cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana is All Right, If... Medical Marijuana is All Right, If... Posted by CN Staff on September 19, 2002 at 09:15:28 PT Editorial Source: Merced Sun-Star Every once in a while, we're reminded of the fact that when politicians sink their teeth into an issue, common sense tends to fly out the window. We're also reminded from time to time that the general public contains more than a few wackos, and if you doubt it, look no farther than Santa Cruz. Earlier this week, more than 1,000 people gathered at City Hall in that fair city to send a message to Washington. The message: Sick and dying people should have the right to smoke medical marijuana. The federal government says marijuana is illegal as a medicine and as a "recreational drug." But Californians approved Proposition 215 in 1996, and it says using marijuana for medical purposes is OK. Federal law prevails, of course. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration continues to frown on marijuana for any use, and so naturally, some Californians want the federal government to change its mind. The spark that set the fire in Santa Cruz this week was a raid by the DEA earlier in the month. Federal agents seized and destroyed plants and busted the founders of the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana in Santa Cruz. The founders were soon released, and the U.S. Attorney's Office hasn't filed any charges. Well, Santa Cruz was not about to let sleeping dogs lie, and so city officials, including Mayor Christopher Krohn, took part in the demonstration at City Hall. Local cops stayed away. The mayor said, "Santa Cruz is a special place, and today we're letting the world know how compassionate we can be." He said, "We're taking a stand." Indeed. Signs carried by protesters read "U.S. Out of Santa Cruz" and "DEA Go Away." The DEA was not amused. A spokesman for the agency said he was appalled by the event and fears the community is sending the wrong message to kids. One of the founders of the Alliance for Medical Marijuana said the only message being sent was that "marijuana is medicine." The demonstration is only the latest in a series, and the fighting hasn't been limited to the streets. The issue has found its way into the courts, too. And yes, marijuana remains illegal. Should it be? Here are some of our thoughts. First of all, we're not sure why anyone would want to smoke marijuana, which, by the way, contains more than 400 chemicals, including tetrahydrocannabiol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient. The side effects from inhaling the smoke can include rapid heart beat, some loss of coordination, impaired short-term memory and reduction in the ability to perform certain tasks such as driving a car. There is also some concern that long-term use could affect the immune system. And then we have the dangers from combustion byproducts. (It strikes us as kind of strange that in a state where public policy discourages smoking, most residents want to make it easy for sick people to light up a joint. But that's California.) Aside from that, however, the jury is still out on marijuana as a medicine and on the benefits of smoking marijuana versus the benefits of using approved drugs prescribed by a doctor. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence, but the science is not conclusive. That brings us to the bottom line, and here it is: If administering marijuana is proven, scientifically, to be the best treatment in certain medical cases, then the marijuana should be made available. And by "made available," we mean it should be produced by a pharmaceutical company and prescribed by a physician. In other words, marijuana should be treated just like any other controlled substance, and the federal government should get out of the way. Now then, while we're on the subject, we should note the American Medical Association's most recent statement regarding marijuana use in general. On Tuesday, the AMA announced that it is joining with 16 other national organizations to support the National Youth Anti-Drug campaign against marijuana. The AMA said, "The organizations hope to change the ingrained message to our nation's youth that marijuana is harmless, when research has clearly proven that is not the case." According to the medical association, "Marijuana use has serious and far-reaching health consequences that go far beyond the short-term high. It can cause mental health problems, such as increased anxiety, panic attacks and depression, and lung damage. In addition, marijuana can lead to impaired judgment and, as a result, risky behaviors such as dangerous driving, unprotected sex and increased delinquent behavior." Dr. Richard F. Corlin, immediate past president of the AMA, said, "We need to send the message to our children that it is a drug with serious consequences, and its use will not be tolerated." He also said, "We must lead by example and not use marijuana ourselves or condone its use by anyone of any age." That comment mirrors remarks the other day from U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona. He said: "Marijuana is not a rite of passage, but a dangerous behavior that could have serious health consequences. Parents must realize that what they tell their children about drug use makes a difference." We could not have said it better.Source: Merced Sun-Star (CA)Published: September 19, 2002Copyright: 2002 Merced Sun-StarContact: editor mercedsun-star.comWebsite: http://www.mercedsun-star.