cannabisnews.com: Canada's Marijuana Decision Debated Here Canada's Marijuana Decision Debated Here Posted by FoM on August 07, 2001 at 18:18:31 PT By John F. Lauerman Source: Union-News Currently a source of low-cost prescription medications for older people without drug benefits, Canada is gearing up to supply its ill patients with another drug: medical marijuana. And while Springfield doctors believe that our northern neighbor's decision will have little impact here, national marijuana advocates predict more Americans will try to get in on the action. "Certainly, you will see patients making the trek to get medical marijuana," said Keith Stroup, director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in Washington, D.C. "I would imagine that fairly quickly there will be methods and means for Americans to obtain medical marijuana through a 'gray market.'" A new initiative from the Canadian health ministry, sanctioned by a Canadian Supreme Court decision, gives patients the right to apply for access to "research-grade" marijuana cultivated hydroponically in a Manitoba mine. But Springfield doctors said that a northern rush for marijuana is unlikely. New serotonin antagonists such as Zofran and Kytril do a much better job of relieving nausea, the condition against which marijuana is considered most effective, said Springfield area medical oncologist Dr. Philip T. Glynn. "It's been studied to treat nausea, vomiting, anorexia and pain," Glynn said, "and in general it's only been moderately effective." Canada's health minister, Allan Rock, set new regulations that permit marijuana use for patients with certain illnesses for whom conventional therapies have failed and for terminal patients with a life expectancy of less than one year. Rock also earmarked $840,000 to study marijuana's effectiveness in AIDS patients. Researchers still debate marijuana's medical usefulness. The American Medical Association, the National Institutes of Health, the Institute of Medicine, and the World Health Organization have all recommended further research on marijuana's potential to treat various conditions. In 1997, former New England Journal of Medicine editor Dr. Jerome Kassirer called federal drug authorities to "rescind their prohibition of the medical use of marijuana for seriously ill patients and allow physicians to decide which patients to treat." But doctors need more evidence from careful research studies to prove that marijuana treats nausea or anorexia better than existing agents, said Dr. Wilson C. Mertens, medical director of cancer services at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. "If it were a really effective agent that was demonstrated in clinical trials to offer benefit, then I would be happier," Mertens said. "But this is a political decision in a way that has nothing to do with effectiveness." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved marijuana derivatives called Marinol and Nabalone for nausea, but they are considered far less effective than other conventional treatments or inhaled marijuana, which acts quickly and lasts long. Stroup points out that although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May that "cannabis clubs" cannot distribute marijuana to seriously ill patients, nine states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, and 11 have decriminalized marijuana possession. The Canadian ruling only adds to "peer pressure" on the United States to consider legalizing medical marijuana, he said. "There's no question but that the change under way in Canada will have an enormous impact in this country," Stroup said. Note: The "Great White North Drugstore" just started carrying a new, controversial product. Source: Union-News (MA)Author: John F. LauermanPublished: Tuesday, August 7, 2001Copyright: 2001 Union-NewsContact: unews-letters union-news.comWebsite: http://www.masslive.com/news/Related Articles & Web Sites:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmCanada Legalizes Marijuana For Medicinal Purposeshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10468.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by Patrick on August 08, 2001 at 09:28:03 PT Way to go Kevin I love seeing and hearing about pro-legalization letters to the Editor getting published! The pen is mightier than the sword! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Kevin Hebert on August 08, 2001 at 09:01:36 PT: My response to the Union-News This is my hometown paper, so I felt I had to put my 2 cents in. =)--Dear Editors:Thank you for John F. Lauerman's article, "Canada's Marijuana Decision Debated Here". I find it fascinating that we put people in jail for using a substance that not only has never killed anyone, but can be an effectivetreatment for a variety of medical conditions.We are supposed to be a compassionate society. Shouldn't that compassion extend to cancer patients and elderly glaucoma victims?Remember, marijuana is just a plant. Unlike tobacco, it is not addictive, and unlike alcohol, you cannot overdose on it. The difference is, you will go to jail if you are caught with marijuana, whereas tobacco and alcoholare available everywhere. Sincerely, Kevin M. Hebert [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The Offspring on August 08, 2001 at 05:50:58 PT Marijuana is better I would choose Cannabis over Marinol anyday. It's funny how man made a drug out of Marijuana yet there are people who say it is not Medicine. Its the safest drug out there. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment