cannabisnews.com: Doctors Want Better Marijuana for Study Doctors Want Better Marijuana for Study Posted by CN Staff on January 24, 2003 at 08:01:12 PT By Jean Whitney, Staff Writer Source: San Mateo County Times San Mateo -- Nearly two years after its launch here, doctors conducting a groundbreaking medical marijuana study want better quality weed from the federal government. The study leaders also want to allow more sick people to participate, but are stymied by stringent eligibility requirements. "The study continues but it is going slowly for a variety of factors," said Dr. Dennis Israelski, director of medical research in San Mateo County and chief of staff at San Mateo Medical Center. The County has waited at least six months for a response from federal agencies, officials said. The 3-year County study seeks to discover whether marijuana "cigarettes" can be safely dispensed to HIV-AIDS and cancer patients to treat symptoms and side effects of disease treatment. However, some believe the apparently low-grade marijuana used in the program -- grown at the University of Mississippi by the federal government -- has discouraged participants who can treat themselves with the drug through other channels. And stringent physical requirements on often terminally ill patients have also slowed membership in the study. The first HIV-AIDS participant, Phillip Alden, who dropped out of the study when he came down with bronchitis, said he would re-join if the marijuana were of better quality. "I certainly hope they get better quality pot," Alden said. "If they wanted me to re-enter the study, I would. I would love to see the study succeed." Alden also said he objected to the cigarette papers that the marijuana was rolled in, believing they contained toxins. San Mateo County Supervisor Mike Nevin, a former San Francisco police inspector, had waged a campaign since 1997 to bring about the County's medical marijuana study. It was launched in April 2001 at the County's medical center. "This is not a cannabis club we're talking about. It's a very tight, closed, secure program," Nevin said. When the County got initial state and federal approvals in 2001 -- including approvals from federal law enforcement agencies under the Clinton administration -- it was considered groundbreaking. County officials hoped the study would not only provide relief to patients, but would begin to bridge the gap between Proposition 215, the successful 1996 state ballot measure that allowed medical marijuana, and existing laws that criminalize the drug. "They need to supply us with something more meaningful for our trials," Nevin said. "We're losing patients." Nevin frequently refers to personal testimony of the late Joni Commons -- the County's deputy director of health services -- as his inspiration for the medical marijuana study. Commons struggled with breast cancer and said she found relief from treatment only through the use of marijuana, according to those who knew her. Israelski -- medical director of the study -- also sees a need for a non-smokable form of marijuana for pain relief from chronic disease. "The County is well-positioned to lead in this effort because of the enlightened leadership here and the environment of dynamic change at San Mateo Medical Center," Israelski said. Source: San Mateo County Times, The (CA)Author: Jean Whitney, Staff WriterPublished: January 24, 2003Copyright: 2003 MediaNews Group, Inc.Contact: mmcpartl angnewspapers.comWebsite: http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:CMCRhttp://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/Picture of Debris from NIDA Cannabishttp://freedomtoexhale.com/debris.jpgCritics Aren't High On Federal Weedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13071.shtmlActivists Complain About Government Pot Qualityhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12849.shtmlDEA Approves UC San Diego Marijuana Study http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11450.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by FoM on January 25, 2003 at 09:23:30 PT Swampie I don't have an email for CNews because of the problems it caused me. I can drop into the chat and you can tell me about it if you want later on today or this evening. http://www.cannabisnews.com/chat CannabisNews Chat [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by SWAMPIE on January 25, 2003 at 09:16:35 PT: Email me if you wish,FoM... I would like to talk to you in private about a different subject,not that.Looking to start a coffeeshop in Ohio....Need an opinion from you.Thanx,Ken [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by SWAMPIE on January 25, 2003 at 09:12:21 PT SORRY Sorry,I don't mean to ruffle any feathers.I was commenting about the low quality cannabis and possibility of causing more health problems by using it and used him as a possible example.I'll never bring it up again. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on January 25, 2003 at 08:54:38 PT Swampie Please let's talk about issues not people in general. Thanks. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by SWAMPIE on January 25, 2003 at 08:49:16 PT: SCHWAG STUDIES I sure wouldn't want to participate in any study that uses only one kind of cannabis if I knew there were more varieties out there.I wonder how safe the govt pot is,if a patient got bronchitis from it.Remember dddd? He got a lung infection and had to have 1/2 a lung removed and a $ 150,000 bill for the surgery.I'm not sure if it was related to using cannabis,but I have had bronchitis from using too.I'll ask him when I talk to him to see if it was related and let you all know.Our govt needs to pay attention to the details like they do in other situations,and by growing junk pot they are definitely desperately trying to skew the studies.Just my .02 cents [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Binky on January 24, 2003 at 18:23:41 PT Shwag It seems this shwag has gotten into the Canadian Studies, I hope thier quick to realize the diff. This stuff could actually hurt someone. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 24, 2003 at 09:15:48 PT Not Grown With Love OK here I go. We all know that we have seen gardens that just bloom with health and vigor. ( I don't mean Cannabis. I mean vegetable and flower gardens ) Plants need to be nurtured because they are alive. Only people who understand that important element of nature can grow a super tomato or flower garden. It won't work until it can be grown by people who care. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by WolfgangWylde on January 24, 2003 at 09:08:04 PT Anybody... ...who thinks the Gov't has any interest in better medical marijuana studies is smoking better stuff than I am. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by greek_philosophizer on January 24, 2003 at 08:39:47 PT: Doctors Want Better Marijuana for Study Don't we all? Kind Regards, ( Poisoned_by_the_pedomob_for_6.08_years(at_least)_so_far_but_I_really_feel_safer_now_that_ed_rosenthal_has_been_busted) [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on January 24, 2003 at 08:38:52 PT The study should then include testing to actually see how the different strengths of cannabis effect the experiments. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment