cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Gets Attention on Beacon Hill





Medical Marijuana Gets Attention on Beacon Hill
Posted by CN Staff on April 02, 2003 at 22:19:10 PT
By Matthew D’Olimpio
Source: Boston Weekly Dig 
While the decriminalization of marijuana rests on the backburner at the State House, the legalization of medical marijuana recently got attention at a March 31 Joint Health Committee meeting. Senate Bill 676 would allow the Department of Health to use medical marijuana on an experimental basis to treat the symptoms of certain severe conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer and chronic pain. The committee heard a variety of speakers, all of whom spoke in favor of legalizing medical marijuana, all of whom admitted to using the drug illegally as a part of their treatment. 
While not a single senator or representative chose to question any of the speakers, each proponent provided the legislators with a variety of testimony and packets of information defending their cause. Dr. Laurence McKinney of Harvard University noted the low toxicity of marijuana, citing Judge Francis L. Young’s observation in 1986 that, “marijuana has less toxicity than eight raw potatoes." Dr. McKinney concluded by saying, “We don’t have to make history, but we should not repeat history." Marcy Duda, who received brain surgery after suffering from aneurisms, followed Dr. McKinney. She noted in an emotional and passionate address how effective marijuana has been in treating her post-surgical ailments, such as severe migraines, intense nausea and dramatic weight loss. She stated that while Marinol, a legal alternative to medical marijuana that contains the active component THC suspended in sesame oil, was prescribed to her and did work intermittently, she often regurgitated it before it took effect.Ms. Duda also noted that while painkillers often helped the pain, strong opiate derivates that worked most effectively, such as Percocet, often made her unable to care for her children and made her much less functional. She explained to the committee, “Marinol now costs me over $2,000 for a month’s supply [of 240 pills], which insurance does not pay for," continuing, “marijuana allows me the ability to function normally, which Percocet does not." Another user who supports medical marijuana was Scott A. Mortimer, who has used the drug regularly since 1995 to treat chronic back pain caused by a fusion of his lower vertebrae. He stated, “I began using marijuana only after exhausting all other options," and noting, “I vaporize it [a method that heats marijuana below the point of combustion but hot enough to activate the THC], and avoid all the harmful byproducts that come from burning it." Mr. Mortimer explained that anti-inflammatory medications “were more effective than marijuana, but had too many unwanted side effects," which included the deterioration of his stomach lining to the point of massive internal bleeding, an ordeal which almost killed him. Dr. James T. D’Olimpio, a board certified clinical oncologist and palliative care specialist at New York University/North Shore Hospital and a national expert on pain management, explains the need for more research on the subject. He stated, “There is a lot of anecdotal information but not enough clinical studies," continuing, “we definitely need to study it further." Dr. D’Olimpio clarified that “most of my patients benefit from other treatments that I use, but we need to be able to individualize treatment in cases where marijuana can be looked at when all other options have been exhausted." Attorney Steven Epstein, co-founder and treasurer of the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition (MassCANN), emphasized the importance of legalization but noted, “While [the bill] will make things better, we are still not even at the legalization [of medical marijuana] stage." Mr. Epstein also stated, “there should be more clinical research, but it can be researched after [experimental use] is legalized. It’s very hard to do a blind study with marijuana, and treatment needs to be geared to the individual." While medical marijuana has been legalized in eight other states – California, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Nevada and Oregon – the federal Drug Enforcement Administration maintains that marijuana for any use, no matter what the state law, is still illegal under federal law, and the DEA certainly has no problem enforcing these laws. In addition to its various ad campaigns, school information sessions and pages of information on its Web site warning against the consequences of drug use, the DEA has recently made busts in Oakland, CA, of medical marijuana proprietors that operate legally under state law. The DEA states on its Web site, “Scientific study shows that marijuana damages the immune system causing further peril to already weakened immune systems," but does not site this specific study nor any other of the “over 10,000" studies that it claims prove marijuana is a dangerous drug. The DEA also apparently misunderstands the use of marijuana as a symptomatic drug and not a cure. The DEA also discounts prior and current reports in the journal Supportive Care and Cancer by Dr. Declan Weaver, a medical oncologist, which shows that marijuana may actually stimulate immune response by binding to newly discovered receptors known as CB1 and CB2. The DEA also fails to account for the fact that many other symptomatic medications used to treat severe, chronic pain, such as morphine or OxyContin, have much more devastating effects on the body than marijuana but are still commonly used.Even in the eight states where it is legal to prescribe marijuana under state law, most situations still violate federal law. In order to coincide with current federal medical marijuana regulations, a state would need to acquire permission from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the only legal conduit for marijuana in the United States. Currently, NIDA provides research marijuana, grown under contract at the University of Mississippi, to two contracts at the Research Triangle Institute as well as to seven patients on “compassionate use" programs. This program began in 1978 after the Department of Health and Human Services settled a lawsuit but was terminated in 1992 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, except for the remaining seven that were still alive. Currently, medical marijuana is illegal in Massachusetts, under state law as well as federal, except for an experimental medical marijuana program that necessitates the federal government supplying marijuana. Since the feds refuse to supply medical marijuana, the program has never been truly implemented. Legislation is pending in several other states, most notably Maryland, where medical marijuana legislation recently passed both the House and Senate and is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Ehrlich. Legislation is also pending in Massachusetts’ neighbor Connecticut, where legislation is expected to pass. While federal legislation has recently been proposed, as it was in 1997 by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Newton), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, no legislation has ever passed in DC.While testimonies were heard on Beacon Hill, many people who support the bill do not think the bill will pass, and some senators, such as Bruce Tarr, have stated openly that they will vote against the bill in committee or on the floor, despite the scientific and personal evidence and the overwhelming support for legalization at the polls last November. Source: Boston Weekly Dig (MA)Author: Matthew D’OlimpioPublished: April 2 - 9, 2003Copyright: 2003 Boston Weekly DigContact: letters weeklydig.comWebsite: http://www.weeklydig.com/Related Articles & Web Site:MassCannhttp://www.masscann.org/Medical Marijuana, Myth or Miracle?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14132.shtmlSenate Panel OKs Marijuana Measurehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15765.shtmlHouse Approves Medical Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15751.shtml
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Comment #4 posted by ekim on April 03, 2003 at 15:39:07 PT
good one AB 
please if one has thoughts on this email Adam on hashbash.com/ thats what the bash is all about getting input.
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Comment #3 posted by afterburner on April 03, 2003 at 13:26:45 PT:
ekim
Do you know if anyone is starting a Michigan chapter of the U.S. MJParty? It might be a good topic of conversation at the Hash Bash. http://www.hashbash.com/ Have a great time. Fight the power.ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
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Comment #2 posted by ekim on April 03, 2003 at 12:40:12 PT
no legislation has ever passed in DC
This is a fairly good peice with many good points. Too bad the writer did not ck DC for its med use law. Seems that it did pass but not allowed to take place --as Rep. Bar lost his job over that.
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Comment #1 posted by afterburner on April 03, 2003 at 09:18:23 PT:
HHS: Another Alphabet Soup Villain.
ONDCP, DEA, FDA, NIDA, now HHS!Currently, NIDA provides research marijuana, grown under contract at the University of Mississippi, to two contracts at the Research Triangle Institute as well as to seven patients on “compassionate use" programs. This program began in 1978 after the Department of Health and Human Services settled a lawsuit but was terminated in 1992 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, except for the remaining seven that were still alive.Health and Human Services: these are the jokers that the DEA contacted to "disprove" the assertion in the 2001 rescheduling petition that cannabis had been erroneously included in Schedule I. Nothing like crony research. HHS did not even allow the federal "compassionate use" program until they were sued. Then, they cancelled it summarily 14 years later. It would be interesting to see what if any justification was given at the time for their decision! Read for yourself (if you have time for 47 pages of text), the DEA's response to the Gettman, Jon; petition to reschedule marijuana: denied!----------------
Contents Federal Register
Vol. 66, No. 75
Wednesday, April 18, 2001
 
----------------
 
Drug Enforcement Administration 
 
NOTICES 
Applications, hearings, determinations, etc.: 
 Gettman, Jon; petition to reschedule marijuana denied, 
 20037–20076 [01–9306] [ TEXT: ] http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_register&docid=01-9306-filed [ PDF: ] http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2001_register&docid=01-9306-filed.pdf 
Anybody have time to wade through all this? I'm up to page 19 so far.ego destruction or ego transcendence, that is the question.
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