cannabisnews.com: High Time for Marijuana High Time for Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on January 10, 2004 at 13:50:01 PT By Tim Christie, The Register-Guard Source: Register-Guard After five years on the books, Oregon's ground-breaking medical marijuana law is experiencing a boom.A recent round of favorable federal court rulings appears to have prompted more ailing Oregonians to seek state-issued cards allowing them to smoke, grow and possess marijuana and at the same time emboldened more doctors to endorse the practice. "It's all adding up to just a tremendous amount of growth in the program," said John Sajo, director of Voter Power, a Portland-based medical marijuana advocacy group. From Oct. 20 to Jan. 2, the number of people holding the cards jumped from 6,040 to 7,584, a 25 percent increase, state records show.Sajo said that figure may be low because of a backlog of applicants in the thousands.Since February 2003, the number of cardholders has increased by two-thirds.Lane County ranks second in the state with 763 cardholders, trailing only Multnomah County, home to 1,043 cardholders.Another 4,601 Oregonians have registered as caregivers, which means they have some responsibility for a patient's well-being, including growing marijuana for them.Oregon's law, passed by voters in 1998 and enacted in 1999, allows people with a specified illness to use and grow small amounts of marijuana without fear of prosecution as long as a doctor says it might help their condition. Qualified patients pay an annual $150 fee to the state - $50 for people on disability or the Oregon Health Plan.As the number of patients has increased in Oregon, the number of doctors authorizing cards has increased as well, though not as dramatically. Since October, the number of doctors in the program has risen 5 percent, from 1,223 to 1,280.At least five doctors have each signed more than 100 registry applications, said Mary Leverette, acting manager of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program.Recent court rulings appear to have made more doctors willing to sign applications, at least based on the number of phone calls to the Oregon Medical Association, said Jim Kronenberg, the group's associate executive director.Nine states have passed laws permitting people to use marijuana for medical purposes. The state laws conflict with federal statutes, which classify marijuana as an illegal drug with no legitimate medical purpose.A slew of court cases has pitted federal authorities against medical marijuana advocates, and in recent rulings, federal judges are siding with the states.In October, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that federal drug agents couldn't punish doctors for recommending medical marijuana to their ill patients. The appeals court ruled that the federal government had no authority to interfere with the right of physicians to speak candidly with their patients.Last month, a 9th Circuit panel ruled that it was unconstitutional for federal drug agents to prosecute medical marijuana patients in states with laws that allow the practice. The case is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.More cases in the federal court system are expected to be decided this year.Even before the court rulings, one Oregon doctor stood out for his willingness to recommend medical marijuana: Dr. Phillip Leveque, an 80-year-old semiretired osteopath from Molalla.Leveque first made a name for himself in 2001 as the state's leading endorser of medical marijuana, signing about 40 percent of applications. That distinction sparked an investigation by the state Board of Medical Examiners, which ultimately fined Leveque and suspended his medical licenses for 90 days. Investigators said he sometimes signed applications without examining the patient, failed to maintain medical records and otherwise failed to meet the state's standard of care.Since serving his punishment, Leveque hasn't missed a beat. He works with Voter Power as a kind of Interstate 5 circuit doctor, conducting clinics a couple of times a week in Portland and about once a month in Eugene, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford and Ashland.Between 20 and 40 patients show up for each clinic, drawn by word of mouth and advertisements in alternative newspapers. One such ad features a smiling photograph of Leveque with the headlines, "Dr. Leveque says, 'Cannabis gives the best relief' " and "The doctor is in!" Leveque and Voter Power staff members were in Eugene this week, renting out two banquet rooms at the Red Lion Inn, where patients could come to fill out applications and get a physical exam by a nurse-practitioner. The final step was a consultation with Leveque, who reviewed their medical records, asked about their medical condition, then signed their applications if they checked out.Leveque said he's now a stickler for following the letter of the law, making sure patients bring their medical records and that they've been diagnosed by a third-party physician with one of the qualifying conditions. The conditions are: agitation related to Alzheimer's disease; cachexia, or wasting syndrome; cancer; glaucoma; HIV and AIDS; nausea; pain; seizures; and muscle spasms.Leveque estimates that he has signed 4,000 applications. He said 99 percent of the patients he sees have been using marijuana to treat their medical condition before they ever seek a medical marijuana card."They decide they better get legal," he said.Don Gilman, a 33-year-old coffee shop worker from Eugene, showed up at the Eugene clinic to get an exam and get his application signed by Leveque. He suffers from fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome, and has been using marijuana to ease his discomfort."The thing I find is, it doesn't make the pain go away, but it makes it easier to deal with," he said. "It gives you a barrier between the pain and your life."Complete Title: High Time for Marijuana: Court Decisions May Have Emboldened Patients and DoctorsSource: Register-Guard, The (OR)Author: Tim Christie, The Register-GuardPublished: January 10, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Register-GuardContact: rgletters guardnet.comWebsite: http://www.registerguard.