermont.html
_____________________________________________________________ New Jersey Legislature Sends Bill on Minors to
Governor The New Jersey state legislature late last month
approved legislation to make it easier for minors to access and use medical
cannabis. The bill is before Gov. Chris Christie (R), who has expressed
concern about it. If enacted, the bill would make the medical
approval process for minors similar to adults. Instead of requiring three
physicians, one of whom must be a psychiatrist, minors would only need one
doctor’s approval. The Assembly also approved edible forms of medical
cannabis, which are easier to use in treating children. A restriction on the
number of |
strains that can be cultivated by licensed
facilities in New Jersey would also be lifted. The bill has already passed in
the state Senate. The bill was
inspired by two-year-old Vivian Wilson, who suffers from a rare form of
epilepsy. Wilson's family has had difficulty obtaining approval of a psychiatrist
and says the strain of cannabis most likely to help her is not grown in New
Jersey. If the measure is vetoed, an override is
unlikely. The legislation received one vote more than needed to override in
the Assembly but was three short in the Senate. More Information New
Jersey A4241 / S2842 > http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/S3000/2842_I1.HTM
_____________________________________________________________ Conference of U.S. Mayors Says End Crackdown on
Medical Cannabis The 81st Conference of US Mayors passed a
resolution last month urging the federal government to stop interfering in
state and local medical cannabis programs. The resolution "in support of
states setting their own marijuana policies without federal
interference" was introduced by San Diego Mayor Bob Filner and
co-sponsored by eight other mayors from across the country. "Local and state governments can develop,
adopt, and implement public health laws without heavy-handed interference by
the federal government," said Steph Sherer, ASA Executive Director.
"This resolution reflects the frustration of local and state officials,
which will continue until the federal government ends its attacks on medical
marijuana." The mayors said that despite differing views on
how to regulate cannabis in their cities, they believe "states and
localities should be able to set whatever marijuana policies work best to
improve the public safety and health of their communities."
Specifically, the resolution calls for an end to "federal
interference," and "urges the President of the United States to
reexamine the priorities of federal agencies to prevent the expenditure of
resources on actions that undermine the duly enacted marijuana laws of
states." Cosponsoring the resolution were the mayors of
Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro, California; Aurora and Glendale, Colorado;
Binghamton, New York; and Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. <continued on next page> |
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<continued from previous page> More
than 100 million people, or 34 percent of Americans, currently live in states
with medical cannabis laws. The most recent resolution follows a similar one
last year, in which the mayors called for an end to the state-federal
conflict on marijuana policies that "frustrates our citizens, costs
cities significant time and resources to address, and prevents the
establishment of a regulated and safe system to supply patients." A
resolution in 2007 from the 75th U.S. Conference of Mayors declared the war
on drugs a failure and called for "a health-centered" approach to
drug policy. Mayors and other local officials committed to
ensuring and regulating access in their communities have resisted federal
interference directly. When the DOJ filed an asset forfeiture lawsuit last
July against the landlords of Harborside Health Center, California's largest
dispensary, the City of Oakland counter-sued to stop the government's
actions. When prosecutors filed a forfeiture lawsuit against the landlord of
Berkeley Patients Group (BPG), one of California's oldest and most respected
dispensaries, the city’s mayor and four city council members condemned the
action, along with a host of other elected officials, and committed the city
to intervene in support of BPG and its patients. More information: U.S.