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:WAMMhttp://www.wamm.org/Pictures From WAMM Protesthttp://freedomtoexhale.com/eventpics.htmCalifornia Town's Leaders Join Pot Protest http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14158.shtmlPot Giveaway in Santa Cruz Draws 1,100http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14156.shtmlWorld Watches Pot Handouthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14154.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #19 posted by Hope on September 21, 2002 at 12:03:42 PT recount approximately 107...but many of those are still "groups" of chemicals. I can't even guess how many would be in each group. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by Hope on September 21, 2002 at 11:53:24 PT Thank you, Jose, too! That was a rugged a search as I've ever attempted. Thanks so much. It looks as though we might need to complain to Congress or somewhere that no one knows what chemicals our food is composed of, or they're not telling us. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by Hope on September 21, 2002 at 11:50:45 PT How did that happen? I had that broken into easier to read, small paragraphs. Why in the world did it come through as one big blob? Sorry. I feel barely intelligible anyway...that mess below looks like impossible reading! [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by Hope on September 21, 2002 at 11:47:40 PT Thank you, Dr. Russo for the information Thank you. So that's at least 107. I still have a hunch there are more chemicals in an onion, or garlic, than in marijuana. Perhaps, and it's likely, someone is doing "a number" on us. There has to be proof though. One of the things I learned...sort of...yesterday, is, apparently, no one knows how many chemicals are in any item of food or seasoning. I think I found some sites that said things like, "more than 94 chemicals" and "dozens", and that sort of thing. I found lists that had groups of chemicals as in sulphide(s) or benzopyrene(s), etc. They were groups though. Their could have been 50 in each group. When you throw manmade chemicals into the mix, then the number of chemicals we actually eat is boosted significantly. And then our bodies turn them into even more chemicals! "Microbiology" is, supposedly, a fairly new endeavor as far as foodstuffs is concerned. It seemed that at least one site...perhaps a "Mr. Wizard" sort of site might have offered the curious, and to me, rather interesting information on at least one kind of food. There were partial analysis on legumes, chicory, onions, garlic and other things. Not one was thorough though. Not one offered anywhere near a complete analysis. Onion was chosen because that's what came to my mind and because it's surely got so many "volatile" chemicals. It does,indeed, have "volatile" chemicals, but not one site said how many...and I'd like to know how many chemicals a "burning" onion has, too. :-) The internet has answered so many of my questions in just a matter of minutes. Once, in less than three minutes I discovered what the life expectancy of a Ball python was. I'm very disappointed. It's amazing that no one, even for the fun of it, has learned how many chemicals or different sorts of molecules...all of them, a partial list just won't do for this argument, there are in any item of natural food. Thanks for the information. We need a sensible, easy to understand rebuttal for the "over 400 chemicals" statement. They often say "in marijuana smoke". Probably a lot more chemicals in anything burning than in it's unburnt state. I guess we can just say that that 400+ "fact" is just "spurious". Thanks again. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by Ethan Russo MD on September 20, 2002 at 13:37:09 PT: Look No More Let's try garlic, a relative of the onion. It is Allium sativum as opposed to Allium cepa, but they are quite similar.According to Steven Foster in the Garlic monograph of the American Botanical Council, Series 311, garlic has "dozens of compounds" including 33 sulfur compounds, 17 amino acids, germanium (!), calcium, copper, zinc, iron, potassium, magnesium, selenium, vitamins A, B1 and C, ajoene, etc. Those sulfur-containing compounds include the nasty-sounding allicin, diallyl disulfide, and diallyl trisulfide. Some of us garlic lovers have been known to eat a whole head (roasted) at one sitting. Extrapolating to the onion, as eaten as a "Bloomin' Onion" at Outback Steakhouse, it is a reasonable scientific conclusion that a lot of chemicals are ingested per table by unsuspecting diners. The point is, natural chemicals are not necessarily bad for you, but propaganda genuinely threatens your health. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Hope on September 20, 2002 at 13:21:01 PT The number of chemicals in an onion Thanks, Jose. We've got to find the number of chemicals in something that people normally and healthily consume. I was eating a green bean and onion salad when I read this...so naturally my mind went to wondering about the natural chemicals in it. I figured the onion would be the easiest to find. We've got to find something somewhere to come back at this stupid claim against marijuana. Thanks, again. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Jose Melendez on September 20, 2002 at 06:50:58 PT the data on onions I also tried to find out how many chemicals are in the common onion, but couldn't find the data.From:http://res2.agr.ca/parc-crapac/english/3electronic_publications/bioactives.htm There are more than 250 members of the genus Allium, the onion family. Two of these, onions (A. cepa), and garlic (A. sativum), have been used in traditional and folk medicine for over 4,000 years. Disorders for which both garlic and onions have been used include: asthma, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, chicken pox, the common cold, diabetes, malaria, tumors, and heart problems. Modern science has shown that alliums and their constituents have several therapeutic effects including: antiplatelet aggregation activity, fibrinolytic activity, anticarcinogenic effects, antimicrobial activity, and anti-inflammatory and anti-asthmatic effects. Some important garlic and onion-derived compounds and their biological activities are given in Table 1. Volatile sulfur compounds are not present as such in intact cells. The reaction between the enzyme allinase and the volatile precursors [S-alk(en)yl cysteine sulfoxide and sulfonic acid] takes place when cells are ruptured, resulting in the formation of different thiosulfinates and related sulfonic-acid derived compounds. Decomposition of thiosulfinates such as allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate) proceeds by several pathways. One interesting pathway involves three molecules of allicin which combine, producing two molecules of ajoene which is apparently at least as potent as aspirin in preventing the aggregation of blood platelets and thus in keeping blood from clotting. Through other non-enzymatic degradation pathways, thiosulfonates are converted into sulfur-containing compounds such as thiosulfinates, cepaenes, mono-, di- tri- and tetrasulfides, thiols, thiophenes, and sulfur dioxide. The types and concentrations of sulfur compounds extracted from onions and garlic are affected by plant maturity, production practices, cultivar, location in the plant, and processing conditions. Other bioactives present in garlic and onion include: flavonoids, prostaglandins, sterols and steroid saponins, and oligofructans. Flavonoids are present in the bulbs as well as the leaves of alliums. The flavonoids found in onion include eight quercetin glucosides, the 4’-glucoside, the 7,4’-diglucoside, the 3-4’-diglucoside, the 3-glucoside, the 7-glucoside, the 3,7-diglucoside, the 3-rutinoside (rutin), the 3-rhamnoside (quercitrin), the 7,4’-, and 3-glucosides of kaempferol, isorhamnetin 4’-glucoside, and eight anthocyanins. Most of these flavonoids are potent antioxidants and have a wide array of biochemical functions. They are involved in immune function, gene expression, capillary and cerebral blood flow, liver function, enzyme activity, platelet aggregation, and collagen, phospholipid, cholesterol and histamine metabolism. Sterols and steroidal glycosides have been found in various alliums and saponin levels of 0.1% in leek, 0.021% in garlic and 0.095% in onion have been reported . The content of sterols and their glycosides have been determined in leaves and bulbs of onion, and levels of 2.7% free sterols and sterol esters, 1.7% sterol glycosides and 0.8% acetyl sterol glycosides in leaves have been reported. In bulbs, the amount of these sterol derivatives is lower than in leaves. Onion bulbs contain a high concentration (35-40% dry wt) of fructans, which constitute a major portion of the water-soluble carbohydrates, and have been associated with storage life of bulbs. Fructans are fructosyl polymers which consist of linear chains of D-fructose molecules joined by $(261) linkages. This chain is terminated by a D-glucose molecule linked to fructose by an " (162) bond as in sucrose. A number of health benefits result from ingestion of oligofructans or oligosaccharides. These include: proliferation of bifidobacteria and reduction of detrimental bacteria in the colon, reduction of toxic metabolites and detrimental enzymes, prevention of constipation, protection of liver function, reduction of serum cholesterol, reduction of blood pressure, and anticancer effects. Specialty Crops Rich in Bioactives with Health Benefits [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by gloovins on September 19, 2002 at 23:45:34 PT The only "wackos"... are ones w/ subscriptions to the Merced Sun-Star... [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Hope on September 19, 2002 at 16:08:34 PT DdC Forgive me, Ddc, but I had to fire off another one after I read your Kurt Huber quote.To the Editor,Regarding your loathsome Editorial, "Medical Marijuana is All Right, If...":I would like to employ the powerful words of the late Kurt Huber, a German citizen who dared to defy the Nazi government of his era, in regard to the activities that took place in Santa Cruz, Tuesday, September 17. "There is a point at which the law becomes immoral and unethical. That point is reached when it becomes a cloak for the cowardice that dares not stand up against blatant violations of justice. A state that suppresses all freedom of speech, and which by imposing the most terrible punishments, treats each and every attempt at criticism, however morally justified, and every suggestion for improvement as plotting to high treason, is a state that breaks an unwritten law."Sincerely, [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on September 19, 2002 at 16:04:00 PT Hope Go Get Em Girl! [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Hope on September 19, 2002 at 15:31:54 PT Letter to the Editor (sadly, I felt I had to take out the word "toady" right before "Loyalist" in the fifth paragraph and replace it with "proud". I also tried to find out how many chemicals are in the common onion, but couldn't find the data.)To the Editor,In regard to Thursday's Editorial, "Medical Marijuana is All Right, If..." The nauseatingly sycophantic tone of your editorial, "Medical Marijuana is All Right, If...", is testimony to the greatest failure of the American patriot to date. You say, "the general public contains