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  Pot RX

Posted by CN Staff on November 19, 2003 at 16:40:15 PT
By John Lasker  
Source: Cleveland Free Times  

Nine states have passed legislation legalizing medicinal marijuana, and the Ohio Patient Network is hoping that the Buckeye State will soon join them. But that may be too much to ask of our Republican-dominated state government – even as thousands of ill Ohioans suffer. What do you get with a bong, some “sticky” and a pothead? Clouds, of course. What do you get with a Republican-dominated state legislature, and a governor and first lady with a slant against illegal drug use during a presidential election year when a proposal for an Ohio medicinal marijuana law is floated?
At best, you might get a big “maybe.” Most likely, however, it will be a big “no.” But when new legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio is actually introduced, which some expect could happen within weeks if at all, it will be a chance for the Buckeye State to join nine other states that permit medicinal marijuana use for persons with certain kinds of illnesses. Ohio medicinal marijuana proponents are currently ironing out some details in a bill they've been drafting for more than a year. But as the drafting of the Ohio Medicinal Marijuana Act is being completed and readied to be introduced in the state legislature, even the bill's proponents grudgingly acknowledge that Ohio is still a long way politically and socially from ever getting close to a whiff of enabling legislation that would allow those who suffer from cancer, multiple sclerosis, AIDS and a host of other ailments, the choice to benefit from medicinal marijuana.The nonprofit Ohio Patients Network (OPN), a major advocate of the medicinal marijuana bill, recently forwarded a draft recommendation to Democratic State Representative Ken Carano. The Youngstown legislator is considered by OPN to be one of a handful of politicians who would consider introducing a bill in a state legislature where Republicans outnumber Democrats two to one. Not only would Carano have to deal with the large party imbalance in the House, but he would also have to take on Bob and Hope Taft. First Lady Hope Taft openly opposed and campaigned vigorously against the Ohio Drug Treatment Initiative, known then as Issue 1, which would have permitted treatment in place of incarceration in some kinds of drug offenses. The initiative failed and drug-law reformers view the Tafts as anti-drug zealots who would most likely crusade against a medicinal marijuana bill, even if it would benefit thousands of ill Ohioans. What's more, the Tafts are acknowledged to be among the nation's leading “war on drugs” proponents, and Hope Taft's one-note crusade has earned her an advisory position with the Office of National of Drug Control Policy, the federal government's command center for the so-called war. It's probably safe to say that presenting a medicinal marijuana bill to the Ohio Legislature in a presidential election year is like throwing a T-bone into a room of hungry Atkins dieters. It will be eaten and the bone gnawed and pulverized. Carano acknowledges that the Tafts and the executive branch of the Ohio State government, which includes other major Republican politicians jockeying to replace Taft in 2006, would line up in opposition to a medicinal marijuana bill. “The executive branch is pretty much against this,” says Carano, who admits that just getting the bill into committee and thus into a debate among Republicans and Democrats would be a big victory. So far Carano's aides say he has been unable to recruit any co-sponsors for the proposed bill. Although it hasn't yet been introduced, a legislative forum is scheduled for December 2 for state office holders who may have questions about it. That forum could spell the difference between a medicinal marijuana bill being introduced or being shelved. A realist on the subject, Carano says he needs bipartisan help. “This bill goes nowhere if I can't get some Republicans on my side,” he says. Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, an arch Republican conservative with designs on the governor's mansion, makes or breaks bills. Even if a medicinal marijuana bill is introduced, he can keep it buried forever. His office did not return multiple phone calls asking for comment. Carano believes there are a number of moderate Republicans who may be willing to listen about the bill, but the issue is, can they be convinced to co-sponsor it?Jim White, Opn Vice President and the bill's principal author, says the most challenging obstacle to medicinal marijuana reform in Ohio is an obvious but potentially insurmountable hurdle. “Politicians are scared that if they show any compassion towards the medical use (of marijuana) that their opponents will label them ‘soft on drugs',” says White, a 30-something father of two and computer-repair technician from Toledo. “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.” Carano, a former teacher, stresses that in no way is he advocating the use of marijuana for any reason but medicinal. Along with “a strong basis of medical fact,” he says his instinct is telling him that many could benefit from medicinal marijuana. He likens the debate to the short history of Oxycontin. There was widespread abuse among non-patients, but thousands more now depend on it for their quality of life. Carano says the premise of the “control” issue is whether or not medicinal marijuana can stay within the possession of patients and stay out of the hands