Conference of Mayors resolution
> http://americansforsafeaccess.org/downloads/Resolution_US_Mayors_Conference_2013.pdf
_____________________________________________________________ California Lobby Day by ASA Americans
for Safe Access and its coalition partners at Californians to Regulate
Medical Marijuana (CRMM) have announced a citizen lobby day at the state
Capitol for Monday, August 12. The lobby day comes at a crucial juncture in
the legislative process when lawmakers are considering bills affecting
patients. The
bill with the largest impact is SB 439, sponsored by President Pro-Tem
Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Senator Leno (D-SF), which clarifies the
protections afforded by the state’s medical cannabis laws. SB 439 would
recognize the legitimacy of storefront dispensaries and expand protections to
employees who work there. |
SB
283, a bill by Senator Hancock (D-Berkeley), would allow Californians
convicted of medical cannabis-related and certain other drug-related offenses
in state or federal court to receive public assistance, a benefit they are
currently denied. Other legislation affects foster parents and credentialed
teachers who legally use medical cannabis (AB 787 and AB 375, respectively). For
everyone who registers for the August 12 Lobby Day, ASA will make an
appointment with their state Assembly member and Senator. This is a strategic
moment for lobbying, as bills already approved by the Senate are in Assembly
committees, and bills approved by the Assembly are in Senate committees. The
legislature reconvenes from their summer break on August 12 to get bills out
of committee and to the floor for a vote. Register now online or download a mail-in
registration form before August 2. ASA will make appointments for you, brief
and train you to be an effective advocate, and provide you with professional
lobby-day materials to take with you. If you can’t make it to Sacramento
August 12, you can sponsor others to attend, or make a donation to ASA to
support this event. More Information
CRMM Aug 12 Lobby Day online
registration > http://americansforsafeaccess.org/CASummerLobbyDay
CRMM Aug 12 Lobby Day flyer
& registration form > http://safeaccessnow.org/downloads/Registration_Form.pdf
California SB 439
(dispensaries) > http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB439
California SB 283 (previous
convictions) > http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/sen/sb_0251-0300/sb_283_bill_20130214_introduced.htm
California AB 787 (foster
parents) > http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB787&search_keywords
California AB 375
(teachers) > http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB375
SOURCE = Americans for Safe Access (ASA) - Monthly Activist Newsletter - JULY 2013; Volume 7, Issue 11 * * 1322 Webster Street, Ste. 402
* Oakland, CA 94612 * info@AmericansForSafeAccess.org*
510-251-1856 * AmericansForSafeAccess.org |
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!Action Alerts: Inform Congress, Support MMJ POW! |
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Inform Congress That Obama's Administration
Spends Over $100 Grand A Day On Medical Marijuana Enforcement! As part of our ongoing Peace for Patients campaign, ASA is fighting hard to
end the federal war on medical cannabis patients ... but we can't do it
without your help! This summer, Congress has the power to cut the Department
of Justice's (DOJ) budget on all medical cannabis enforcement, essentially
calling a temporary ceasefire in the war on medical cannabis. Throughout the month of August
while Congress is on summer recess, organizers across the country will be
meeting with their electeds in their home districts to lobby for a cut to the
DOJ's budget. To make the biggest impact, ASA needs your help informing
Congress that Obama is wasting over $100,000 a day by dropping off a 100
Grand postcard and candy bar to your Senators’ and Representatives’ offices. ASA's staff has made it super
easy to participate in this action by creating a Campaign Toolkit so that you have all the resources you
need to be successful. Incldued in the toolkit: * 100 Grand Postcard to drop off * Policy Agenda to leave with congressional staff *
Easy Talking Points for you to use when meeting with staff Everything in the toolkit is
downloadable, but you can also request printed copies be mailed to you at action@safeaccessnow.org Please help put an end to the
federal war on patients by joining the Peace for Patients campaign right now!
The website is full of easy ways to get involved, including signing a
petition, utilizing our form-letter to send emails to your Members of
Congress, and instructions on how to participate in the 100 Grand action. Remember to share this news with
friends and stay tuned for more campaign updates in the future ... |
Support MMJ POW Jerry Duval's
Request For Compassionate Release Before His Health Deteriorates Further! Last month, on June 11th, Michigan medical marijuana patient
Jerry Duval surrendered to federal authorities to serve a whopping 10-year
prison sentence, even though he was never in violation of the state’s medical
marijuana law. Jerry is a kidney-pancreas transplant recipient who also
suffers from heart disease and glaucoma. Nevertheless, the Obama
Administration saw fit to arrest, prosecute, and imprison Jerry at a cost of
more than $1 million. This is not just a tragedy for the Duval family, though they
were hit hard (as a result of the same case, Jerry’s son Jeremy is serving 5
years and the Duvals lost their family farm to forfeiture). Since
surrendering, Jerry's health has been deteriorating quickly due to lack of
access to medication and adequate medical care, despite being an inmate in a
Federal Medical Center. In light of the unique medical needs that are clearly not being
met by FMC Devens, Jerry has submitted a Compassionate Release request so
that he can serve out the rest of his sentence under house arrest and
continue his medical treatment with doctors capable of properly monitoring
his advanced medical needs. Read Jerry's Compassionate Release Request here Here's a few easy ways to support Jerry's request for
Compassionate Release:
Thank you in advance for your
help in saving Jerry's life ... |
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* The MERCY News
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mercycenter@hotmail.com > (503)
363-4588 <
www.MercyCenters.org * |
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