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Hemp & Cannabis Foundationhttp://www.thc-foundation.org/Medical Marijuana Advocates Seek To Ease Ruleshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18121.shtmlClearing The Hazehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18008.shtmlMarijuana Advocates Want Law Expanded http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15733.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #21 posted by FoM on January 11, 2004 at 15:00:49 PT ekim You're so sweet. I wish I knew the answers to your questions but I don't seem to very often. I am looking forward to Montels Show on Tuesday. I'm watching the Disovery Channel and it is talking about mental illness and treatments for it. Some day maybe Cannabis will be able to legally be used to help some folks. I hope so much that Montel spends time on the medical marijuana issue on Tuesday. I really do. [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by ekim on January 11, 2004 at 14:13:50 PT Thanks Nuevo--and FoM for Dr. Leveque wife From Oct. 20 to Jan. 2, the number of people holding the cards jumped from 6,040 to 7,584, a 25 percent increase, state records showMan Montel should have someone on his program from OR. I wonder how many card holders are in CA or all Nine states combined The number would blow many minds. Com on Bill Mahar do a show on HBO. There are hundreds of Millions of dollars to be made off a real movie.Who will pull back the curtain. How can the truth not be told with all these thousands apon thousands being helped by cannabis.FoM you posted the latest report on MPP and it is working with over a thousand Doctors I wonder if Dr Russo is involved. Com on Oprah or Larry King someone has to know the truth. [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by yippierevolutionary on January 11, 2004 at 10:28:21 PT The SF caucus shows just like the moveon primary Kucinich is Second place in this race!!I think that Sharpton and Braun should withdraw and put their support behind Kucinich because of what the corporate media calls "Vanity Candidates" He is the clear front runner. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by mayan on January 11, 2004 at 04:12:46 PT BOOM Just as we here at Cannabis News predicted, the doctors and patients are crawling out of the woodwork. The feds knew it would eventually come to this, as much as they've prayed it wouldn't. That's why they had to resort to their desperate, heavy-handed tactics of intimidation,incarceration and harrassment. The feds have had to endure great embarrassment and ridicule for carrying out their failed policy because they really had no choice, but now it seems their sacrifice has only been in vain. The game is up. Regardless of what the Supreme Court rules, the cat's done left the bag because the public has finally seen once and for all just how wicked Uncle Sam truly is and they will trust him never again. Millions of people,especially the elderly, are waking up to the fact that they've been lied to about medical cannabis and are getting mad as hell! They're also begining to wonder just what else they've been lied to about.Cannabis will soon be the most popular and effective medicine in North America! The courts are tired of the shrub and are paving the way for us to move our bulldozers and wrecking balls up next to the hollow wall of prohibition. It will undoubtedly fall! The cannabis plant is exposing the lies,corruption and hypocrisy of the dangerously bloated U.S. government(with our help!). You can't ban such a beneficial plant, you silly antis! The way out is the way in...Iraq War Planning Began Months Before 9/11, O'Neill Tells `60 Minutes': http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=auRbRnRJvhBk&refer=homeSaddam Ouster Planned Early '01? http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/09/60minutes/main592330.shtmlRevealed - Bush Planned To Invade Iraq 9 Months Before 9/11: http://rense.com/general47/before.htmPresident Bush Served Friday With Personal 9/11 RICO Complaint: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5479.htmNYC 9/11 Truth Takes Back Ground Zero: http://www.septembereleventh.org/newsarchive/2004-01-04-groundzero.php [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on January 11, 2004 at 04:01:15 PT Slightly OT: Return of the Dirty Seven http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/01/09/DIRTYWORDS.TMP&type=printableIf you search for the bill at Thomas.loc.gov you can find the seven words spelled out and everything. It's kinda surreal. Six of the seven words are still the same as the old George Carlin routine; I guess "tits" got usurped by another body part. Does this mean we're free to say it on TV all we want now? I mean, they -show- them in Europe, on broadcast TV, and their society hasn't collapsed... [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by FoM on January 10, 2004 at 21:33:37 PT Virgil I'll remove your comment because the link was too long but he should get the idea. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by FoM on January 10, 2004 at 21:31:56 PT I Don't Understand Your Question We don't have a section on a topic like that here on CNews. I suggest doing a google search and you should find what you are looking for. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by purplethumbplum on January 10, 2004 at 21:21:52 PT: Question to comment #5 Where do I go to read the speaches that John F Kennedy was to make before he got shot? I am slow or maybe just blind? [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by E_Johnson on January 10, 2004 at 20:29:53 PT Bob Marley cheers on the Mars Rover From BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3386255.stmUnfolding Spirit's wheels and getting it to "stand up" was the latest success for the US space agency Nasa's mission to Mars.Chris Voorhees, an engineer in charge of the process, said it was "intense" to witness the procedure which was met by cheers at mission control in Pasadena where the team played Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" reggae anthem. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Virgil on January 10, 2004 at 20:27:36 PT Kucinich 2nd-place suprise in Santa Cruz caucus You may want to read the comments in this thread=starter at DU- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=97925Today Santa Cruz, California held the nation's first caucus. It's not quite Iowa, but check it out: The non-biding caucus was sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Democratic Central Committee, the People’s Democratic Club, Santa Cruz County Democratic Women’s Club and North Santa Cruz County Democrats, and included a keynote speech from U.S. Rep Sam Farr and closing remarks from Assemblyman John Laird. The hall was hopping. We had 2 live donkeys, bagpipers, and some great singing. After the entertainment, representatives for each candidate (except Lieberman and Sharpton) spoke to the crowd, and ballots were cast. The results, from 441 ballots: Dean 42% Kucinich 29% Clark 25% Kerry 2% Edwards 1%Braun and Sharpton each had less than 1% [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by FoM on January 10, 2004 at 20:13:04 PT A Sad Note I just read in California's Newsgroup that I get that Dr. Leveque wife just passed away. They have been married since 1948 and have 5 children. I thought you all would want to know too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on January 10, 2004 at 19:55:11 PT Thanks The GCW I hadn't seen the article until you posted it about MAP Beyond The Numbers. I had no idea. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by The GCW on January 10, 2004 at 19:54:53 PT Eliminate the fees -is next. While the program is experiencing a boom; and qualified patients pay an annual $150 fee to the state - $50 for people on disability or the Oregon Health Plan, perhaps it is time to reduce or completely eliminate those fees. Another way to eliminate those fees, is to support United States, Democratic Presidential nominee, Dennis Kucinich, who put in writing on His website (http://www.kucinich.us/issues/marijuana_decrim.php ) that as President He will: "DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA" and regulate it similar to alcohol, which will effect cannabis policy nation wide. There should not be fees, for people to use a plant God created and said was good on literally the very 1st page of the Bible. Think of it as a way to reduce Your medical expenses by eliminating the middle man.Right here is mention of thousands of people that would be more apt to support Kucinich if they know His writen policy. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by The GCW on January 10, 2004 at 19:23:18 PT Oh Yeah. Web: Robert Sharpe Has His 1,000th Letter to the Editor Publishedhttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n801/a01.html?1570Pubdate: Fri, 30 May 2003 [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by The GCW on January 10, 2004 at 19:19:45 PT Author: Robert Sharpe In case You havn't noticed: Web: MAP Beyond The Numbers http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n050/a02.html?1061points out that the number of letters to the editors is down.When I read that this morning, it made Me think of when I was thinking of Robert Sharpe the other day, and so I thought of Him again, here.Then, this came up.CN BC: PUB LTE: Pot Needs Regulated Markethttp://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n054/a10.html?397Hi Robert,We miss You.(Robert may be holding the world record for printed letters to the editor at over 1,000) [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Virgil on January 10, 2004 at 18:42:33 PT Alexander Cockburn- election issue is corruption CP is an obvious wrong that lives only because the system is rotted by decades of corruption. Alexander Cockburn that edits at CounterPunch was drawn into the Bu$h/Hitler comparisons with his work this weekend at http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn01102004.html People should read the whole article but if you do not at least read this one-The central political issue this year is the absolute corruption of the political system and of the two parties that share the spoils. Wherever one looks, at the gerrymandered districts, the balloting methods, the fund raising, corruption steams like fumes from a vast swamp. To rail about Bush as Hitler is to blur what should be the proper focus. If you want to hear an American answer to Hitler-as-warmonger at full tilt go and read the speeches John F Kennedy was making and planning to make when he was shot. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Nuevo Mexican on January 10, 2004 at 17:51:01 PT Here's one of the best ways to eat.... at least the most pleastant, other than brownies and chocalate-covered rice-crispie, dead-show bars! YUM!Marijuana butter recipe: http://www.stonerclub.com/bud-recipes-marijuana-butter.htmlmore recipes here: http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&cof=AWFID%3Ab21d0b5c4b3cf848%3B&q=hemp+butter+recipes&btnG=Google+Search [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by ekim on January 10, 2004 at 16:18:50 PT how does one eat herb a close freind has had shingles for over a year. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on January 10, 2004 at 15:17:54 PT Eat it ""The thing I find is, it doesn't make the pain go away, but it makes it easier to deal with," he said. "It gives you a barrier between the pain and your life." "My experience with fibromyalgia is: I had to eat cannabis, and it took a while for it to go away. Smoking can take the edge off but eating can make it go away.Getting a full eight hours of sleep is necessary for treating fibromyalgia. Eating cannabis helps with the sleep too.There has been research to suggest that fibromyalgia is due to some deficiency in the deep phase of sleep.Cannabinoid antagonists cause a deficiency in deep sleep, so maybe fibromyalgia stems from a cannabinoid deficiency somehow. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Virgil on January 10, 2004 at 15:13:09 PT Today's question Leveque estimates that he has signed 4,000 applications. Why did he sign 4,000 applications where 99% of them were already using cannabis for there situation?A) In protest of the UK's decision that would not even allow cannabis extracts to be given to people already using it for MSB)The first rule of medicine is to do no harm and as cannabis defines safety, it is the safest thing to try first and everyone has painC)Cannabis is highly addictive and the people using it would experience terrible withdrawal symptoms if their black market connections or money ran out.D) He is a crusader bringing in an age of enlightenment when young doctors with families were beaten into submission be DEA threats.E) When he was a boy and cannabis was Free, he got high and has been a social deviant ever since. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment