cannabisnews.com: Kudos To Those Who Supported Marijuana Bill





Kudos To Those Who Supported Marijuana Bill
Posted by CN Staff on June 08, 2004 at 20:33:56 PT
By Dave Copeland, Tribune-Review
Source: Tribune Review 
I like Mike. I won't even bash him for being a Democrat. And it's not because U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, of Swissvale, usually takes the time to return my phone calls when I'm working on deadline. And it has nothing to do with all the government dollars Doyle has brought back to Southwestern Pennsylvania to bolster our defense and robotics industries (I'm actually opposed to that, but that's another column).
Here's why I like Mike: He was one of 152 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who voted for an amendment co-sponsored by Maurice Hinchey, a New York Democrat, and Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican, last summer. In the 430-member House, of course, that's an overwhelming defeat. But it's also a small victory for people who support sensible drug laws, as it marked a 150 percent increase in Congressional support for medical marijuana since the only previous House vote on the issue five years earlier. Doyle and fellow Democrats Robert Brady, Fattah Chaka, Paul Kanjorski and John Murtha were the only Pennsylvania reps to vote for the bill. The remaining 14, including 12 Republicans and two Democrats, voted against it. This is where political writing gets dicey. Say you support medical marijuana, and a lot of people dismiss you as a pothead and a hippie. I'm not -- my male pattern baldness makes it difficult to grow dreadlocks. So we'll spin this into an anti-U.S. Justice Department column. Because everybody wants to beat up on John Ashcroft these days, and that's who the Hinchey bill targets. The bill, which is up for reconsideration again this summer, forbids the Justice Department from using its resources to interfere with state medical marijuana laws. In a world where terrorists fly planes into buildings and the nation's fear factor is color-coded by the Department of Homeland Security, the Hinchey amendment seeks to put the federal government's resources to better use. Or at least stop the Justice Department from using bully tactics to trump laws passed by Constitutionally-elected state legislatures. As the Washington, D.C.-based Drug Reform Coordination Network says in letters you can send to your representative from their Web site at:  http://www.stopthedrugwar.org -- "aren't there more important things for DOJ to be doing that could actually make Americans safer? ... Any member of Congress who votes against the Hinchey amendment either thinks we have all the money in the world to do everything, or just doesn't take national security or crime very seriously." Dave Copeland is a reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Source: Tribune Review (Pittsburgh, PA)Author: Dave Copeland, Tribune-ReviewPublished: Monday, June 7, 2004 Copyright: 2004 Tribune-Review Publishing Co.Contact: opinion tribweb.comWebsite: http://www.triblive.com/The Debate: Hinchey- Rohrabacher http://freedomtoexhale.com/dofcomm.htmCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on June 09, 2004 at 19:51:47 PT
GW Press Release
GW Announces Positive Preliminary Results with its Cannabis-based Medicine in Phase II Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Trial09/06/2004GW Pharmaceuticals plc announces positive preliminary results in a Phase II clinical trial in patients with pain caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis.The multi centre double blind, randomised, parallel group study in 58 patients assessed the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Sativex®, a whole plant medicinal cannabis extract, compared with placebo for the treatment of pain caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis. Study medication was administered by means of a spray into the mouth as an evening dose only and measures were assessed the following day.In the Phase II trial, statistically significant improvements were seen in a range of outcome measures including morning pain at rest (pOverall the number of adverse events experienced was similar between the treatment groups. The safety profile was consistent to that shown in previous Sativex studies with adverse events being generally mild or moderate in intensity.Dr Philip Robson, Director of GW’s Cannabinoid Research Institute, said, “These results are particularly exciting because this is the first ever controlled clinical trial of a cannabis-based medicine in the treatment of arthritis. To date, GW’s research has concentrated on multiple sclerosis and neuropathic pain and it is therefore very encouraging to see these positive effects of Sativex on pain and other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Future research in rheumatoid arthritis will examine the optimal cannabinoid ratios in this indication prior to selecting the product candidate to enter into a pivotal Phase III trials programme.Dr Robson added, “This exploratory trial provides further strong support to our belief that cannabis-based medicines may offer therapeutic potential across a range of medical conditions.”    