of abusers. The “control” problem has become a major contention for the opposition — most notably, the state's professional rehabilitation community. They see forms of medicinal marijuana heading the way of heroin and methadone, drugs created for medicinal applications eventually twisted into fuel for addiction. Some opponents of medicinal marijuana also say they have a simple answer for why they're against medicinal pot: It isn't a cure-all for anything. “I'm not doing this for fun and games,” Carano says. “I want an honest debate from both sides of the argument.” He says he's currently being “bombarded” with information, both pro and con, about medicinal marijuana use. Nevertheless, overshadowing any initiative seeking to relax any state drug law is the Governor Taft's office's slant against illegal buzzes. Take the recent confusion over the proposed medicinal marijuana bill. Carano, along with others, has been priming the bill for potential debate. In fact, Carano recently suggested to statehouse reporters that the bill's only chance might lie in how it stipulates delivery of the marijuana, or THC. Would it be in plant form or come only in the form of a pill — Marinol, which is currently legal in Ohio.Carano's ideas apparently caught OPN members off guard, and they immediately corrected Carano saying that the bill needs to allow for several delivery methods. Deirdre Zoretic, a thirtysomething Lakewood resident and director of patient advocacy for the OPN, says many patients found that a medicinal marijuana pill, such as Marinol, worsened their nausea. “That was just an idea,” says Zoretic, the mother of an 8-year-old boy. “Different patients need different methods of delivery. Whether that's ingesting it, a rub, a mist, or a product called the ‘Volcano' (an inhaler-like apparatus available in Europe).” She adds, “I would like to keep the smoking method open, as well.” In its three-year existence, OPN has become a formidable grass-roots organization pushing for medicinal marijuana use in Ohio. Zoretic says the organization has 600 members statewide and is seeking to gain the support of what she believes is a large number of Ohio medicinal marijuana users afraid to leave the proverbial closet. “I honestly feel there are thousands upon thousands already treating themselves with marijuana, and I believe many more thousands haven't discovered the benefits of medicinal marijuana yet,” she says. Zoretic, who suffers from a debilitating disease called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), says there are roughly 200 documented medical applications for marijuana. They include relieving chronic pain, stimulating appetite for those undergoing chemotherapy, and easing eye pressure for glaucoma sufferers. Marijuana also lessens the spasms associated with RSD, and Zoretic has been using medicinal marijuana on and off again for the last several years. She is currently on bed rest and has lost 50 pounds due to her illness. RSD is a chronic pain disorder involving the sympathetic nervous system, according to a website devoted to it. It usually is the result of an injury or trauma, but can also be a complication of surgery, infection, casting or splitting and myocardial infarction (heart attack). The trauma sets off the body's mechanism for pain recognition, but then the “normal system of pain perception” begins to misfire and an abnormal cycle of intractable pain begins. As RSD progresses, the abnormal pain of the sympathetic nervous system has an effect on other areas of the body and can result in total disability as muscles, bones, skin and the autonomic immune system become involved. What prompted Zoretic to become involved in legalizing medical marijuana usage was that she was busted, largely by accident, for growing and using marijuana for her RSD condition. She says that a fire broke out in a neighbor's house in the spring of 2000. Lakewood police burst into her house and accidentally discovered a number of plants she grew to help her deal with the symptoms of her illness. Because of that incident, Zoretic and her husband were convicted in the spring of 2001 of violating state marijuana laws, but were not sentenced to jail or probation and merely paid $500 in court costs. She was, however, forced to stop using marijuana for a time. After using 40 different drugs to try to help her condition, none of which really helped, she says “the only thing that works is marijuana.” She says she has no choice but to break the law. “I could have stopped using and watch myself waste away,” she says, “or I could break the law, go on living and raise my son.” Not surprisingly, it wouldn't be the last time “anti-drug warriors” would push her around, both mentally and physically. Last fall, after an Issue 1 debate at the Cleveland City Club, Zoretic tried to offer Governor Taft a summary of a White House-commissioned 1999 Institute of Medicine report that concludes that medicinal marijuana is beneficial for some patients. But before she could reach the governor, the tall, slender Hope Taft grabbed the petite Zoretic and physically held her back. To Zoretic's surprise, Hope Taft was familiar with her and her cause. Zoretic says before the debate, the Plain Dealer had collected questions from area residents, and she was chosen to ask her question via videotape by WVIZ. The Tafts, however, were allowed to preview all the questions. “I started to explain to her who I was and she knew,” recalls Zoretic. She says Hope Taft at least listened to what she had to say and even offered sympathy for those seeking medicinal marijuana.Zoretic and other OPN members 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. Zoretic and White say wide public support does exist, and it's now up to these same legislators to have a little 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,” White says. “But the reality is, voters are more likely to support candidates who support medical use of cannabis.” In Athens, home of Ohio University, another proponent of medicinal marijuana who's also felt the sting of anti-drug warriors, says Canada and Britain are leaving their past marijuana prejudices behind because of overwhelming evidence saying that thousands of sick people can improve their lives by using medicinal marijuana. In both nations, a doctor or the government can prescribe medicinal marijuana for legal use. Don Wirtshafter, who once ran the Ohio Hempery just outside Athens, says he's traveled to England for months at a time during the last two years, consulting for several pharmaceutical operations seeking to introduce medicinal marijuana products. “Eighty-one percent of multiple sclerosis patients in England and 96 percent in Canada said herbal cannabis is good medicine,” says Wirtshafter, adding that marijuana decreases the number and severity of spasms in MS patients. The studies were conducted with the help of pharmaceutical companies and multiple sclerosis groups. “The British and Canadians are clearly in favor of medicinal marijuana,” he says. The Ohio Hempery was once world-renowned for its cannabis wares, but Wirtshafter was compelled to close it down two years ago after the Drug Enforcement Agency stepped up its crackdown on the distribution of hemp seeds and other hemp products. He's since moved his operation to Canada. What will become of the Ohio Medicinal Marijuana Act, and whether it will be introduced in the Ohio legislature is still an open question. But the fact that State Representative Ken Carano is working to find co-sponsors so a bill can be introduced into the Legislature is a big step in Ohio. For thousands of sick Ohioans who could benefit from the use of legalized medical marijuana, the question is, how long can they wait? Supreme Court Backs States with Medicinal Marijuana  Medicinal marijuana proponents earned a victory in mid-October when the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for state laws allowing ill patients to smoke marijuana if a doctor recommends it. The high court turned down the Bush administration's request to consider whether the federal government can punish doctors for recommending or perhaps just talking about the benefits of the drug to sick patients. Because the Supreme Court declined to intervene, doctors in Oregon and eight other states can continue to give patients information about medicinal marijuana without fear that the federal government might go after their medical licenses. The eight other states, not including Ohio, with laws legalizing marijuana for people with physician recommendations or prescriptions include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada and Washington. In addition, 35 states have passed legislation recognizing marijuana's medicinal value. Federal law bans the use of pot under any circumstances. Marijuana falls into a group of drugs considered most dangerous by the federal government. The most recent Supreme Court ruling merely halted the courtroom battle over medicinal marijuana. The court did not address the legality of its use. Federal law clearly establishes that the use of marijuana, for any reason, is illegal. The case is Walters v. Conant, 03-40 English Study Says Marijuana Pill Helps MS Patients A study published recently in a respected English medical journal says that a marijuana pill appeared to relieve some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis in the first scientifically rigorous study of the strongly debated drug. The research, published in the first week of November in The Lancet medical journal, found that even though improvements could not be detected by doctors' tests, a greater proportion of patients taking the drug reported reduced pain and muscle stiffness than those taking fake capsules. One study leader, Dr. John Zajicek of the University of Plymouth in England, said the research raises questions about what's more important: a doctor's measurements or the patient's perspective. “I think if there's a conflict, it's what the patient feels which is important, so I think it's quite encouraging,” Roger Pertwee, a professor of neuropharmacology at University of Aberdeen, said. He was not connected with the study. Multiple sclerosis, a common nervous system disease, causes a range of chronic symptoms, including muscle stiffness and spasms, pain, tremor, fatigue, depression and bladder problems. It is difficult to study because the disease is unpredictable and its symptoms hard to measure. Orthodox treatments often provide inadequate relief, so many MS sufferers experiment with alternatives, including cannabis and its major active components — cannabinoids. There have been anecdotal reports of the success of cannabis in treating MS symptoms, particularly muscle stiffness, but there has been little scientific evidence. The study was set up to test the theory that cannabis and cannabinoids reduce muscle stiffness and may help alleviate other MS-related symptoms. It involved 630 multiple sclerosis patients from around Britain. One-third received a capsule containing whole cannabis oil; another third took one containing a synthetic version of a cannabinoid known as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. The rest got a fake capsule. Results were reported after 15 weeks of treatment. Fifty-seven percent of the patients taking the whole cannabis extract said their pain had eased, compared with 50 percent on THC and 37 percent on dummy capsules. For muscle stiffness, 61 percent on cannabis extract and 60 percent on THC reported an improvement, compared with 46 percent on fake treatment. Patients reported improved sleep and fewer or less intense muscle spasms. Those who could walk showed improved walking ability.  Medicinal Marijuana Facts  * The medical use of marijuana enjoys wide public support . More than 70% of respondents to recent surveys agree that marijuana should be available medically. Sources: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, Feb. 14-19, 2001, and The Gallup Poll, March 19-21, 1999.* Marijuana is safe . The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrative Law Judge, Francis L. Young stated in his 1988 ruling, “Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. [The] provisions of the [Controlled Substances] Act permit and require the transfer of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance.” Source: In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition. U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, Docket #86-22, September 6, 1988, p. 57.* Marijuana can be used to treat a variety of conditions . Approved by voter initiative in 1998, the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act allows for the use of marijuana to treat cancer, glaucoma, AIDS/HIV, cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures (epilepsy), and persistent muscle spasms (multiple sclerosis). Currently, more than 300 Oregon physicians participate in this program. A blue-ribbon panel of physicians, nurses, and patients appointed to review new indications added agitation from Alzheimer's disease to this list in July 2000. Source: Oregon Department of Human Services, Medical Marijuana Program -- http://www.dhs.state.or.us/publichealth/mm/index.cfm* Smoked marijuana is effective . Evaluation of controlled studies conducted in six different U.S. states indicates that smoked marijuana is 70-100 percent effective in controlling the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and substantially outperformed the synthetic THC capsule (Marinol¨) and other commonly prescribed antiemetics. Source: Effects of Smoked Cannabis and Oral D9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol on Nausea and Emesis after Cancer Chemotherapy: A Review of State Clinical Trials, Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, Vol. 1(1) 2001, p. 29. Richard E. Musty and Rita Rossi.* Marijuana is not a “gateway” drug . According to the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, “There is no evidence that marijuana serves as a stepping stone [to other drugs of abuse] on the basis of its particular physiological effect. It does not appear to be a gateway drug to the extent that it is the cause or even that it is the most significant predictor of serious drug abuse.” Source: Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A. Benson, Jr., Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, Institute of Medicine. Washington DC: National Academy Press. Chapter 3, pp. 98-100. (1999) Source: Cleveland Free Times (OH)Author: John Lasker Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2003Copyright: 2003 Cleveland Free Times MediaContact: letters freetimes.comWebsite: http://www.freetimes.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Ohio Patient Networkhttp://www.ohiopatient.netProspects Don't Look Good for Medicinal Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17590.shtmlIs Compassionate Cannabis Use on Horizon in Ohio? http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14874.shtml 

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Comment #10 posted by Virgil on November 20, 2003 at 13:06:12 PT
Welcome to Groundhog Day2 
Comment9 has been said before. I think EJ would say that a Volcano vaporizer would pay for itself with its efficiency.Welcome to Groundhog Day2, Cannabis Enthusiast and anyone else that has jumped in. You know groundhogs don't drink water. Excuse me, I am just trying to break the spell by trying something new.
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Comment #9 posted by Cannabis Enthusiast on November 20, 2003 at 12:46:07 PT:
SMOKING marijuana is direct result of Prohibition
If Prohibition II did not exist, most health-conscious potheads would probably cook it in their food, because there would be no monetary value of cannabis as it would grow everywhere in the wild.I can make CannaButter right now, but it is a waste of my $50 - $60 / 3.5 gram bag of pot. Smoking it is the most efficient way to use it, unfortunately.
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Comment #8 posted by Cannabis Enthusiast on November 20, 2003 at 11:03:52 PT:
Marijuana for your Mental Health
Campuses expand suicide preventionMore students report thoughts of taking their own livesASSOCIATED PRESSNov. 18 — Devastated by their son’s suicide during his sophomore year in college, Donna and Phillip Satow channeled their grief into reaching other students who have contemplated taking their own lives.NOW, THREE YEARS later, the Jed Foundation is working with 120 colleges and universities around the country, providing resources that include Ulifeline, a free Web site linking students to mental health centers and confidential help.
       It’s one sign, some experts say, that colleges are becoming more attuned to the issue — even if it’s just one step.
       “A Web site doesn’t solve the problem,” said Donna Satow, whose son, Jed Satow, was at the University of Arizona when he died in 1998. “But it might help one or two kids.”
       Second only to automobile accidents, suicide is the leading killer of college students — claiming the lives of an estimated 1,100 each year, according to the Jed Foundation. The American Association of Suicidology reports on its Web site that the suicide rate for 15-to-25 year olds is 300 percent higher than it was in the 1950s. 	
       In the aftermath of three apparent suicides this fall at New York University, nearly 100 colleges and universities contacted the Jed Foundation about offering the non-profit’s services to their students.
       The Jed Foundation also recently joined with Columbia, Harvard, Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to begin developing more effective suicide prevention programs on campuses.
       Ron Gibori, the executive director of Ulifeline, credits schools for recognizing the problem. Colleges often have campaigns urging students not to binge drink, or to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases. But suicide gets less attention, he says.
       Some schools are focusing on the causes of suicidal tendencies. Counselors say perfectionism — in combination with the long-recognized problems such as depression, bipolar disorder and drug abuse — is starting to play a larger role in college-age suicides.
       
THE DOWNSIDE OF PERFECTION
       “The good sign is that (students are) driven, they’re motivated and they’re highly conscientious,” said Connie Horton, the director of counseling and consultation services at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.
       “But the downside is that they can be really hard on themselves and normal failures can be viewed as disasters.”
       An unprecedented pressure to excel — often beginning in early childhood — may contribute to an apparent increase in suicidal tendencies among today’s college students, said Kansas State University psychologist Sherry Benton.
       “There’s a culture of perfectionism that really wasn’t there before,” said Benton, the co-author of a study on college suicides released earlier this year.
       “Students were just as high-achieving a generation ago. But they didn’t have this sense of perfectionism at this level.” 	
	
Diagnosing depression 
A common illness that affects nearly 19 million Americans each year, depression comes in many forms with a variety of symptoms. If you have any of the following symptoms for a prolonged period, it may be time to seek help: 
Persistant sad or anxious mood
Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
Loss of interest in hobbies or activities
Fatigue or decreased energy
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Insomnia or oversleeping
Changes in appetite or weight
Thoughts of death or suicide
Restlessness or irritability
Headaches or chronic pain
National Institute of Mental Health
       
       Based on 13,257 consultations at the Kansas State counseling center over a 13-year period, Benton and other KSU researchers determined that the number of students at the school with suicidal tendencies tripled between 1988 and 2001.
       Last year, Illinois Wesleyan began offering “perfectionistic thinking seminars” to teach students that a less-than-flawless academic effort doesn’t equal failure.
       “We try to help them put things in perspective,” said Horton. “That this is just one exam in one class in one semester of their lives.”       Communication is the real key to prevention, said Ross Szabo.
       In appearances before high school and college students on behalf of the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign, Szabo relates how his battles with bipolar disorder, depression and anger resulted in a failed suicide attempt when he was in high school.
       He encourages students not to suppress their problems but to share them with friends, family or counselors.
       “One of the things I see is that young people feel alone and don’t know that they can talk about it,” said Szabo, 25, a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C. “A lot of times they don’t have the words to start talking about it. And their form of expression is to wind up taking their own lives.”
GW Pharmaceuticals on cannabis' mental health benefits
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Comment #7 posted by afterburner on November 20, 2003 at 08:56:13 PT:
A Bone to Pick
Carano says the premise of the “control” issue is whether or not medicinal marijuana can stay within the possession of patients and stay out of the hands of abusers.This assumption based on the Schedule One Lie is the heart of Cannabis Prohibition. As the faithful choir knows Cannabis Prohibition is the source of most of the negative side effects of cannabis, namely inflated prices that attract criminals to the supply business, gang war over territory and supply similar to the wanton days of Alcohol Prohibition, and targeting of children by dealers willing to obtain profits no matter the cost to society. The only way to make medical cannabis safe is to legalize all cannabis use for adults, thus allowing the forces of the market to reduce costs, thereby reducing the profit in diverting medical cannabis into other uses, like spiritual and social. Some opponents of medicinal marijuana also say they have a simple answer for why they're against medicinal pot: It isn't a cure-all for anything.Oh, come now! This argument is based purely on ignorance. The facts in the remainder of the article indicate that cannabis is therapeutic for many disease syndromes. Why is cannabis repeatedly held to a "higher" standard than other medicines, like aspirin which is also not "a cure-all for anything"? Aspirin is available over the counter without prescription, can be administered on doctor's recommendation or self-administered for pain, is dirt-cheap, and no one accuses politicians of being "soft on crime" for allowing aspirin to be available to those who suffer pain or require a preventative treatment for heart attack or for stroke.Good article. I only object to the antis' continued ignorance and propaganda masquerading as truth. ego transcendence follows ego destruction, the summer of legalization demonstrated that the DEA/ONDCP obsession with the "crime" of cannabis possession is nothing more than a smoke screen for controlling citizens by attacking the US Constitution: there was no rise in violent crime or in hard drug use in Canada during the experiment of the last summer.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on November 19, 2003 at 20:07:26 PT
Here's a Picture of The Volcano
http://www.wbur.org/photogallery/news_marijuana1117/default.asp?counter=3
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Comment #5 posted by The GCW on November 19, 2003 at 19:57:47 PT
E. Johnson, they mentioned it...
a product called the ‘Volcano' (an inhaler-like apparatus available in Europe).”
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on November 19, 2003 at 19:12:35 PT
Audio: Massachusetts Considers Medical Marijuana 
 
 BOSTON, MA (2003-11-18)   
Governor Mitt Romney is expected to decide later this month whether he will join Senators Kennedy and Kerry and urge the federal drug enforcement administration to allow a Massachusetts professor to grow marijuana for medical research. Federal law prohibits the use of cannabis, even as a medicine, but nine U.S. states have approved the drug for patient use. So far, the federal government has permitted only a handful of patient trials, but pressure is building for a change, as WBUR's Rachel Gotbaum reports. Audio Link: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wbur/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=570473
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on November 19, 2003 at 18:40:20 PT
OPN tell everyone that Walters wants to debate
Walters said he wants to debate initiative funders George Soros, Peter Lewis and John Sperling, but they've refused, and he won't debate their "employees or consultants ... You get Soros here, and I'll be here." Dear Ohio Patient Network Dennis Kucinich is the only person running for President that has stated that he will change the Fed Cannabis laws. Mr Walters says he will only debate one of the above, the real debate is between jpee and Dennis. I urge OPN and Rep.Ken Carano and anyother elected rep to sponser such a debate. If jpee does not come have a mock one, doing so will show great support for Med Cannabis to all that want to run for any elected office. Monday, December 1st
www.kucinich.us
5:30 to 8 p.m.Cleveland, Ohio
Fundraising Reception at Massimo da Milano's Restaurant at 1400 West 25th St. (West 25th & Detroit). Requested donation: $50. Contact: Dale Miller at 216-252-7827 or national headquarters at 1-866-413-3664 for reservations and tickets.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on November 19, 2003 at 17:17:38 PT
I Didn't Know About The Ohio Hempery
I didn't know that the Ohio Hempery moved to Canada. I was able to go there one time years ago before I got a computer. I'm sorry to read that it no longer is here. I'm not involved with OPN because of where I live and my dedication to what I do here but I wish them the very best. It would be wonderful to have medical marijuana use allowed here. I just can't get my hopes up or I'd get depressed if it doesn't happen. I guess that is because it is my state.
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Comment #1 posted by Virgil on November 19, 2003 at 17:11:11 PT
Plenty of words-that is a good sign
The 70 percent figure shows a lack of awareness on the issue when this person is obviously trying to be informing. The last poll from October of 2002 with the 80 percent figure is up at NORML and someone should email her so that she might be better informed. She would also be interested in the comments here if she were told her article is up.There is one striking thing about this article that is somewhat unusual. The reporter is working to inform and she includes a hyperlink to more information. It needs to become a trend and it is a good sign to see it in her article. I only wish she would include other links like http://www.gwpharm.com/ and http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/home.htmIt is a sincere effort to be a responsible journalist and I will email her at the link FoM included- letters freetimes.com 
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