cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Ruling No Panacea for Advocates 





Medical Marijuana Ruling No Panacea for Advocates 
Posted by CN Staff on October 15, 2003 at 15:18:49 PT
By Julia Silverman, Associated Press Writer 
Source: Associated Press 
Portland -- Tuesday was a busy morning for Brookings resident and activist Robert Walker, better known to hundreds of his fellow medical marijuana patients in the state as "Brother Bob."His phone rang constantly, with news of a big, and somewhat unexpected, court win: U.S. Supreme Court judges had turned away an appeal by the Bush administration to punish doctors who recommend medical marijuana to their patients.
Walker was rejoicing at the news, and hoping it would reassure more Oregon doctors, especially those in rural areas, that discussing pot with their patients wouldn't automatically lead to a knock on their door from a federal agent."I am going to go out and start recruiting doctors," he said, detailing a county-by-county crusade he hopes to launch in the next month. "They've been afraid the federal government will take their license and ruin their whole livelihood."Oregon medical and government representatives agreed that the high court's decision might help persuade some doctors to more readily talk about the drug with their patients.But they cautioned that it probably won't bring an onslaught of new pot prescriptions, because, they say, a decent percentage of Oregon doctors are already willing to discuss the drug with patients.Oregon doctors have been allowed to recommend the drug for specific maladies including cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, severe pain or nausea, seizures or muscle spasms since voters backed a medical marijuana initiative in 1998.An Oregon doctor cannot prescribe marijuana. But in order to participate in the state's medical marijuana program, a patient must have a statement from a physician stating their qualifying medical condition, and affirming that pot might help them feel better.According to the Department of Human Services, 1,093 doctors have written such notes, of the 10,028 physicians who are registered with the state board of medical examiners.That's only 10 percent - but that's counting pediatricians, dermatologists, and other specialists to whom patients seeking a medical marijuana card would not turn, said Jim Kronenberg, spokesman for the Oregon Medical Association.When they are ruled out, the percentage of doctors who already feel free to discuss marijuana with their patients is likely much higher, he said, and to his knowledge, none have run afoul of federal agents."Since that shadow of a doubt, about whether the feds would really swoop down, is gone, you could make the case that some physicians would get a greater sense of security," he said. "But I don't think it is going to be significant."Kronenberg said it is probably easier to find a doctor who will discuss medical marijuana west of the Cascades, especially in Portland, Eugene, the Medford area and along the coast, and that the Supreme Court's decision might have more impact in rural Oregon.Kevin Neely, a spokesman for Attorney General Hardy Myers, called the ruling, "a setback for all efforts to undermine the program in the courts."But he said the ruling does not impact ongoing law enforcement battles over marijuana cultivation. Twice in the past year, Drug Enforcement Agency officials have seized marijuana cultivated in Oregon for medicinal uses, saying they are simply enforcing federal law.Paul Stanford, with the Hemp and Cannabis Foundation and clinic in Portland, said if the Supreme Court's decision persuades even a few more doctors to recommend marijuana, that will be a success."Right now, we still see patients every day whose doctors won't sign this, because they are afraid," Stanford said. "Now doctors can be free from that stress, and free to treat their patients." Source: Associated Press Author: Julia Silverman, Associated Press Writer Published: Wednesday, October 15, 2003Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Sites:Hemp and Cannabis Foundationhttp://www.thc-foundation.org/Walters vs. Conant, 03-40 - PDFhttp://freedomtoexhale.com/walters.pdfJustices: Doctors Can Discuss Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17572.shtmlBackers of Medical Marijuana Hail Rulinghttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17566.shtml 
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