cannabisnews.com: Utah's THC Act!





Utah's THC Act!
Posted by FoM on July 12, 1999 at 17:32:35 PT
Ken Larsen, Ph.D.
Source: Personal Choice
Okay, folks, Here it is. Friday, June 18th, we received the approved copy of our new initiative petition for Utah. We printed all I could afford (500 copies with room for 12 names each) and got them individually stamped by the Lt. Gov's office. 
Saturday, June 19th, we held an anti-Police State rally on the Capital grounds at which we kicked off our petition drive. Local media have already reported it. Now we desperately need help. We might have the resources to get a few thousand signatures, but we need about 70,000 verified signatures to put the initiative on the ballot. We hope to put it on the 2002 ballot. We hope to submit the final batch of petitions during the 2002 winter Olympics while the whole world is watching Salt Lake City. We have plenty of time, but we can't do it without outside help. We probably need a hundred thousand dollars just to get it on the ballot. I don't know where that money is going to come from, but I have faith in "The Force." For example, we came out of the capitol building and there was a van from KSL radio behind my car. We asked if they wanted an interview on the Utah Medical Marijuana Initiative. They were happy to interview me. A couple of hours later, we were driving around and my companion, Ben Valdez, suggested we tune in to KSL so we might hear the interview. As soon as I tuned to KSL, they played the interview. You may call that a coincidence. I think it's the same power that helped Washington do the same thing we are doing. I expect that power to bring from afar, the necessary money and man power to win, just as that power brought men and money from France to help Washington win. Here's the text of our initiative: THE UTAH THERAPEUTIC HUMANE CANNABIS (THC) ACT The Utah State Code shall be amended to include the following: Be it enacted by the People of Utah 1. Any previous law notwithstanding, licensed medical practitioners with authority to issue pharmaceutical prescriptions shall not be prosecuted for issuing prescriptions for tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) or any other cannabinoid or cannabinoid-containing substance for medical use. 2. Any previous law notwithstanding, persons with current medical prescriptions from a licensed medical practitioner for THC or any other cannabinoid or cannabinoid-containing substance for medical use, shall not be prosecuted for possession or personal use of any amount of THC or other cannabinoid or cannabinoid-containing substance. 3. Any previous law notwithstanding, no person shall be prosecuted for producing, posessing or distributing solely to persons with current medical prescriptions for the same, any amount of THC or other cannabinoid or cannabinoid-containing substance. That's the text of the petition. Here's the text of our flyer in support of the petition: Therapeutic Humane Cannabis: A Medical Decision by Dr. Ken Larsen, Chairman, Utah THC Committee Printed by the Vote Ken Larsen Committee War Casualties The Drug War is about more than drugs. It is about war. Like any other war, it has collateral casualties. Collateral casualties are the innocent civilians whose suffering is tolerated in the name of war. Consider, for example, the innocent children of Belgrade, who have been going to bed each night hungry, cold, tired and afraid. They are collateral casualties. Collateral casualties of America's war on drugs include those innocents who are shot in the cross-fire in drug-gang shootings. Others would be those whose lives have been disrupted or ended by police break-ins at the wrong house. Some collateral casualties of America's war on drugs would include the pain, suffering and even deaths of innocent American patients. My Own Research Let me tell you about myself. I am an Adjunct Research Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine. The "Adjunct" part of my title means I get my financial support from outside sources. I do contract research for private drug companies. Recently, I did a project for Atlantic Pharmaceutical. The new drug is called "CT-3." It sounds almost like a character from "Star Wars," doesn't it? Anyway, this drug was formed by attaching the active part of aspirin to the cannabinoid Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. The result is a drug with high potency analgesic (pain relief) and anti-inflammatory effects. My study investigated the dose-response effects of CT-3 on analgesia, stomach injury and toxicity. The Best of Both Worlds I found and reported that the drug had a very good dose-response curve for pain relief, with virtually no injury to the stomach. In other words, the usual aspirin injury to the stomach is prevented by the THC part of the molecule. I also found it was impossible for me to put enough CT-3 into a rat stomach to produce death. There simply was not sufficient room. Thus, CT-3 has the potential to be the perfect drug for arthritis sufferers around the world. It is as powerful as aspirin on pain and inflammation, with no stomach irritation or oral toxicity. I don't know if humans can get "high" on CT-3, but I suspect the dose would be at least 10 times as expensive as getting high smoking pot - hardly an incentive for abuse. Another Casualty of War The last I heard, Atlantic Pharmaceutical is not pursuing this potential wonder drug for arthritis sufferers. I don't believe it is because the drug is not effective or because of any adverse side effects. I suspect it is because the drug is a cannabinoid and would test positive for THC in urinalysis. I suspect this drug will never be available to the millions of people suffering from arthritis because of America's war on drugs. I suspect CT-3 is a collateral casualty. If CT-3 could have helped, then all those who suffer because of its unavailabilty would be collateral casualties. How many other drugs might be more effective if their adverse gastrointestinal effects could be reduced or eliminated with the addition of THC? How many other potential medical uses for THC will be collateral casualties? How many undiscovered wonder drugs are missing from your pharmacy because of the drug war? Who Owns Your Body? Does this make sense to you? Are you willing to trust your doctor to open you up and take out your appendix, but not trust her to prescribe appropriate drugs for your suffering? All prescription drugs are potentially dangerous and can be abused. That's why they are prescription drugs. Dozens of prescription drugs are more deadly than cannabinoids. Dozens of prescription drugs are more addictive than cannabinoids. Dozens of prescription drugs are more intoxicating and psychotropic than cannabinoids. Are cannabinoids so evil that Americans should be deprived of the freedom to benefit from potential medical uses? Or is it time we trust our medical professionals to make medical decisions? If you wouldn't trust the Legislature or Congress to operate on your appendix, why trust them with prescription decisions? The THC Petition The THC petition is about restoring some sanity to a world gone mad. It is about protecting three groups: 1) doctors who prescribe cannabinoids for proven medical conditions, 2) patients with prescriptions for the use of cannabinoids, and 3) suppliers of cannabinoids who supply only to patients with prescriptions. It is not about making cannabis legal for non-medical purposes. Whom Do We Trust? We trust our dentists to inject Novocain, a derivative of cocaine. We trust our doctors to prescribe codeine, a derivative of opium. Practically every illegal drug has its legal and useful derivatives in medicine-except cannabinoids. End Unnecessary Pain. Let's return a little humanity to medicine. Let's support the therapeutic use of cannabinoids to relieve human suffering. Let's support the Therapeutic Humane Cannabis initiative petition in Utah.Thank You, Ken Larsen, Ph.D.,Adjunct Research Associate Professor of MedicineChairman of the Utah THC Committee856 East 100 South #2 Salt Lake City, Utah 84102801-533-8658 kencan personalchoice.orghttp://www.personalchoice.org/
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Comment #1 posted by Jeaneous on July 12, 1999 at 19:11:15 PT:
Wonderful
It's wonderful to see another state that realizes that marijuana truly is a valid and effective medicine. I wish them all the best getting their signatures.Good Luck!!!!   :}
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