The following new items are included in this month's OPNews:

*WELCOME TO THE OPNews ANNOUNCEMENT LIST

*OHIO PATIENT NETWORK (OPN) FORMS TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PATIENTS

*OPN DEVELOPS OHIO MEDICAL MARIJUANA ACT (OMMA)

*OMMA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

*MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS PROMOTE OMMA

*CANNABIS RESEARCH IN PROGRESS

*OPNews SEEKS LEGAL AND MEDICAL EXPERTS

The following items are included in every OPNews:

*YOU ARE INVITED TO OPN MEETINGS

*HOW TO GET YOUR INFORMATION IN OPNews

*HOW TO BE REMOVED FROM THE OPNews LIST

*HOW TO CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR

 

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WELCOME TO THE OPNews ANNOUNCEMENT LIST

Welcome to the inaugural edition of OPNews, a confidential one-way news list that is sponsored by the Ohio Patient Network. This list is designed to keep you informed about medical cannabis (marijuana) issues in the State of Ohio and to provide you with a voice.

As an OPNews list member, you will receive a monthly newsletter and occasional action alert notices. You can also reach our audience with your own message by submitting your stories to the editor for possible publication.

If you prefer more interaction than this one-way news list, the OPN also has a fairly busy discussion list that is used to plan the activities of the organization. Note that OPN verifies and approves all discussion list members in order to protect your privacy and to insure that internal plans do not become public before it is appropriate. If you wish to join the discussion list, please use the webform at: www.ohiopatient.net.

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OHIO PATIENT NETWORK (OPN) FORMS TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PATIENTS

What began in January 2001 as a medical marijuana conference and press event in Columbus, has evolved into a growing organization called the Ohio Patient Network.

The Ohio Patient Network is a coalition of patients, caregivers, medical professionals, concerned citizens and organizations who support the compassionate use of cannabis for various medicinal purposes. Our mission is to disseminate information among patients, caregivers, medical professionals, and attorneys, as well as to educate legislators and the public.

Concerned that Ohio patients faced criminal penalties and loss of critical care just because they use marijuana as medicine, the OPN formed as a patient advocacy group.

The Board of Directors includes patients John Precup as President, Eleanor Ahrens as Vice President, and Chad Rey as Historian. Caregiver Kenneth Schweikart is Development Director, Gina Smith is Secretary, and Mary Jane Borden is Treasurer.

The OPN leadership has built an organization to support its advocacy and policy change goals. "We have filed for, and were granted, the Ohio Patient Network tradename. We've set up a mailing address, phone number, email address, and webpage," explained Borden. "We felt we needed to be accessible, and we are meeting that goal.

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OPN DEVELOPS OHIO MEDICAL MARIJUANA ACT (OMMA)

The Ohio Medical Marijuana Act is a reality, thanks to the dedicated efforts of OPN members and friends. The Act was modeled after successful bills from other states and includes the following provisions:

*Re-establish a medical marijuana defense for qualified patients.

*Provide for a registry database of qualified patients.

*Require that the State Department of Health issue identification cards to qualified patients and caregivers.

*Establish an application and review process with the State Department of Health.

*Will not interfere with the application or enforcement of other state or federal laws.

*Provide a means of treatment for otherwise untreatable pain, nausea, and muscle spasm's, caused by either a patient's condition or the treatment thereof.

*Protect the traditional patient-physician relationship.

Support this OPN initiative by calling or writing your state Representative and Senator. Ask them to sponsor and support the OMMA.

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OMMA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

OPN members visited Ohio legislators in January and March, and will again visit on April 25, to seek sponsorship and build support for the OMMA.

During those visits, OPN board members, patients, and caregivers met personally with Democratic Representatives Bill Hartnett (79th), Mary Cirelli (54th), and William Ogg (92nd). They also met personally with Republican Representatives Ann Womer-Benjamin (75th), Gregory Jolivette (59th), John Willamowski (1st), and Merle Grace Kearns (74th).

In addition to these personal meetings, OPN members presented the OMMA to the Legislative Aides from the offices of Representatives Joyce Beatty (D - 21st), John E. Barnes, Jr. (D - 12th), David Goodman (R - 25th), and Senator Bill Harris (R - 19th) district.