more than a few wackos, and if you doubt it, look no farther than Santa Cruz." The people in Santa Cruz, who staged the little rebellion Tuesday against the Federal Government, can easily be compared to the "wackos" that dressed up like Indians and stole and dumped a bunch of tea into Boston Harbor. Grow up. Heed the warnings of the founding fathers. You sound as though you believe that just because the organizations that you cite are the authorities in power they are right without question. Do some research. Don't follow blindly. I suspect your paper would have been a proud Loyalist to the British Empire back in the late 1700's. Question your own deepest sense of right and wrong...assuming that your sense of right and wrong doesn't mean blind loyalty to misguided leadership or authority. It must be noted here that I am not anti-authoritarian. I am anti misguided authoritarian. We must never let our guard down or we will lose what our extraordinarily wise founders fought, suffered, and died to give us. That is, if we haven't already. The "wackos" is Santa Cruz did the right thing, just like the "wackos" in Boston Harbor did, not so terribly many years ago.Sincerely [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by DdC on September 19, 2002 at 10:49:06 PT Outlawing Cannabis Competition is Fascism!!! "There is no accepted medical use of marijuana," acting U.S. Solicitor General Barbara Underwood told the justices Wednesday.Patients Out of Time Cannabis as Medicine Fish Pond Plantation 1472 Fish Pond Road Howardsville, VA 24562 TEL (804) 263-4484 FAX (804) 263-6753 email: Patients MedicalCannabis.com http://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/MEDICAL/POT/George McMahon, one of eight(now 7) patients in the federal medical marijuana program and a founding member of Patients Out of Time http://www.trvnet.net/~mmcmahon/George McMahon's Links At the current time, there are only eight of us left. http://www.medicalcannabis.com/ http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/ms_mj_ref.htm http://www.druglibrary.org/toc.htm http://www.hivpositive.com/f-Nutrition/MedicalMarijuana/MM-Nausea.html http://rxcbc.org/links.html http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/tashkin/tashkin1.htm Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D. http://www.mikuriya.com Safe Use of Cannabis" by Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D. http://www.mikuriya.com/althealth/marijuana.html#Can Drug Wars: Menace to America by Tod Mikuriya, M.D http://www.mikuriya.com/althealth/drugwars.html Rx Marijuana http://www.rxmarihuana.com Dr. Grinspoon: To Smoke Or Not To Smoke http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread9431.shtml"I realize now that I was never blinded by glaucoma, I was blinded by ignorance" Elvy Musikka: Blinded by Ignorance Interviewed by Dana Larsen http://cannabisculture.com/backissues/jul96/elvybod.html CANNABIS AND HEMP The Untold Story [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by observer on September 19, 2002 at 10:29:10 PT Newspaper Cheerleads For Police State That brings us to the bottom line, and here it is...Jail? Prison? Oh that's right ... as cheerleaders for government, the Merced Sun-Star accidently forgot to mention that teensy detail. Note how they waxed eloquent on "side effects from inhaling the smoke" etc. How in the world did they miss the JAIL and PRISON part? JAIL and PRISON is the whole point. The Merced Sun-Star need to get a new accountant (or whatever); thier bottom line is missing the most important information of all: JAIL for pot smokers.Note also this OPED ends with the government's latest anti-marijuana propaganda release. This isn't reporting, it is pure cheerleading for the police state. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by DdC on September 19, 2002 at 10:27:26 PT Another Propagandist Protection Racket!!! "All propaganda must be so popular and on such an intellectual level, that even the most stupid of those towards whom it is directed will understand it. Therefore, the intellectual level of the propaganda must be lower the larger the number of people who are to be influenced by it." JUST SAY NO!!!"Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way around, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise." From Benito Mussolini contributing to the "London Sunday Express," December 8, 1935 "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." Harry Anslinger, U.S. Commissioner of Narcotics, testifying to Congress on why marijuana should be made illegal, 1937. (Marijuana Tax Act, signed Aug. 2, 1937; effective Oct. 1, 1937.) From Whom Did the Fascists Get Support? Italian fascism and German Nazism had their admirers within the U.S. business community and the corporate owned press. Bankers, publishers, and industrialists, including the likes of Henry Ford, traveled to Rome and Berlin to pay homage, receive medals, and strike profitable deals. Many did their utmost to advance the Nazi war effort, sharing military industrial secrets and engaging in secret transactions with the Nazi government, even after the United States entered the war. During the 1920s and early 1930s, major publications like Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, Saturday Evening Post, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Christian Science Monitor hailed Mussolini as the man who rescued Italy from anarchy and radicalism. "Because Fascism is a lie, it is condemned to literary sterility. And when it is past, it will have no history, except the bloody history of murder." - Ernest Hemingway (1898-1961) "...somebody has to take governments' place, and