cannabisnews.com: State-Sponsored Forum on Medical Marijuana Planned










  State-Sponsored Forum on Medical Marijuana Planned

Posted by FoM on April 02, 2001 at 19:24:17 PT
By Jill Burcum, Star Tribune 
Source: Star Tribune 

Marijuana's medical potential and a little-known Minnesota law that allows researchers to study it will take center stage at a public forum Friday with a couple of surprising sponsors: the state departments of Health and Public Safety.The forum is believed to be one of the first to be sponsored by state agencies. However, officials said, it is not intended to endorse marijuana's medical use, but to make Minnesota scientists aware of a 1981 state law that allows investigation of marijuana's active ingredient.
"This is not a matter of us endorsing medical marijuana," said Buddy Ferguson, Health Department spokesman. He said the forum was put together after several legislators expressed interest in the topic.Sen. Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis, is pursuing a $100,000 grant for the Department of Public Safety to study marijuana's potential medical benefits. Her bill goes before a Senate subcommittee today.Medical studies have shown that the drug may have value in treating glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and the pain and nausea that cancer patients often experience. In March 1999, the congressional Institute of Medicine issued a report stating that marijuana may have "moderate" value in treating cancer nausea and multiple sclerosis.Federal law, however, still prohibits its use.Sara Schlauderaff, assistant commissioner of public safety, said the forum will focus on the process that researchers must go through to get approval to study the drug."All we're doing is providing an informational session on the application process," she said.Under the 1981 law, researchers need a permit from the state pharmacy board, Schlauderaff said. Then, they have to apply for a permit from the federal government.Gov. Jesse Ventura and George McMahon, an Iowa man who heads the advocacy group Patients Out of Time (POT), are expected to appear at the forum.The event will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at Snelling Office Park's Mississippi Room, 1645 Energy Park Dr., St. Paul. For more information, call 651-215-1300.Complete Title: State-Sponsored Forum on Medical Marijuana Planned for FridaySource: Minneapolis Star-Tribune (MN) Author: Jill Burcum, Star TribunePublished: Tuesday, April 3, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Star Tribune Contact: opinion startribune.com Website: http://www.startribune.com/ Related Article & Web Sites:Governor Jesse Venturahttp://www.mainserver.state.mn.us/governor/George McMahon's Home Pagehttp://www.trvnet.net/~mmcmahon/Patients Out Of Timehttp://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/MEDICAL/POT/Medical Marijuana Study on Agendahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9237.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 

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Comment #1 posted by Rambler on April 02, 2001 at 23:55:07 PT
Now we're talkin'!
This is a good thing,and it's a nice and properway to approach the topic.
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