cannabisnews.com: Just What The Doctor Ordered?





Just What The Doctor Ordered?
Posted by CN Staff on August 26, 2003 at 23:39:09 PT
By Kristie C. Rodriguez, Staff Writer
Source: North Texas Daily 
Because some patients with complex illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, AIDS, cancer and epilepsy often do not experience the effects they hope to from pharmaceutical medicine, a few turn to an alternative drug for beneficial results: pot. As the trend caught on, former NT student Christopher Largen took an interest."It is not a cure-all," Largen, a 10-year Denton resident and co-author of the book "Prescription Pot," slated for nationwide release Sept. 20, said. "It is not known to cure anything, but what it does do is provide symptomatic relief that can either prolong life or increase the quality of life."
Largen withdrew from the university in 2001 with some 20 credit hours left in his community services major to begin drafting the work.George McMahon of Frankton in East Texas co-wrote the book. McMahon is the fifth person in the United States to receive medicinal marijuana from the federal government. "Prescription Pot" traces his history of using the narcotic and covers his ongoing battle to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes in the United States.Today McMahon and six other patients continue to receive medicinal marijuana from the federal government. It is provided to them by the Investigational New Drug (IND) program, which developed in 1978 when Robert Randall, a glaucoma patient arrested for growing his own marijuana, filed a lawsuit and won using the "medical necessity case." Though various studies have proven marijuana to increase appetite and provide relief from chronic pain, muscle spasms and nausea, under federal law, only seven medicinal marijuana users are permitted to use the drug legally, according to the MPP. "The problem with legalizing anything in America is the subject of who is going to control this," said Miranda Knowles, an R.N. at Baylor Medical Center of Grapevine, and transfer student from the Netherlands, Holland. In the Netherlands, she said, where marijuana is a legal pharmaceutical medicine, officials are having to re-educate the community because of its misuse. In addition, legalizing medicinal marijuana would also rise new tax concerns, Knowles said.In 1992, the Bush administration closed the program because of a plethora of new applicants reacting from an AIDS epidemic. However, it continues to run for its surviving patients like McMahon. "I think there is a good story," McMahon said about the book. "But I believe every man has a good story, but it takes a good man to get it out. We have something everybody can read. As a rule, it should talk to you about compassion."Medical doctors have quietly been recommending marijuana to seriously ill patients suffering from chronic pain for many years, Largen says. But, legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana has been difficult. "I think there is a lot of misinformation and a lot of cultural stereotypes, which don't come into play," he said. "On a fundamental level, it is difficult for federal officials to admit that they have made a mistake, particularly when they have spent 30 years propagandizing to the American public about how dangerous it is." Though marijuana is considered an addictive narcotic, it does not raise serious health concerns as it does lifestyle concerns, according to Knowles.The most recent study qualifying medicinal marijuana took place in 2001. The Missoula Chronic Clinical Cannabis Use Study conducted on four of the medicinal marijuana patients showed the narcotic to demonstrate clinical effectiveness in these patients in treating glaucoma, chronic musculo-skeletal pain, spasm and nausea, and spasticity of multiple sclerosis.Despite his unique life story, McMahon says he is an average person and encourages average citizens to make a difference in public policy."Wake up and open your eyes," he said. "Do something. Anything. Call your senator." Note: Ex-student writes medicinal marijuana guide.Source: North Texas Daily (TX)Author: Kristie C. Rodriguez, Staff WriterPublished: August 27, 2003Copyright: 2003 North Texas DailyContact: mfm0001 unt.edu Website: http://www.ntdaily.com/Related Articles & Web Site:George McMahon's Home Pagehttp://www.trvnet.net/~mmcmahon/The Missoula Study - Austin Chroniclehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16656.shtmlMarijuana Advocate Hails Drug's Medical Valuehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16029.shtmlMedical Marijuana User Speaks About Treatment http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16027.shtml
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 27, 2003 at 15:15:41 PT
Arnold Schwarzenegger is For Medical Marijuana
Arnold Comments on Gays, Drugs, & More 
 
 
August 27, 2003 LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger laid out his positions on issues ranging from abortion to taxes in a radio broadcast Wednesday, after weeks of criticism that he wouldn't spell out his views for voters in the California recall. He said he's in favor of legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes and protecting a woman's right to abortion, but against gay marriage and granting drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Copyright 2003 by The Associated PressComplete Article: http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=1419790&nav=5D7lHgx7
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Comment #3 posted by Richard Paul Zuckerm on August 27, 2003 at 12:15:48 PT:
PEACE WITH HEMP FUEL; NOT FOSSIL FUEL WARS!!
The September 11, 2001, airplane crashes, the war in Iraq, and the concealment of the truth by the newspapers and television from the American sheeple, are part of the plan of the Bush/Rockefeller/Vatican Illuminati, for global control of our fuel, IRAQI COMMANDER SWEARS HE SAW USAF FLY SADDAM OUT OF BAGHDAD, by Bill Dash, www.100megsfree4.com/farshores/sc04bd.htm, as part of the Pentagon's War against Dissent, HORRIFYING US SECRET WEAPON UNLEASHED IN BAGHDAD, by Bill Dash, www.100megsfree4.com/farshores/sc04bd.htm; to prevent us from living free from government control, which would easily be done thru the use of Hemp for fuel. See, e.g.:
www.hempcar.org; Shadow of the Swastika, www.sumeria.net/politics/shadv3.html.Why shouldn't be believe it was state-sponsored terrorism? The Bush and Rockefellers financed Adolph Hitler. See, e.g., www.tarpley.net; Shadow of the Swastika, supra. These government supremacists have lied their way to power since they coaxed the colonies to sign the Constitution with the promise of a Bill of Rights, which, by the way, was put together after the people rose up in arms as Congress wanted to instead revise the tax laws. See, e.g.: Hologram Of Liberty, www.javelinpress.com.Richard Paul Zuckerman, Box 159, Metuchen, N.J., 08840-0159, richardzuckerman2002 yahoo.com, (Cell telephone number)(908) 403-6990; Member of: www.normlnj.org; www.norml.org; www.cannabisculture.com; www.hightimes.com; www.aclu-nj.org; www.greenparty.org; www.njlp.org; www.jpfo.org; www.njmilitia.org; www.dav.org; www.fija.org;
Diploma in Paralegal, New York University, 2003;
Diploma in Truck Driving, Smith & Solomon School of Truck Driving, Edison, N.J., 1995;
B.A. in Political Science, Kean College of New Jersey [presently named Kean University], Union, N.J., 1987.
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Comment #2 posted by Ethan Russo MD on August 27, 2003 at 05:21:17 PT
Proofreading
That should be "thinks" in the last post!
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on August 27, 2003 at 03:52:31 PT
Worthy Read
This book describes George McMahon's odyssey through the Compassionate Use Investigational New Drug Program, and contains a complete copy of the Chronic Use Study. I recommend a copy for you, and one for every politician who things that cannabis has no medical value.
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