business seems to me to be a logical entity to do it." - David Rockefeller - Newsweek International, Feb 1 1999. Philanthropy Roundtable John P. Walters President The Philanthropy Roundtable is a national association of individual donors, corporate giving representatives, foundation staff and trustees, and trust and estate officers. The Roundtable is founded on the principle that voluntary private action offers the best means of addressing many of society's needs, and that a vibrant private sector is critical to creating the wealth that makes philanthropy possible. Copyright © 1997-2001 by the Philanthropy Roundtable "There is a point at which the law becomes immoral and unethical. That point is reached when it becomes a cloak for the cowardice that dares not stand up against blatant violations of justice. A state that supresses all freedom of speech, and which by imposing the most terrible punishments, treats each and every attempt at criticism, however morally justified, and every suggestion for improvement as plotting to high treason, is a state that breaks an unwritten law." - Kurt Huber [The head of White Rose], killed by the Nazis in 1943. "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country... Corporations have bee enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money-power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." Abraham Lincoln, November 12, 1864, Cannabis Less Risky Than Alcohol, Says Report March 14, 2002 at 16:02:54 PT By Ian Burrell Home, Affairs Correspondent Source: Independent UK The Government's drug advisers reported yesterday that cannabis was less addictive than either tobacco or alcohol, a significant step towards the decriminalisation of Britain's most widely used illicit substance. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs backed an earlier proposal by the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, that cannabis should be downgraded to a Class C drug, which in effect makes its possession a non-arrestable offence. Continued... http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread12237.shtmlDrug Deaths Per YearTobacco+.........................435,175 Alcohol*.........................100.000 Secondhand smoke**.................3,800 Overdoses illegal hard drugs*......3,600 Overdoses legal drugs*............21,000 Cocaine/crack overdoses*...........1,969 Heroin overdoses*..................1,046 Aspirin overdoses*.................1,000 Marijuana overdoses*...................0 Sources; + Federal Center for Disease Control, 1990. *US Public Health Service **Environmental Protection Agency 1990.U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT HS 808 078), Final Report, November 1993: "THC's adverse effects on driving performance appear relatively small" LaGuardia Commission Report, 1944 "Cannabis smoking] does not lead directly to mental or physical deterioration... Those who have consumed marijuana for a period of years showed no mental or physical deterioration which may be attributed to the drug." Cannabis Hemp: The Invisible Prohibition Revealed http://www.sumeria.net/politics/invpro.html The Elkhorn Manifesto http://www.wealth4freedom.com/Elkhorn.html Welcome to Reality!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Jose Melendez on September 19, 2002 at 10:10:16 PT Arrest Prohibition From:http://community.mercedsun-star.com/pollBooth.php?pollID=49Should the federal government allow California to sell marijuana as medicine? Yes 64.67 % (377) No 35.33 % (206) Total Votes: 583Merced Sun-Star: "Gateway to Yosemite" Vote Here [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by michael on September 19, 2002 at 10:07:05 PT: Selective memory When it is reported, as is always the case, that the " federal government" does not recognize marajuana as any type of medicine. Can't they be taken to task for having their own distribution center for what they consider their own legal users! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by krutch on September 19, 2002 at 10:03:48 PT: Boundless Arrogance "The side effects from inhaling the smoke can include rapid heart beat, some loss of coordination, impaired short-term memory and reduction in the ability to perform certain tasks such as driving a car. There is also some concern that long-term use could affect the immune system."So, I guess the logic is that the federal government must protect those who are sick and dying from these dubious side effects of the medication. Smoked MJ has been shown to teat a number of medical conditions. The AMA and the US governemt have decided to ignore these studies.Does this author work for a pharmaceutical company? It sure sounds that way. If the pharmaceutical companies produced MJ it would end up more expensive than the contraband MJ farmers produce. The pharaceitical industry hates the idea of people growing their own medicine. It cuts them out of the loop. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Morgan on September 19, 2002 at 09:51:04 PT Test Let's see... is this author;A. Willfully ignorant?B. Woefully naive?C. Bought and sold?D. All of the above? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dark Star on September 19, 2002 at 09:41:11 PT Merced Ain't Santa Cruz This editorial casts too many aspersions without being compassionate or educated. Too much Reefer Madness and Good German Defense here. They might spend some time learning a few things from the Canadian Senators by reading their report. Then Santa Cruz would make more sense. Unfortunately, having cancer, HIV, or chronic pain might speed along their change of heart. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment