cannabisnews.com: Drug Czar Nullifies Need For Drug Test





Drug Czar Nullifies Need For Drug Test
Posted by FoM on November 04, 1999 at 13:11:09 PT
By Peter McWilliams For Playboy Magazine
Source: McWilliams.com
In his most recent round of unintended self-immolation, drug czar Barry McCaffrey effectively nullified drug testing for marijuana users nationwide. 
In a move that he hoped would bring the medical marijuana movement to its knees, the retired general instead gave pot smokers legal carte blanche to fail every urine test they take. Here's how it happened: This past July, the Drug Enforcement Administration, with a nod from the Food and Drug Administration, reclassified the prescription drug Marinol, which is synthetic THC, the most psychoactive of marijuana's many cannabinoids. Marinol was moved from Schedule II, the most restrictive category of drugs available by prescription, to Schedule III. The change makes it much easier for doctors to distribute the drug. Notably, they now can phone or fax prescriptions to pharmacies and provide for as many as five automatic refills every six months. They also won't have the DEA looking over their shoulder each time they write a Marinol prescription. McCaffrey, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, used the reclassification to again attack the idea of marijuana as medicine, calling Marinol the only "safe and proper way" to make THC available to the public. "This action will make Marinol, which is scientifically proven to be safe and effective for medical use, more widely available," McCaffrey said, implying that marijuana itself is not safe or effective, despite much evidence to the contrary. The government's message is clear: Now that "safe and proper" Marinol is more readily available, we don't need to legalize unsafe and improper marijuana for medical use. This plan worked once before, which seems to have given McCaffrey some confidence it will work again. In the mid- Eighties, when marijuana was on the verge of being reclassified so it could be legally prescribed, the federal government funded the development of Marinol and pushed it through the FDA approval process. It then used the availability of synthetic THC as a pretext for refusing to remove marijuana from the same forbidden Schedule I classification it shares with heroin and other narcotics. So while they have the same active ingredient, marijuana remains forbidden while Marinol moves into the polite society of Tylenol with codeine. How easy is it to get a prescription for Marinol? Very easy. Doctors are permitted to provide any prescription drug for "off-label" use. That is, if a doctor determines that a prescription drug labeled by the manufacturer to treat, say, nausea, would also be effective for treating pain, the doctor can prescribe it for pain. This is going to happen with more frequency. A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, which McCaffrey praises as "the most comprehensive summary and analysis of what is known about the medical use of marijuana," concluded that THC could be useful not only to stimulate appetite in AIDS patients and prevent the nausea that's caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, but also to relieve chronic pain. (The full report, Marijuana and Medicine, is available online at books.nap.edu.) The potential for Marinol to treat chronic pain is enormous. Experts estimate at least 75 million Americans suffer from chronic, debilitating pain. This includes pain caused by cancer, arthritis, migraine headaches and severe back injuries. Seventy-five million! That means nearly half the adult population of the U.S. is properly and legally entitled to Marinol and, by extension, free from the burden of passing clean urine. There is no legally recognized test that distinguishes between the synthetic THG of Marinol and the natural THC of marijuana. Once a testee obtains a prescription for Marinol and shows it to the drug-testing authorities, THC levels in urine, hair, saliva and sweat no longer indicate a failed drug test. The test comes up dirty, but the prescription washes it clean. Employers aren't able to say, "You can't use Marinol if you work here," because it's a legal and now widely prescribed drug. Marinol could become as big as Viagra. (Marinol is a great high, too, rather like eating hash brownies. Don't even think about driving on it. Marinol's makers suggest you take your first dose only in the presence of "a responsible adult.") So, in his cruel attempt to keep an ancient medicine from modern sufferers, Contrary Barry has created a loophole that allows all users to use their drug of choice and keep their jobs. McCzar, this bud's for you.Note:Here's a piece I wrote for December Playboy. I couldn't circulate it before now because I promised not to until it was in print, but now that the December issue is on the stands, here it is. Please circulate this information widely. By the way, the Playboy Forum (in each issue of Playboy but, alas, not in the online edition) is an excellent source of information on consensual crimes. Enjoy, Peter Playboy December 1999 Related Articles & Web Sites:PeterTrialhttp://www.petertrial.com/ The Time To Help Me Is Now - Peter McWilliams - 11/01/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3507.shtmlBoston Globe Tells Peter McWilliams Story - 10/26/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3427.shtmlUS Prosecutes Cancer Patient Over Marijuana - 10/23/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3390.shtml 
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Comment #6 posted by debra on June 09, 2001 at 02:20:42 PT:
employee drug screening
I wonder if anyone can help. I have failed a company drug screening test, and I don't take any illegal drugs, and provided employee with any prescription drugs I had taken in the last month. They were valium, vicodin, and primatine mist and albuterin (asthma)-would these show up dirty, even with a prescription? What else could make a dirty test? I am very concerned, and want a retest, but shy would it come out any differently, since I still have the same stuff in me? Any answers would be appreciated.
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Comment #5 posted by Matthew tartaglia on March 12, 2001 at 09:24:57 PT:
Taurians comments
I am pleased that www.surviveall.net is getting attention for supporting a patients right to choose their own medication. Marinol has been a long time sought after drug for many suffering chronic pain, however, most of the people using Marinol are on many other drugs and may not notice an other differance that that of relief from authority. Authority from their employers, probation officeers(since many people in chronic pain have had run ins with the law in a confused mental state)many choose suicide over pain, becuase chronic pain is so misunderstood and so very relentless. I encourage others to call me, Taurian put my phone number incorrectly, it is 215 258 0231, feel free to call and chat, but do visit our site, as we need your support.Matthew H Tartaglia President and Founder of SurviveAll.Net
Information about surviving chronic pain with Marinol to help
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Comment #4 posted by Rowland on February 23, 2001 at 08:21:44 PT
marinol and chronic pain
Just been to SurviveAll.net, like Taurian said above Matthew H Tartaglia has put his butt out on the line for revealing information. I signed up with his ISP and found he had mor information for customers. Thanks MatthewTahnk you for caring.Rowland
Information and Services to SurviveAll
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Comment #3 posted by Phoenix Rises on December 12, 2000 at 09:26:19 PT
Taurians thoughts
Taurian is right, I went to the page he was talking about www.surviveall.net/marinol_main_page.htm and was surorised to see someone would put their butt on the line to bring truth out and have no angle. Very surpisingAnother kudos to Matthew H Tartaglia for his relentless work in helping others in pain. Here is a man of extraordinary resolve. I called him 215 259 0231 and he spoke with me for two hours about my pain. I felt better and he didn't even seem to mind that it was earlyin the am when I rang 
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Comment #2 posted by Taurian on December 12, 2000 at 09:22:33 PT:
marinol and chronic pain
The use of Marinol is the most confusing for those who are actually using the drug.I have been using the drug for some time and the changes I've seen take place since the first time I set out to get the drug prescribed has been dizzying. 
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on November 04, 1999 at 18:25:27 PT
They ought to call him "Janus"
MISTER McCaffrey is incredible in his flexibility. First, marijuana has no medicinal use. But a compound, probably the most important one in it, has enormous therapeutic potential, and as predicted, will become quite popular. (I predict a rise in vaporizer sales, as the stuff is quite volatile, so much so that they have to mix it with sesame seed oil to stabilize it.)Back and forth, up and down, the flailings of a man who thought he could stand on the same philosphical solid ground as his bureaucratic forbears, but has now realized he's stepped into quicksand. Or a very deep manure pit.The Roman god Janus had two faces. Barry seems to have an inexhaustible supply of faces... most of which usually sport about a metric ton of egg on them.If it weren't for the terrible harm this flaming a------ has done to the country he swore fealty to, I'd laugh. 
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