cannabisnews.com: Pot for Patients 





Pot for Patients 
Posted by CN Staff on October 31, 2003 at 19:45:33 PT
By John Lasker 
Source: Toledo City Paper 
Medicinal marijuana use has been an issue of extensive legal and legislative wrangling in several, mostly Western, states, but if a Toledo-area activist has his way, the debate will extend to Ohio. Politicians, he argues, are the final obstacle to legalizing medical marijuana in Ohio." Politicians are scared that if they show any compassion towards the medical use, their opponents will label them 'soft on drugs,'" says Jim White, the Oregon resident who authored the bill. "But the reality is, voters are more likely to support candidates who support medical use of cannabis."
Members of Ohio Patient Network have been drafting a bill, for more than a year now, that would permit medicinal marijuana use. White, a father of two and a computer repair technician, is the nonprofit's vice president.In its three-year existence, OPN has become a formidable grass-roots effort promoting the legal use of medicinal marijuana. White says OPN has 600 members statewide and is seeking to gain the support of a large number of Ohioans already using medicinal marijuana, who are afraid to leave the proverbial closet.Yet, as the time nears to present what White calls the Ohio Medicinal Marijuana Act to the floors of the Statehouse in Columbus, medicinal marijuana proponents acknowledge Ohio is a long way from legalizing marijuana use for the sick and dying. Medicinal marijuana is sometimes prescribed for those who suffer from cancer, AIDS and a host of other ailments.OPN recently forwarded a draft of the bill to state Rep. Ken Carano, D-Youngstown. OPN is the lead public sponsor, and Carano is considered one of Ohio's few political office holders who would contemplate taking such a bill to the Statehouse, where war-on-drugs Republicans significantly outnumber Democrats. Gov. Bob Taft and his political allies’ efforts to defeat a statewide drug treatment initiative last year, likely foreshadow how difficult it would be to pass medicinal marijuana legislation in Ohio. The group spent millions of taxpayer dollars to defeat Issue I, which would have authorized rehabilitation instead of prison for nonviolent drug-possession offenders. Proponents of Issue 1 at the time argued an elected official was trying to squash the electoral process, which is prohibited under state law. But Taft said his office was trying to protect Ohio citizens from what he deemed dangerous legislation, thus avoiding any sanctions.Nonetheless, Issue 1 was overwhelmingly defeated." Our biggest obstacle is ignorance and fear," White says. "Most people — and believe it or not — most doctors, know very little about the medical benefits of cannabis. And it's not that the evidence is not there, it is."State Rep. Carano, a former teacher, says he does not advocate the use of marijuana for any reason but medicinal. Along with "a strong basis of medical fact," he says his instinct tells him many could benefit from medicinal marijuana.For instance, a White House-commissioned 1999 Institute of Medicine report concluded medicinal marijuana is beneficial for some patients. There are about 200 documented medical applications for marijuana, such as relieving chronic pain, stimulating appetite for those undergoing chemotherapy, easing eye pressure for glaucoma sufferers and decreasing spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.Opponents argue medicinal marijuana cures nothing. Carano says just getting the bill into committee at the Statehouse, and into a debate among both Republicans and Democrats, would be a small victory." This bill goes nowhere if I can't (get) some Republicans on my side," says Carano, 58, a self-described "very liberal person."But Carano believes there are a number of moderate Republicans who, at least, are willing to listen.The opposition's major contention with the bill, says Carano, is the "control" issue. The issue's premise is whether or not medicinal marijuana can stay in the possession of patients and stay out of the hands of abusers.Carano recently told Statehouse reporters the bill's only chance might lie in how the marijuana is delivered —in this case, pill form alone. The statements apparently caught OPN members off guard, and they immediately corrected Carano. They have subsequently responded by saying the bill needs to allow for several different delivery methods. Deirdre Zoretic, director of patient advocacy for the OPN, says many patients found that a medicinal marijuana pill, such as Marinol, worsened their nausea." Different patients need different methods of delivery," says Zoretic, who suffers from a nerve disease called reflex sympathetic dystrophy. "Whether that's ingesting it, a rub, a mist, or a product called the 'Volcano' (an inhaler-like apparatus available in England, where medicinal marijuana is legal)," she says, "I would like to keep the smoking method open, as well."Zoretic, who lives in Cleveland, says marijuana decreases the pain and nerve attacks associated with her condition.White and other OPN members say they have spoken to dozens of legislators who say they would go public with their endorsement of medicinal marijuana if a large number of their constituents showed support. But White says the public support is strong, and it’s up to these same legislators to have some courage." It's a shame because some of these patients are fighting for their lives, while politicians fight for a spot on next year’s ballot," he says.Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case brought by the Bush administration that sought to forbid California physicians from prescribing marijuana. The court’s refusal was a clear victory for proponents, considering it also protects physicians in the eight other states that have legalized medicinal marijuana. Those are Alaska, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada and Washington. Note: Oregon man says time is right for medicinal marijuana in Ohio.John Lasker is a TCP freelance writer. Source: Toledo City Paper (OH)Author: John Lasker Published: October 30 - November 5, 2003Copyright: 2003 Toledo City PaperContact: editor toledocitypaper.comWebsite: http://www.toledocitypaper.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Ohio Patient Networkhttp://www.ohiopatient.net/Ask Your Lawmakers To Support Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14920.shtmlIs Compassionate Cannabis Use on Horizon in Ohio? http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14874.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on November 01, 2003 at 20:49:32 PT
Thanks ekim
I turned the program on!
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Comment #6 posted by ekim on November 01, 2003 at 20:40:37 PT
molly is on Hot Type on NWI Dir tv ch 366
she wrote bushwacked
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Comment #5 posted by Virgil on November 01, 2003 at 11:52:28 PT
DK and just getting heard
I think the Nazis greatest fear is that the guy actually gets heard. Sure, he has a slim to none chance, but his value is to pierce the facade and say we are not even trying to find the best way. Here is the best way and do you hear anyone even wanting to talk about the best way.The main reason I am commenting on DK is first to say he is a thinker and relying on his ideas instead of the corporate sponsor route of everyone else. A few days ago I read that he was for Instant runoffs which by definition means that a person would have to have a majority to win public office. The entire ability of the two party system to keep everyone else out depends on having The Largest Minority Rule. It should be a simple idea to sell and I hope he can get this valuable though out to the public. This is America and we should be at least as advanced as the bananna republics that know that democracy is all about Majority Rule. Without majority rule, we are stuck because then the Largest Minority,well, they rule.
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Comment #4 posted by Max Flowers on November 01, 2003 at 11:42:26 PT
on Dennis Kucinich
I just read that Rolling Stone interview and more than ever I'm frustrated that the man who is so very clearly the right one for the job at this critical point in our country, probably won't get the chance. Kucinich's mentality is so far evolved beyond these others that it's not even funny.The thought of a president Lieberman, for example is almost as scary as this Bush nightmare we are sharing, because I know he's just as entrenched in corporate ass-kissing and espcially because he is a major hawk and you can tell he's quite okay with all the killing Israel does.
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on November 01, 2003 at 10:49:22 PT
Dennis schedule and interview in Rollingstone
http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htmhttp://www.rollingstone.com/features/featuregen.asp?pid=2016
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Comment #2 posted by Had Enough on October 31, 2003 at 21:19:47 PT
Over & Over Again
" This bill goes nowhere if I can't (get) some Republicans on my side," says Carano, 58, a self-described "very liberal person."
But Carano believes there are a number of moderate Republicans who, at least, are willing to listen.If they will listen, I will repeat a previous post in the last articleShafer Report: 
http://www.csdp.org/news/news/nixon.htm Cato Institute: Handbook for Congress. Recommendations for the 108th Congress: Pages 171-179 http://www.cato-institute.org/pubs/handbook/hb108/hb108-17.pdf Jimmy Carters address to Congress in 1977: "Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear to me than in the laws against possession of marihuana in private for personal use. . . . Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marihuana." President Jimmy Carter Speech delivered to Congress 1977 That should help deliver a message:-) I’ve Had Enough. Go Vote
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Comment #1 posted by Arthropod on October 31, 2003 at 20:18:02 PT:
Definitely a phrase to remember
"It's a shame because some of these patients are fighting for their lives, while politicians fight for a spot on next year’s ballot."
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