cannabisnews.com: There Are Legal Options To Medicinal Marijuana Use










  There Are Legal Options To Medicinal Marijuana Use

Posted by CN Staff on March 10, 2004 at 23:33:52 PT
Pantagraph Editorial 
Source: Pantagraph 

A bill designed to allow the terminally ill in Illinois to grow and legally carry marijuana will probably get the attention it deserves -- none. A House committee heard testimony on the bill, but said it needed more study -- usually a code for saying this bill is going nowhere.Every few years, similar legislation surfaces. If marijuana was a proven, sole medication to fight the ill effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatments for terminal cancer, we might have a different opinion.
But the medical profession says there are alternatives. And our concern isn't as much with marijuana in the hands of terminally ill people who deserve any assistance possible as it is with the people who would likely abuse the system for personal fulfillment.Bills pending in the House and Senate would require a physician's permission for a terminally ill person to grow up to six plants or possess one ounce of marijuana. The person would then have to obtain a card from the Illinois Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse to be in possession of the marijuana. But there is also a provision for a "caretaker" to have such a card and possess marijuana. Illinois' history with forged legal documents should say this could be an invitation for widespread abuse by those who use underground connections to get marijuana illegally. That's why police organizations oppose this legislation.Plenty of evidence, much of it anecdotal, on the merits of using marijuana to combat the ill effects of cancer drugs has been offered. But none that we're aware of has said conclusively that marijuana is the best answer.There has been plenty of opportunity to provide such evidence in Illinois, despite the federal law forbidding cannabis. For 26 years, Illinois has had a law allowing the state to approve research projects by doctors to produce, manufacture or deliver substances containing marijuana. In that 26 years, there has never been a request, according to spokesman Tom Green of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.Based on what we've seen and heard, we cannot support use or possession of marijuana, even for the terminally ill.Source: Pantagraph, The (IL)Published: Thursday, March 11, 2004 Copyright: 2004 The PantagraphWebsite: http://www.pantagraph.com/Contact: bwills pantagraph.comRelated Articles & Web Site:IDEAL Reformhttp://www.idealreform.org/Marijuana Bill Set Aside Before It Gets a Hearing http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18436.shtmlLawmakers Lobbied To Back Marijuana Plan http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18435.shtmlStatehouse Panel To Hear Medical Marijuana Plan http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18426.shtmlMarijuana By Prescription Only http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18412.shtml

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Comment #15 posted by ekim on March 11, 2004 at 18:50:26 PT

someone mention Norml:)
-- Dennis is going all over IL ck out his site for time and place. Ask him about the Med bill being stalled in IL.Sun March 14
http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.php
Normal, Illinois
8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Uniting the Democratic Party Rally
Illinois State University
Bone Student Center, old main room
Contact: Melody Justus, (309) 275-1051 or
http://www.hashbash.com
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Comment #14 posted by SoberStoner on March 11, 2004 at 17:14:04 PT

It's the pantagraph. Color me unsurprised
The area the pantagraph is printed and distributed in is one I am all too familiar with. The area is staunchly conservative and very (so-called) christian. Some of the older residents of the area still miss the old days where Normal was a dry town, back in the good old 1970sAll I had to do was see where the article was from and I knew what I was in for. This paper always was easy to ignore when I lived in the area, and it seems I can continue to do so.SS
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Comment #13 posted by ekim on March 11, 2004 at 14:00:41 PT

