cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Law Under Review










  Marijuana Law Under Review

Posted by CN Staff on December 10, 2008 at 06:01:52 PT
By Stephen Tait, Times Herald 
Source: Times Herald 

Michigan -- Dr. Timothy Cox said he is opposed to the new state law that allows people suffering from certain diseases to smoke marijuana. He said other medicine, such as Marinol, offers the same benefits as marijuana but with results that can be more easily controlled."If they smoke (marijuana) we don't know how much are they actually getting and how much of it is going up in smoke," he said. Regardless, Cox said he will prescribe the drug to patients who request it as a way to stimulate hunger and fight nausea.
"What I try to do is everything I can to help my patients," said Cox, who sees about 100 cancer patients a week at Blue Water Oncology in Port Huron. "And if it means prescribing marijuana to see if it helps, then fine, I'll do it."Cox is not alone.Other doctors in the area said there is interest in the drug and that they will prescribe the drug if appropriate for patients. A county health professional also said there is an expectation of strong interest in using pot to help treatment.Michigan voters approved an amendment in November to allow residents with certain diseases -- cancer, HIV, AIDS, glaucoma and others -- to use marijuana. Patients who qualify can register with the state and receive identification cards allowing them to legally acquire, possess, grow, transport and use a limited amount of marijuana.Some parts of the law, which officially was put on Michigan's books last week, remain hazy.But most professionals, such as Cox, said the details will get worked out by the Department of Community Health ahead of its April 4 deadline.Sue Amato, director of health education for St. Clair County Health Department, said her department manages an HIV/AIDS program that helps link patients to community services.Many of the program's 40 participants probably will be interested in getting a prescription for marijuana, she said."They've already started to ask us about it and because our program has dealt with clients in the category for so long, we know it is an item of interest to them," she said.Dr. Brian Favero, who runs Port Huron Ophthalmology on River Street, said in an e-mail that patients with glaucoma have asked about the medicinal marijuana and that some will use it.He said from his standpoint, marijuana provides "an initial benefit" but that "tolerance is quickly achieved and the beneficial effect of the marijuana is lost."Favero said he is "not absolute" on whether he will prescribe marijuana, but said if he can "isolate what it is, in the marijuana that (helps with side effects of glaucoma) on a consistent basis, then the answer is yes.""For some it is a benefit, and others, all they are doing is smoking," he said in the e-mail. "And we know smoking in general is not a good thing."Identification cards for patients won't be issued until next year after the state Department of Community Health introduces guidelines addressing how applications will be handled, what fees will be charged and other issues.Until then, anyone possessing marijuana can be arrested and prosecuted, although the law allows patients to use a medical-justification defense at trial.Michigan, the 13th state to allow medicinal use of marijuana, doesn't address how patients can obtain it: It's illegal to sell marijuana, even to registered patients.Port Huron police Capt. Jim Jones said he isn't concerned about how the law will be implemented and doesn't anticipate problems with the new law."I think we are going to handle it as the law dictates that we handle it," he said.Between now and April 4, Jones said he'll treat cases of people found with marijuana for medicinal use on an individual basis."Every case that comes our way will certainly have to be investigated, and every case is different," he said.Still, Jones said there is some concern about making such a drug more available."We certainly have concerns," he said. "Marijuana is an inebriant, and any time an inebriant becomes more accessible, we have concerns about people driving."Jones said even those with medical cards cannot drive under the influence of marijuana."We always act in accordance with the law and trying to enforce the law," he said.The Associated Press Contributed to this report.Source: Times Herald, The (MI)Author: Stephen Tait, Times HeraldPublished: December 10, 2008Copyright: 2008 The Times HeraldWebsite: http://www.thetimesherald.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/GYqsG5eFContact: http://drugsense.org/url/1farykLRRelated Articles: Patients Seeking MMJ Must Wait Several Monthshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24363.shtmlClearing The Air on Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24357.shtml

