cannabisnews.com: Board Hears Stances on Medical Marijuana
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Board Hears Stances on Medical Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on August 20, 2009 at 05:30:26 PT
By Tony Leys
Source: Des Moines Register
Iowa -- Medical-marijuana proponents pleaded with state regulators Wednesday to stop treating Iowa patients like criminals for using the drug to combat pain and other ailments."People are suffering who need not suffer. People are rotting in jail who should not be there," said Kevin Feeley of Ames, who said marijuana has helped ease his suffering from spinal cancer.
Feeley and other speakers at the State Historical Building told the Iowa Pharmacy Board that marijuana is a safer, less addictive treatment than many prescription medications. They urged regulators to help Iowa join 13 other states in which patients are allowed to use marijuana with a doctor's approval.Wednesday was the first of four hearings around the state to gather views on the subject. The pharmacy board plans to make a recommendation to the Legislature this winter.Feeley told the board he lost 100 pounds because of nausea caused by cancer drugs, and he was incapacitated by pain. Marijuana helped him eat, sleep and return to work, he said.His wife, Amanda Feeley, said her husband's condition worsened when he stopped using marijuana because of fears that he would be arrested.She tearfully recalled seeing him doubled up on the floor in front of their four children. "I couldn't sit and watch him starve to death," she said. "I took matters into my own hands and did what I had to do, because I needed my husband back and my children needed a father."Feeley said she contacted a friend, who helped her buy marijuana illegally.Most of Wednesday's speakers favored legalizing medical marijuana. They said it could help countless patients suffering from a range of illnesses, including AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, glaucoma, epilepsy, chronic pain and anxiety.Some spoke of marijuana as a gift from God, and they suggested that opposition is partly rooted in drug companies' profit motives.Robert Manke of Des Moines told regulators he's used marijuana to counter painful injuries caused by traffic accidents and nausea caused by prescription medications."I know what it's like to crawl around on the bathroom floor like an animal in the morning, vomiting with my head in the stool," he said. "I need your help. I'm not here because I want to get high. I'm here because I want to stop being sick. And I want to stop being persecuted."Several physicians joined patients in supporting the idea. One was Dr. Edward Hertko, a retired West Des Moines physician, who said marijuana is less dangerous and addictive than many prescription drugs.Hertko said the medical-marijuana discussion had nothing to do with drug users who simply want to get high. "The people who want recreational marijuana already know how to get it," he said.Gary Young, a retired Polk County environmental health official, was in the minority when he spoke against medical marijuana.Young was representing the Iowa Elks Association, which is concerned that legalization of marijuana for medical uses could make it easier for people, including minors, to obtain it for recreational uses.Young countered proponents' studies with references to studies that found no medical benefit. He said prescription medications are purer and easier to control than smoked marijuana, which he said has hundreds of chemicals that vary in strength."I urge the board to make its decision on scientific evidence and not on anecdotal evidence," he said.The pharmacy board will consider how it would regulate medical distribution of marijuana if the state allowed it.One way would be to allow sales only through licensed pharmacies. A vice president of the Iowa Pharmacy Association told the board that the group would support experiments in which pharmacies would sell the drug to people who had doctors' prescriptions for it.Source: Des Moines Register (IA)Author: Tony LeysPublished: August 20, 2009Copyright: 2009 The Des Moines RegisterContact: cdavis dmreg.comWebsite: http://desmoinesregister.comURL : http://drugsense.org/url/oSxY8RVNRelated Articles:Marijuana Backers Make Case To Regulatorshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24982.shtmlIA Board To Hear From Public on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24980.shtml
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Comment #16 posted by runruff on August 21, 2009 at 07:45:44 PT
The Bush Bane!
"In 1992 President George H.W. Bush closed the program to new applicants when thousands of AIDS victims began seeking admission."Here is an example of the cruel and callus mind of Bush Sr. He wanted to direct all aids patients to purchase drugs from his company, Eli Lilly Corp.This crime family deserves to pay remunerations to America and it's people for everything from imposing draconian prison sentences, [Bush> Mandatory Minimums,] Bush Sr.> Mena Arkansas with Bill Clinton brought massive amounts of cocaine into America. Barry Seal confirmed this just before he was shot to death by assassins. Prescot Bush> trading with the Nazi's, Neil Bush> Silverado scam [stole a billion dollars] Neil Bush> Took profits from Silverado and cut down last standing Redwoods at Headwaters while hiding behind "Redwood Lumber" [which he bought} and hired a guy as a buffer to be CEO. [Read the Judy Barri vs. the FBI story. If I start to name all the filthy crap that W has been involved in [stole two elections and messed up the world] I will be here all day!Asset Forfeiture and prison is the only justice I see here!
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Comment #15 posted by Paint with light on August 20, 2009 at 23:37:13 PT
Paul and Mason
Thanks.Maybe more of the world is ready for the truth.I hope the book gets to number one within a week.You deserve it.Legal like alcohol, the way to legalization.
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on August 20, 2009 at 16:34:25 PT
Grits for Breakfast
Thursday, August 20, 2009Schwarzenegger should follow Perry's lead on drug task force systemhttp://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on August 20, 2009 at 15:37:22 PT
It would be nice if a lot of pertinent
people in this struggle were sent copies of this book.Like in Iowa.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #12 posted by Hope on August 20, 2009 at 15:31:06 PT
RevRayGreen
That is outstanding news.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by RevRayGreen on August 20, 2009 at 15:14:03 PT
Marijuana rescheduling case heads back to court
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Wednesday, August 19, 2009 9:55:20 AM CT
DES MOINES - The ACLU Foundation of Iowa [ACLU], announces that it has filed an petition with the Polk County Iowa District Court seeking to overturn the most recent decision of the Iowa Board of Pharmacy not to recommend removal of marijuana from Schedule I of the Iowa Controlled Substances Act. Schedule I is reserved for substances and drugs that have no recognized medical use in the United States. The ACLU is arguing that marijuana no longer meets the criteria for listing in schedule I because 13 states representing 1/4 of the United States Population, now allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes under the supervision of a physician.
Substances listed in schedule I are subject to the strictest regulation. Paradoxically, drugs like cocaine and opiates are subject to less restrictions on their use because they are listed in schedule II. Because marijuana is listed in schedule I, Iowa physicians are unlikely advise chronically or terminally ill patients concerning its use in treatment of nausea, chronic spasms, loss of appetite and other severe symptoms, and opponents of medical marijuana are free to argue that it has no medicinal value.The Iowa Board of Pharmacy has resisted demands that it recommend rescheduling of marijuana to the Iowa Legislature, as it is required to do when a drug or substance no longer meets the criteria for listing in schedule I. On April 21st, 2009, in response to a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of this state's last two remaining medical marijuana patients, Iowa District Court Judge, Joel D. Novak, ordered the Board of Pharmacy to reconsider its decision, stating that the pharmacy board had based its decision "upon an erroneous interpretation of the law."[Continues]The Board of Pharmacy issued a new decision on July 21st, 2009, continuing its refusal to recommend the rescheduling of marijuana. The latest legal action undertaken by the ACLU asks Judge Novak to overturn the Board's decision on grounds that the Board ignored the instructions in the court's previous order and because it can be determined "as a matter of law" that marijuana has acceptance for medical use in treatment in the United States. Such a finding would require the Board to recommend that marijuana be listed in a different schedule.The ACLU's clients are George McMahon and Barbara Douglass, who are two of the last 3 or 4 patients in the United States still receiving marijuana grown by the federal government for medical treatment under the FDA's Investigational New Drug (IND) Compassionate Access Program. In 1992 President George H.W. Bush closed the program to new applicants when thousands of AIDS victims began seeking admission. McMahon and Douglass support the rescheduling of marijuana as a logical step toward authorizing its medical use, and their continued treatment.###For more information, contact:Randall Wilson, Legal Director, ACLU of Iowa Foundation
Randall C. Wilson, ACLU of Iowa Foundation Legal Director
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Comment #10 posted by Hope on August 20, 2009 at 14:12:56 PT
Gracious!
It's about to pass one of the Twilight series books in sales today.
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Comment #9 posted by paul armentano on August 20, 2009 at 11:58:11 PT
FOM et al., yes the book bomb is ALL DAY!
Thanks for the kind words. Right now our Amazon ranking is #47! Really. Even I'm stunned. Marijuana Is Safer is also now ranked something like #12 in all of Amazon's non-fiction books. By breaking #100 we're officially an Amazon 'best-seller.' Perhaps the MSM will finally take notice -- not. (Well, CBS News did interview me last night re: the prostate cancer study; that's a start, anyway.)C-News folks may want top check out a comprehensive interview with Steve Fox and I about our book, the content, and the philosophy behind it at:http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/141993/burning_questions_for_the_authors_of_%27marijuana_is_safer%27/And of course, feel free to join the book bomb here:http://www.marijuanabookbomb.comOr order your own copy here:http://www.amazon.com/Marijuana-Safer-Driving-People-Drink/dp/1603581448
http://www.marijuanabookbomb.com
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on August 20, 2009 at 11:40:23 PT
Prohibitionist has already written
a review for the book. Saying it's a lie because 98 percent of the people that smoke cannabis are drinking, too.One of those folk that is just so sure that they know everything about everyone.
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Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on August 20, 2009 at 11:38:58 PT
lung study from Paul
this is simply extraordinary!http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19679602
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Comment #6 posted by Sam Adams on August 20, 2009 at 11:35:49 PT
mj is safer
Paul, congrats to you and Mason on the book success! I hope you guys can earn some good income off this project, it's well deserved. As a medical patient I greatly appreciate your personal crusade to spread the news of the cancer-fighting properties of cannabis. It has the potential to quite literally save many lives and ease the suffering of those who are too sick or too weak to dig up the research on this stuff.I was blown away by the recent study of 1000 people that not only did not get cancer from lifetime smoked cannabis but also had similar or improved lung function from those who did not smoke anything. Amazing! And directly the opposite of all the propaganda we've been hearing for generations.Of course, Andrea "smoke-weed" Barthwell conveniently switched sides before her lies were exposed to the world.
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on August 20, 2009 at 11:23:31 PT
Whew...
Got it done. Observer, is your book at Amazon?RChandar... I know yours is. I can't afford it!
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on August 20, 2009 at 10:17:34 PT
Paul Armentano
Oh my gosh. I knew I was forgetting something today. Lots of activity around here this morning.Is the Book Bomb over?
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Comment #3 posted by paul armentano on August 20, 2009 at 09:46:47 PT
Marijuana Is Safer #199 on Amazon.com
Amazon sales ranking for Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? just broke #200! http://www.amazon.com/Marijuana-Safer-Driving-People-Drink/dp/1603581448Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#1 in Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Administration & Medicine Economics > Health Policy
#1 in Books > Nonfiction > Law > Family & Health Law > Medical Law & Legislation
#1 in Books > Science > Medicine > Administration & Policy > Health PolicyPraise for the book has come from a diverse group of pundits, including New York Times bestseller Barbara Ehrenreich, former Republican Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson, nationally syndicated columnists David Sirota, former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper, former ACLU director Nadine Strossen, two-time Superbowl champ Mark Stenoski, CATO Vice-President David Boaz, PBS travel host Rick Steves, and many others:
http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/marijuana_is_safer:paperback/praise/You can also read an excerpt from the book today on Alternet.org.Thanks to everyone who has ordered copies of the book. I look forward to hearing your feedback!
http://www.marijuanaissafer.com
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on August 20, 2009 at 08:58:11 PT
Comment 1 Sam Adams
A fine example of the age old proverb, They "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel".
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on August 20, 2009 at 08:18:07 PT
meanwhile, in an alternate reality
Here's another anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medicine that the members of this Pharmacy board have probably personally dispensed thousands of times. Oops! It causes suicide, seizures and other permanent damage......http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/08/20/glaxosmithkline_used_ghostwriting_to_promote_paxil?mode=PFGlaxo used ghostwriting to promote PaxilOffered to help doctors publish articles on drugBy Matthew Perrone, Associated Press | August 20, 2009WASHINGTON - Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline used a sophisticated ghostwriting program to promote its antidepressant Paxil, allowing doctors to take credit for medical journal articles mainly written by company consultants, according to court documents obtained by the Associated Press.An internal company memo instructs salespeople to approach physicians and offer to help them write and publish articles about their positive experiences prescribing the drug.Known as the CASPPER program, the paper explains how the company can help physicians with everything from “developing a topic’’ to “submitting the manuscript for publication.’’The document was uncovered by the Baum Hedlund PC law firm of Los Angeles, which is representing hundreds of former Paxil users in personal injury and wrongful death suits against GlaxoSmithKline. The firm alleges the company downplayed several risks connected with its drug, including increased suicidal behavior and birth defects.
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