 http://www.gwpharm.com/news_press_releases.asp?id=/gwp/pressreleases/currentpress/2004-06-09/ 
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on June 09, 2004 at 19:48:15 PT
Epis Appeal Before 9th Circuit - June 16th
DPFCA: Bryan Epis oral argument - next Wednesday June 16    
   Bryan Epis' attorney, Brenda Grantland, reports that his hearing before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has been rescheduled for Wed., June 16th in S.F., 95 - 7th St.  The calendar starts at 9 am, but Bryan is 5th on the calendar. His case is likely to be called around noon.   - Dale Gieringer, Cal NORML-- 
----
Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml igc.org
2215-R Market 
 
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 09, 2004 at 13:11:58 PT
News Brief friom Reuters UK
GW Says Cannabis May Treat ArthritisJune 9, 2004 
LONDON (Reuters) - A pioneering cannabis-based medicine, initially developed to help multiple sclerosis sufferers, can also reduce arthritis pain, the company behind the product says.GW Pharmaceuticals, which is awaiting approval from UK and Canadian regulators to use its Sativex spray to treat MS and severe neuropathic pain, said on Wednesday mid-stage Phase II clinical tests showed it could benefit rheumatoid arthritis patients."These results are particularly exciting because this is the first ever controlled clinical trial of a cannabis-based medicine in the treatment of arthritis," said Philip Robson, director of GW's Cannabinoid Research Institute."This exploratory trial provides further strong support to our belief that cannabis-based medicines may offer therapeutic potential across a range of medical conditions."Sativex is partnered with Germany's Bayer AG.GW, which grows more than 40,000 marijuana plants a year at a secret location in the English countryside, said some 400,000 adults in the UK have rheumatoid arthritis.Copyright: 2004 Reuters
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Comment #7 posted by Richard Paul Zuckerm on June 09, 2004 at 11:06:03 PT:
THE OUTLOOK OF MEDICAL MARIHUANA FROM NEW JERSEY
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., 420 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20515-3006, (Telephone number)(202) 225-4671, (Fax)(202) 225-9665, mailed me a letter dated May 25, 2004, opposing H.R. 2233, the State's Right to Medical Marijuana Act, because Cannabis has not been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. The F.D.A. rushed Fluoride through approval, right into the infant formula and our drinking water, See, e.g., The Fluoride Deception, c. 2004, by Christopher Bryson, Seven Stories Press; and Aspartame, another dangerous substance, no thanks to Donald Rumsfeld, prior to his employ with the U.S. State Department; and Paxil, a highly addictive and dangerous substance. The F.D.A. are whores for the highest bidder. The medical Cannabis issue should not revolve around F.D.A. approval. The United States government launders over $600 Billion of drug money thru Wall Street, every year, www.fromthewilderness; dumps junk in our air, causing a rising incidence of respiratory illness, See, e.g., www.bariumblues.com/reason_for_chemtrails.htm; Yet, Congress cannot give Americans the courtesy to utilize the most versatile plant in the world, especially Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., the only member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee representing the people of New Jersey! Remember "Standard Oil of New Jersey"? Congressman Pallone is a Little Mussolini! New Jerseyans will most likely vote him in for another term, though. As Ted Turner once said: "Americans are the dumbest people in the world!" The New Jerseyans have no idea how many Corporations oppose medical Cannabis. Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, Johnson & Johnson, the list goes on. But these people of vote-for- the-wealthiest-because-that's-where-the-money-is mentality will continue their ways.A member of the New Jersey State Assembly will submit a Bill for Medical Marihuana in The State of New Jersey. I look forward to that one.Richard Paul Zuckerman, Box 159, Metuchen, New Jersey, 08840-0159, (Cell telephone number)(908) 403-6990, richardzuckerman2002 yahoo.com. 
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Comment #6 posted by BigDawg on June 09, 2004 at 09:00:32 PT
Right idea... wrong group of haters.
"This is where political writing gets dicey. Say you support medical marijuana, and a lot of people dismiss you as a pothead and a hippie. I'm not -- my male pattern baldness makes it difficult to grow dreadlocks."It's not that a lot of people will dismiss you, but if one is a poliotician... the big corp. political donors will dismiss their political donations.As stated previously, it isn't the PEOPLE who have a problem with MMJ.
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Comment #5 posted by Sam Adams on June 09, 2004 at 05:24:55 PT
Nice intention here, but this is not true:
"This is where political writing gets dicey. Say you support medical marijuana, and a lot of people dismiss you as a pothead and a hippie. I'm not -- my male pattern baldness makes it difficult to grow dreadlocks."No, that's not really true - 80% of the PEOPLE support medical MJ. A lot of cops, prison guards, and prosecutors will hate you though.
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Comment #4 posted by The GCW on June 09, 2004 at 03:59:54 PT
Considering ending cannabis prohibition?
Ending cannabis prohibition is also Biblical.James 5:14, "Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord..."So I ask:But Lord, what if We call for the elders only to be caged?The Green Collar Worker
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Comment #3 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 09, 2004 at 03:36:42 PT
Boondocks
I was just going to post that! Oh well. Below is the link that will go right to the pot one we're talking about, even after today when there's a newer cartoon. And I have seen The Boondocks skewer the WOD several times before, but I can't think of one that was specifically about marijuana issues.
http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/2004/06/09/
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on June 08, 2004 at 23:19:25 PT
Boondocks finally does a pot cartoon
Maybe the dour puritanical side of the American intellectual left is starting to get it:http://www.uclick.com/client/wpc/bo/
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on June 08, 2004 at 21:21:05 PT
Pot makes cancer less scary
I was sitting in the waiting room for a mammogram last week worrying as usual in that situation - WHAT IF? It goes through everyone's mind at that point, I think. But then I remember, even IF -- cancer treatment is no picnic but with pot it's not as scary a prospect.And that really made me feel relieved. And sorry for people who still live behind the Green Curtain.
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