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Comment #21 posted by OverwhelmSam on December 14, 2008 at 04:21:43 PT
I Was Okay With Scientology
Until they came out against marijuana users. Even Tom Cruise quit smoking pot.
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Comment #20 posted by Storm Crow on December 12, 2008 at 06:52:57 PT
Couple of doctor quotes....
"tolerance is quickly achieved and the beneficial effect of the marijuana is lost."Funny, I've used cannabis medically for over 40 years, and it still prevents my migraines and helps with the other aches and pains too! No, I don't get high like I used to, but the medical effects are still there! Someone needs to tell the good doctor that the high and the medicinal effects are not necessarily tied together. The buzz I get when I medicate is nice, but it is the medicinal effect that I am after- and it still works, "tolerance" or no "tolerance"!And just how is the tolerance to cannabis any different than the tolerance you get with opiates? Except that there is virtually no painful withdrawal from addiction with cannabis! (You might get grumpy for a few days withdrawing from heavy cannabis use, but otherwise, nada.) That dude is just full of BS. The other doc was better, but..."If they smoke (marijuana) we don't know how much are they actually getting and how much of it is going up in smoke,"Actually it's YOU who don't know how much! (Doctors are such control freaks.) The PATIENT knows EXACTLY how much- they can feel it! With smoked or (better yet) vaped the reduction of symptoms is almost immediate, so dosage can be more easily controlled than with a "swallow and wait an hour or two" pill! And there's never a fatal OD with cannabis, so what's the hassle? But good on you for saying you'll recommend it!
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Comment #19 posted by JSM on December 11, 2008 at 14:45:40 PT
Prohibitionist doctors 
Accept authority of the state as opposed to searching for the truth and squall like a bird when their little assumptions are challenged repeating the same old lies again and again. 
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Comment #18 posted by Hope on December 11, 2008 at 07:50:00 PT
"Just suffering from pain?" Aaaargh.
Excerpt from article in comment 16"I don’t know how they’re going to tell who’s got pain and who doesn’t. Is it people who have no hope and are just suffering from pain? Or is it people who are hurt and are doing this instead of taking an aspirin? Is it the medical profession seeking other ways to make more money? I don’t know. I’m just against the whole thing. There is enough medication out there to serve the purpose."
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Comment #17 posted by Hope on December 11, 2008 at 06:54:40 PT
Letter from former prosecutor.
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n1111/a07.html?397Pot And Public SafetyExcerpt"As a former Oakland community prosecutor, I certainly would never argue that marijuana is completely benign or that more people should use it. But what I do know is that the most dangerous thing about marijuana is that it's illegal." 
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on December 11, 2008 at 06:53:43 PT
State’s First Medical Marijuana Clinic Opens 
State’s First Medical Marijuana Clinic Opens in SouthfieldDecember 10, 2008URL: http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/2008/12-10-08/VF-MARIJUANA.asp
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Comment #15 posted by Hope on December 11, 2008 at 05:04:03 PT
Ah... so nicely, so scientifically, explained...
"Marijuana is the word used to describe the dried flowers, seeds and leaves of the Indian hemp plant. Hashish is made from the plant's gummy sap (resin) and is six times stronger than marijuana. Cannabis describes any of the different drugs that come from Indian hemp."Drug Free World
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on December 11, 2008 at 04:58:05 PT
Scientology's Drug Free World website
Careful prevarication? Careful lying? They're saying that large amounts of cannabis can kill you. Hmmmm. Maybe if a two ton bale fell on you from a great height. Not very "Scientific" of them.http://www.drugfreeworld.org/#/drugfacts"How do drugs work?Drugs are essentially poisons. The amount taken determines the effect. A small amount acts as a stimulant (speeds you up). A greater amount acts as a sedative (slows you down). An even larger amount poisons and can kill. Drugs block off all sensations, the desirable ones with the unwanted. And while drugs might be of short-term value in the handling of pain, they wipe out ability, alertness and muddy one's thinking.What are the most commonly used drugs?Alcohol is the most commonly used—and abused—drug in the US. The most commonly used illicit drug is marijuana.Which drugs are the most addictive?Many users of methamphetamine (Crystal Meth) have reported getting hooked after the first time they used it. Next to Meth, crack creates the greatest psychological dependence of any drug. Heroin is also highly addictive and is one of the three most frequently cited drugs in drug abuse deaths."
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on December 11, 2008 at 04:26:03 PT
The article in comment 9 Earthtimes
looks like a promotion brochure for the Scientology program.
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on December 11, 2008 at 04:10:41 PT
That quote was from the article in 
comment 10. Sorry."According to the Scientology handbook, even aspirin will make someone "unfeeling, insensitive, unable and definitely not trustworthy, a menace to his fellows actually." 
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on December 11, 2008 at 03:51:38 PT
Comment 9 artilce excerpt:
"According to the Scientology handbook, even aspirin will make someone "unfeeling, insensitive, unable and definitely not trustworthy, a menace to his fellows actually." 
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Comment #10 posted by The GCW on December 10, 2008 at 22:41:32 PT
FoM,  -Scientology 
I read this one a day or so ago:US NM: Mayor Abandons Anti-Drug Program Affiliated With Church -(of Scientology)Pubdate: Sun, 07 Dec 2008-
Source: Las Cruces Sun-News (NM)http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n1101/a12.html?1292-0-I thought one part that was interesting because it spoke of,"but one pamphlet specifically focuses on Ritalin, considered by Scientologists to be a harmful and "mind-altering psychiatric drug." According to Scientology.org">Scientology.org, "psychiatry is not a science."-0-Most anti-drug messages don't go against Ritalin... DARE, I think doesn't touch it...
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on December 10, 2008 at 17:10:42 PT
News Article from Earthtimes UK
Church of Scientology International Recognized as Anti-Drug LeaderDecember 11, 2008URL: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/church-of-scientology-international-recognized-as-anti-drug-leader,652015.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on December 10, 2008 at 17:04:57 PT

News Article From Salem-News.com
Dreadful Diseases: Dreadful Mistreatment:
Quadriplegia, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy, ALS ***Dr. Phillip Leveque, Salem-News.com December 10, 2008URL: http://www.salem-news.com/articles/december102008/leveque_mistreatment_12-10-08.php
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on December 10, 2008 at 16:47:31 PT

charmed quark
That's a lot of money. Thanks.
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Comment #6 posted by charmed quark on December 10, 2008 at 15:46:27 PT

He needs to know what he's talking about
How marinol affects one is dependent on many factors, including how recently one ate. The exact same dosage can be too much one day and too little the next because of the variability in how one's body absorbs the THC.So it is nonsense to say that doctors should prefer Marinol because they know exactly how much THC the patient is ingesting. It's not how much you ingest but how much docks with cannabinoid receptors. They are only loosely related.Plus, there's a lot of research suggesting the natural mix of cannabinoids found in cannabis is more effective and with fewer side effects.Now, if Sativex was available in this country he might have a better argument.FOM - you aren't kidding about the price. The cheapest legal price I can find for Marinol is about $1000/month for typical low/moderate treatment dosages.Runruff - I assume this is a rhetorical question? Of course Marinol will show up on a drug test. In theory, further testing could tell marinol usage from natural cannabis.
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Comment #5 posted by runruff on December 10, 2008 at 08:47:57 PT

marinol?
Will it show up as thc on a urine test?Yesor No?
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on December 10, 2008 at 07:30:45 PT

Marinol
I want to know how anyone that doesn't have insurance could afford Marinol. Will the doctors who are quoted in articles address this concern sometime? 
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on December 10, 2008 at 07:28:43 PT

USA doctors
Look at the doctors flaunting their ignorance on herbal medicine and cannabis. The medical effects of cannabis DO NOT go down with tolerance - most patients report tolerance to side effects while the medical benefits stay the same.Herbal medicine is based on SELF titration - that's what these western docs can't stand. The patient knows how much to take and controls his or her own dose. The vast marjority of herbal medicines are MUCH safer than prescription meds.If the docs are so ignorant of herbal medicine, imagine how much other stuff they're wrong about. 
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on December 10, 2008 at 07:18:44 PT

I wonder
I wonder how much doctors enjoy having power?Power to write prescriptions... Power.There is a lot of the P word used in this article as though they wield power but actually they don't have nor will they receive that power from this new law.They are powerless with the prescription and will now have less power; the power to recommend is less than the power to prescribe.A demotion, if You will.I wonder if some doctors feel that demotion?And resent that demotion?
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on December 10, 2008 at 07:12:45 PT

? prescribe ? prescribing ? prescription ?
? prescribe ? prescribing ? prescription ? Isn't it just a recommendation?-0-"Between now and April 4, Port Huron police Capt. Jim Jones said he'll treat cases of people found with marijuana for medicinal use on an individual basis."That statement is better than what I've read in other articles from other law enforcement officers who've indicated they will not give sick people any room untill the law completely takes effect.
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