Although the legislative visits have not yet produced a sponsor, several benefits have resulted. The OPN has been able to educate lawmakers about the overwhelming scientific and public support for the medical use of marijuana.

John Precup, OPN President, said "I felt we reached our goal to change perceptions about patients who use cannabis as medicine. When I explained to a very conservative Representative that I am not a criminal, he agreed with me. He said he would consider a yes vote for our bill."

An added benefit of the visits was all of the feedback received about strategy. "We learned that the Ohio Legislature is more conservative now  than in 1996, when the short-lived medical marijuana defense clause was repealed," Precup stated. Legislators also advised that Governor Taft is "completely anti-drug."

Currently, the entire legislature is reportedly consumed by the state budgeting process. As a result, there is little chance that our bill will be sponsored until the budget is resolved, perhaps in May. Multiple sources concurred that if we want to see the OMMA passed, the bill is going to need a Republican sponsor.

"Legislators were the most responsive when we contacted them as constituents. Again and again we heard that Representatives are most swayed by contact from their own district. Now is the time for every OPN member to call or write their state officials in support of the OMMA," urged Precup. 

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MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS PROMOTE OMMA

A great big THANK YOU! goes out to several OPN member organizations that have been actively supporting our efforts in Ohio.

The Media Awareness Project (MAP), a not-for-profit educational organization that collects and archives newspaper, magazine, and Web articles pertaining to drug policy and the medical use of marijuana, has generously supported OPN's electronic services.

MAP and their staff have paid for our domain name, provided an electronic meeting room, built our website, and created our discussion and announcement lists.

"I use MAP to keep up-to-date on the latest drug policy news," said OPN Treasurer Mary Jane Borden. "I urge you to do the same. Check out their website [http://www.mapinc.org] daily."

Northcoast NORML and John Hartman, a longstanding advocate for marijuana reform, have focused on the OMMA this year. 

The Spring 2001 edition of Northcoast NORML's newsletter, Marijuana News, focused on the OMMA. In addition to featuring the entire OMMA text and articles about marijuana as medicine, the publication featured sample letters, petitions, and legislative contacts.

In addition to the newsletter, Hartman sent letters to every Ohio Senator and Representative asking for sponsorship and support of the OMMA.

Northcoast NORML also sponsors "phone-zaps," by asking all its members to call their legislators on a given day. Learn more about their latest efforts at http://www.timesoft.com/ncnorml/.

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), a Washington-based group that advocates medical marijuana policy change around the country, also supported local efforts in Ohio.

Since January, more than 200 MPP members have sent letters to their Ohio legislators, asking them to sponsor medical marijuana legislation. MPP also tracks responses from these legislators. The MPP has set up a website for our state at http://www.mpp.org/states/site/index.cgi?state=OH.

Patients Out of Time, which is based in Virginia, is an organization that educates health care professionals and the public at large about medical cannabis.

In addition to their invaluable organizational advice, POT provided expert testimony at the medical marijuana conference in January and helped the OPN to craft the OMMA.

POT has compiled a national list of scientific, healthcare, and other organizations that support the medical use of cannabis. The list is available at http://www.medicalcannabis.com.

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CANNABIS RESEARCH IN PROGRESS

The Multiple Sclerosis Quarterly Report (MSQR), a publication of the North American Research Committee on MS (NARCOMS), reports an ongoing "large-scale, placebo controlled study of [the] effect [of oral cannabis] on spasticity for all types of MS" (Winter, 2000).

The study is being conducted in Plymouth, UK. To learn more, go to http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Research-agentsatoc.asp

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OPNews SEEKS LEGAL AND MEDICAL EXPERTS

Do you have a great legal or medical mind? Would you like to help out the OPN? We need experts to forward medical marijuana information that you may receive through your personal experience and professional affiliations.

OPN members need the inside scoop on important legal issues, such as court cases, sentencing, and appellate rulings. If you have personal experience with the legal system, as a lawyer or patient, send us your information.

We also need to keep informed of medical marijuana research. If you have medical connections, please share your knowledge about researchers who are seeking test subjects, studies that are being conducted, and scientific research that has recently been published.

Please forward relevant information to editor@ohiopatient.net.