IL could have been the leader of Hemp industry
  
 Gov. Ryan Blocks Hemp Study Again 
Posted by FoM on August 04, 2001 at 07:52:40 PT
By The Associated Press 
Source: Pantagraph Gov. George Ryan has once again blocked a study of industrial hemp's potential as a crop for Illinois farmers, arguing Friday that other studies have settled the issue already. Ryan also signed legislation to help graduates of a Governors State University social work program that failed to get national accreditation. 
The hemp bill would have allowed the University of Illinois to grow the plant -- a cousin to the drug marijuana -- and study whether it could be raised profitably in Illinois. Meanwhile, Western Illinois University would have studied law enforcement issues raised by growing hemp.Ryan said he vetoed the bill because other studies have already convinced him that hemp would not be a successful crop. The move to grow hemp also "plays into the national strategy of groups seeking to remove existing criminal penalties for cannabis/marijuana," he added.The Republican governor vetoed a similar bill earlier this year. The second version tried to address his concerns by studying law enforcement concerns and looking for ways to grow hemp with none of the mind-altering chemical found in marijuana.The measure related to Governors State will allow 77 graduate students to be licensed for social work if they meet certain criteria.The graduates will be able to get licenses from the state if they successfully completed the university program and pass necessary examinations. In some cases, students must pass additional coursework once the university becomes accredited.Ryan also approved bills that:* Require repeat drunken drivers to get special "ignition interlock" devices that prevent a car from starting unless the driver passes a sobriety test.* Create a list of all local gun ordinances. Gun advocates say it's necessary so gun owners know what local laws apply as they travel throughout the state.* Requires the Department of Corrections to provide an identification card to people released from prison. Supporters say inmates often leave prison without a drivers license or other form of ID often needed to get work.The hemp bill is HB3377. The Governors State bill is SB1152.On the Net: http://www.legis.state.il.usSource: Pantagraph, The (IL)
Published: Saturday, August 4, 2001
Copyright: 2001 The Pantagraph
Contact: bwills pantagraph.com
Website: http://www.pantagraph.com/
 
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread11342.shtml  
http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html
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Comment #12 posted by mamawillie on March 11, 2004 at 10:56:37 PT

Doctors and medical marijuana
Various and sundry links abotu physicians and their opinions of the war on drugs:http://www.aafp.org/x6906.xml
http://www.aafp.org/afp/991201ap/2583.html
http://www.aafp.org/afp/990515ap/clinical.html#Report (about midway down the page)http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/article/2036-4299.htmlhttp://www.facs.org/fellows_info/bulletin/roe1001.pdf
http://www.facs.org/fellows_info/bulletin/mabry1001.pdf
http://www.facs.org/fellows_info/bulletin/roerespose1001.pdfThat's what I have found so far.. still looking...Mama
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Comment #11 posted by dongenero on March 11, 2004 at 08:51:23 PT:

to the editor
 Her's my letter. I hope it's not to lengthy to post here.......Dear Editors,
I am writing in response to your published Op/Ed piece titled "There are legal options to medicinal marijuana use".
I would like to address the flawed and erroneous logic used to support the arguments in this editorial:> If marijuana was a proven, sole medication to fight the ill effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatments for terminal cancer, we might have a different opinion.I'm not sure what the point of having a "sole medication " for any ailment would be. The fact is, different medicines have different effects on each individual. There is no cookie cutter answer. This oversimplifies the issue and disregards the seriously people for whom this is the most effective treatment. > But the medical profession says there are alternatives. And our concern isn't as much with marijuana in the hands of terminally ill people who deserve any assistance possible as it is with the people who would likely abuse the system for personal fulfillment.Okay, now an about face admitting these seriously ill people deserve any help they can get. Well, which way do you want it? The fact that people may abuse a system is not a justifiable reason for criminalizing these suffering people. Many synthetic, pharmaceuticals are abused as is the system of obtaining them. Do you suggest we stop prescription drugs all together? I also include a link to a lengthy list of health organization in support of medical marijuana. These organizations include: American Academy of Family Physicians, National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM), New England Journal of Medicine, American Nurses Association. The list includes scores of other prestigious supporters.> Illinois' history with forged legal documents should say this could be an invitation for widespread abuse by those who use underground connections to get marijuana illegally. That's why police organizations oppose this legislation.Again, the fact that a system could be taken advantage of by organized criminals does not lead to the reasoning that the system is therefore without merit. As for the police organizations I include a link for a supporting organization.    http://www.leap.cc/> Plenty of evidence, much of it anecdotal, on the merits of using marijuana to combat the ill effects of cancer drugs has been offered. But none that we're aware of has said conclusively that marijuana is the best answer.On the contrary, much of the evidence leading to the demonization of marijuana is anecdotal. Many studies have been done around the world showing the efficacy of medical marijuana. Marinol is a marijuana based medicine available in this country already. Unfortunately, the fact that it must be ingested is a problem for people who are so sick that they cannot keep pills down. The effect is delay also which make appropriate self-dosing very difficult. It also isolates just one of the active ingredients of marijuana when in fact these ingredients work in concert in medical marijuana. Marinol is also extremely expensive, which is fine if someone is fortunate enough to have a prescription drug plan. Additionally, new drugs based on marijuana are on the verge of approval in the U.K. and medical marijuana is available in pharmacies in the Netherlands.> There has been plenty of opportunity to provide such evidence in Illinois, despite the federal law forbidding cannabis. For 26 years, Illinois has had a law allowing the state to approve research projects by doctors to produce, manufacture or deliver substances containing marijuana. In that 26 years, there has never been a request, according to spokesman Tom Green of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.The fact is very little marijuana research is performed in this country. The major federal studies done in this country, one of the last of which is Nixon's Schaffer Commission study have generally been buried when they didn't support the ideology of the political powers. Case in point being this summary quote from the above mentioned study.IV. Therapeutic UsesRECOMMENDATION: INCREASED SUPPORT OF STUDIES WHICH EVALUATE THE EFFICACY OF MARIHIUANA TN THE TREATMENT OF PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS AND DISEASE IS RECOMMENDED.Historical references have been noted throughout the literature referring to the use of cannabis products as therapeutically useful agents. Of particular significance for current research with controlled quality, quantity and therapeutic settings, would be investigations into the treatment of glaucoma, migraine, alcoholism and terminal cancer. The NIMII-FDA Psychotomimetic Advisory Committee's authorization of studies designed to explore the therapeutic uses of marihuana is commended.> The consequence of inappropriate definition is that the public continues to associate marihuana with the narcotics, such as heroin. The confusion resulting from this improper classification helps to perpetuate prejudices and misinformation about marihuana.Furthermore, the allowance of such studies are all controlled by the Federal government so, the fact that the state of Illinois has a law regrading the allowance of research, the state has no way of facilitating such research. It makes sense then that no one would present such a request to the state.In conclusion, based on the facts rather than on what the misguided Op/Ed has "seen and heard", it is time to rethink the hysteria and misinformation that has been propogated for decades. It is time to compassionately meet the needs of seriously and terminally ill people for whom medicinal marijuana can mean a tremendous difference in the quality of their lives. To the detriment of no one.
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Comment #10 posted by jose melendez on March 11, 2004 at 07:47:39 PT

paulpeterson
Can you submit an application to implement your plan to distribute raw cannabis pills now? They would have to respond, and a denial would be grounds for that restraint of trade lawsuit I'm looking to mount . . .
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Comment #9 posted by paulpeterson on March 11, 2004 at 07:27:48 PT

jose melendez
Yes, Timmy, there was a state called Illinois where a person did, once anyway, try to invoke the law to make a raw cannabis "pill", and he even got the big bad wolf (that would be DEA) to consider cooperating with this "plan". This was all verbal, of course, since no-body in those places would want such a "paper trail" and such. All it would have taken was about 2000 pounds or so, a few troopers to follow the cargo to the ag producer in Wisconsin and back to the DEA with the pelletted material. The DEA guy told me point blank they would give "split approval" so I could make the pellet, then phase two would be to get regulatory approval to distribute and test the stuff under proper hospital protocol and what not. They would have allowed me to take a handful of the stuff around to doctors and scientists to get enough interest to get the money together, etc.ALL I NEEDED WAS A CONSCENSUS FROM MY STATE PEOPLE, and they almost agreed UNTIL THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE NIXED THE DEAL, then I got a "get outa town by sundown" letter from OASA (now a part of the DHS).THESE SAME GOONS NOW HAVE THE AUDACITY TO STATE THAT NOBODY EVER ASKED FOR AUTHORITY! That is because no doctor wants to risk his own neck the way I risked mine.After I had contacted Governor Ryan (who now faces federal racketeering indictments, oh goody!) he even had the audacity to state that we don't need a MM law here BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE ONE (now that he finally knew there was one already on the books!).Well, I am still at work in the trenches, albeit without a law license. I still have a Federal Case under the Americans with Disabilities Act against the lawyer goons for their discrimination against my disability (ADD) for which I claim medical efficacy for cannabis usage.I had also asked to declare the CSA of 1970 unconstitutional when applied to MM patients, but after the judge stated "obviously" I wouldn't prevail on that argument I dismissed same, since "obviously" I would be better off to await the west coast precedent to come first (which it did, nicely, thank you 9th Circuit).The Illinois Supreme Court refused to even consider the rampant changes being wrought in federal courts as being relevant to my own state "criminal activity" ethics hubub. They have even refused to consider the insurance fraud scam I tried to stop. I'm waiting for their final ruling on my licensure right now.And to think I could have made Illinois the leader in the nation, based upon legislation already on the books (and with perfect "federal" language ie: "certification" rather than "prescription", prescription would violate federal law, etc.). Illinois' biotech companies could have leapfrogged those Brits & French guys instead of being steeped in the dustbin of history. Oh well! (and thanks for remembering). Paul Peterson
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Comment #8 posted by BGreen on March 11, 2004 at 06:57:21 PT

Hallelujah! Stop The Research!
We've got all the drugs we need and they work for everybody. I know it's true because the pro-jail crowd keeps telling me so.What, may I ask, was this story about from Dec. 2003?GlaxoSmithKline chief admits: our drugs do not work on most patientsA senior executive with Britain's biggest drugs company has admitted that most prescription medicines do not work on most people who take them. Allen Roses, worldwide vice-president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), said fewer than half of the patients prescribed some of the most expensive drugs actually derived any benefit from them.(The Independent / December 8, 2003) -- It is an open secret within the drugs industry that most of its products are ineffective in most patients but this is the first time that such a senior drugs boss has gone public. His comments come days after it emerged that the NHS drugs bill has soared by nearly 50 per cent in three years, rising by £2.3bn a year to an annual cost to the taxpayer of £7.2bn. GSK announced last week that it had 20 or more new drugs under development that could each earn the company up to $1bn (£600m) a year.Dr Roses, an academic geneticist from Duke University in North Carolina, spoke at a recent scientific meeting in London where he cited figures on how well different classes of drugs work in real patients.Drugs for Alzheimer's disease work in fewer than one in three patients, whereas those for cancer are only effective in a quarter of patients. Drugs for migraines, for osteoporosis, and arthritis work in about half the patients, Dr Roses said. Most drugs work in fewer than one in two patients mainly because the recipients carry genes that interfere in some way with the medicine, he said.Now, somebody's lying. Who could it be?The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #7 posted by jared3602 on March 11, 2004 at 06:49:02 PT:

What a joke
"But the medical profession says there are alternatives. And our concern isn't as much with marijuana in the hands of terminally ill people who deserve any assistance possible as it is with the people who would likely abuse the system for personal fulfillment."Then I guess we need to take a lot of medication off of the shelves because people are using Oxycotten and plenty of other over the counter drugs for their own personal fulfillment.So their argument about MJ holds no water at all.
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Comment #6 posted by TroutMask on March 11, 2004 at 06:26:03 PT

mmmm, baloney!
"For 26 years, Illinois has had a law allowing the state to approve research projects by doctors to produce, manufacture or deliver substances containing marijuana. In that 26 years, there has never been a request, according to spokesman Tom Green of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse."Gee, I wonder why. Seems to me I remember something about the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT controlling marijuana research and not STATE GOVERNMENTS. That is, your state can legalize marijuana research all they want, but 1. you have to then get permission AND POT from the federal government and 2. Good luck getting that!I find it hard to believe that anyone could be so intentionally blind to the facts. Did Joyce write this article?-TM
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Comment #5 posted by lilgrasshoppah77 on March 11, 2004 at 05:52:29 PT:

despicable thieves, who steal....
our most precious possession: our dignity.... from behind a smokescreen of anonymity and usurped authority, to boot. Think, for a moment, about the implication of this editorial.TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS deserve to be jailed for their choice of treatment. They deserve to die poor and lonely for their choice of treatment. The writer doesn't even mention chronically patients. They don't rate. They don't matter at all. But terminally ill people... they DESERVE TO DIE. Just like Peter MacWilliams died. You know, Mr. MacWilliams enjoyed his life when he had pot? Every day was a joy, he wrote. Because Cannabis Sativa made it possible for him to enjoy life. After his pot was taken away, he died in a pool of his own vomit. HE DIED IN A POOL OF HIS OWN VOMIT. Yeah, the pills really worked, huh!Personal fulfillment. How evil is the desire for personal fulfillment! I mean, only the lowest scum would ever want to experience "personal fulfillment", right? And under the auspices of a herbaceous plant, no less! How low can humanity stoop, when they're looking for "personal fulfillment"! I mean it must be evil, because sick people have to suffer so that other people might be stopped from abusing the sustem for "personal fulfillment". Nobody has ever died from pot. Like Peter MacWilliams, a few people have died from the LACK thereof. And it is cruel and unusual punishment to deny sick people their medicine simply for the fear that others will use the herb for "personal fulfillment". 
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Comment #4 posted by mayan on March 11, 2004 at 04:56:19 PT

This Is Insane!!!
Another article without an author. What cowards. I would wager that well over half of the folks who work for the Pantagraph support medical cannabis. Whoever owns the paper obviously doesn't. This blows my mind..."And our concern isn't as much with marijuana in the hands of terminally ill people who deserve any assistance possible as it is with the people who would likely abuse the system for personal fulfillment."So they would deny the terminally ill the medicine which could help them keep their food and pills down and help keep them alive...just because a small handful "might" use the "dreaded devil weed" for recreational purposes? You've got to be kidding me!!! Those who might abuse this system will likely find weed with or without this system , they'll just have to go out onto the streets and deal with folks who deal crack & meth also! "Based on what we've seen and heard, we cannot support use or possession of marijuana, even for the terminally ill."Over 80% of Americans disagree with the Pantagraph. What an ill-informed author(whatever their name is)!The way out is the way in...Nationwide Phone/Fax Campaign Gridlocking Offices of Those Who Can Force 9/11 Issues Into The Open:
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/030604_fax_campaign.html9/11 Email Fax Campaign Bearing Fruit:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/89/c2/200403101432.8c8c7357.html9/11 Prior Knowledge/Government Involvement Archive:
http://www.propagandamatrix.com/archiveprior_knowledge 

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Comment #3 posted by afterburner on March 11, 2004 at 04:46:44 PT:

Sloppy Journalism
"If marijuana was a proven, sole medication to fight the ill effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatments for terminal cancer, we might have a different opinion. But the medical profession says there are alternatives."If you really want the public to believe there are effective alternatives, why, who, what, when, where, and how, give us the facts. Oh no, that might allow people with real world experience to dispute your flimsy straw man argument!Medical Freedom Amendment for 2004, needed now more than ever.
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Comment #2 posted by jose melendez on March 11, 2004 at 04:27:22 PT

still seek raw cannabis pills
these are all the cannabisnews search results I can find to confirm my comment #1http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12501.shtml#2http://cisum.com/news/thread12246.shtml#5http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12427.shtmlhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/13/thread13471.shtmlhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/16/thread16827.shtml#16and, from http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/13/thread13086.shtml#9" Illinois still has a statute on the books about medical marijuana that go back to 1979 and would be a statute: 720 Ilcs 55 section 11. He had a class action lawsuit representing patients and he had an interest in the case because marijuana helped his ADD and he says that Oregon may allow marijuana for the Brain Racing Syndrome he has. Anyway he has a letter from a state Senator that in fact confirms that these laws are still valid. So the way to kill the lawsuit and silence him was to take away his law license and he can tell you about his struggles in that arena.What makes this story so interesting is that Paul went to the DEA to get permission to conduct legitimate marijuana studies and had the idea of making pellets or pills if you will as a way of guaranteeing consistency within a batch. "
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Comment #1 posted by jose melendez on March 11, 2004 at 03:53:35 PT

Illinois reminds me of Peterson's cannabis pills
Is that not the state where they supressed a plan to distribute raw cannabis pills?
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