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August, 2002 Edition
A publication of Ohio Patient Network (OPN). Contact Jean Taddie, Editor (editor@ohiopatient.net). |
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August, 2002 Edition
A publication of Ohio Patient Network (OPN). Contact Jean Taddie, Editor (editor@ohiopatient.net). |
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The following new items are included in this month's
OPNews:
ORGANIZATION NEWS: * OPN Annual Meeting September 21 * Schweickart Garners Sierra Club Endorsement * 15 Minute Mission of the Month * Marijuana in the Movies STATE NEWS: * Drug-Issue Ballot Wording OK'd NATIONAL NEWS: * Nearly Half of MS Patients Using Medicinal Cannabis * Synthetic 'Pot' Relieves Arthritis Pain * Study Finds THC-like Chemicals Useful for Certain Disorders * Conyers Questions Drug Enforcement Administration on Use of Federal Funds for Political Purposes * MPP Fights Rejection of Medical Marijuana Petitions INTERNATIONAL NEWS: * Medicinal Pot Still On Agenda: McLellan The following items are included in every OPNews: * OPNews Disclaimer * 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
*************************************************** *************************************************** OPN ANNUAL MEETING SEPTEMBER 21 By: John Precup, OPN President (Lodi, OH) Mark your calendar for OPN's second annual meeting, which will be held in Lodi Saturday, September 21 starting at Noon. Meet your fellow OPN members and share your ideas. Your feedback will help the OPN develop long-term plans and goals for the organization. We already have several important items on the agenda for this year's meeting, including the election of officers. Please bring your favorite potluck dish and your place setting, so we can all share in the spirit of networking and togetherness. Our September 21 schedule will be: * Noon - Networking * 1:00 p.m. - Potluck lunch * 2:00 p.m.- Annual meeting For directions and a meeting agenda, contact JPrecup@ohiopatient.net.
*************************************************** SCHWEICKART GARNERS SIERRA CLUB ENDORSEMENT (Columbus, OH) This month the Central Ohio Sierra Club voted to endorse OPN Director of Development Kenneth Schweickart in his bid for Ohio Representative in District 22. The club will publish their endorsements in their upcoming newsletter, which is mailed to over 4000 people in the Central Ohio area. The newsletters will also be available for pick up at various locations such as libraries and park visitor centers. Ken's platform includes progressive solutions for the environment, the economy, education, health care and drug policy reform. He will square off against Republican incumbent Jim Hughes in November. To learn more about Ken’s campaign, see http://www.ohiohouse22.com/ or contact dpeo@earthlink.net.
*************************************************** 15 MINUTE MISSION OF THE MONTH by Deirdre "Dee Dee" Zoretic Thanks to all of you who participated in the first "Mission of the Month". If you didn't, you can jump in at any time. We can change the world, 15 minutes at a time. It may not seem like much, but it is honestly more than most Americans give to their favorite cause. With our group effort, we can accomplish a lot. So far, we have responses from people who have called Sherrod Brown, and his office is confirming that he will support H.R.2592 "State rights to Medical Marijuana Act". He is a long-standing and influential politician to have on our side. This month, we will be seeing more and more political campaign ads on our TVs. So, I want everyone to pick the ad that annoys them the most and write down the campaign promises. This list will help you to compose a letter. This is our first LTE assignment. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. A couple of paragraphs will do. In the letter, compare the campaign promises to the medical marijuana issue, and ask or comment about this persons' views on the issue. These letters should show the editors that voters want to know the candidates' opinions on this subject matter. We are more likely to see this presented as a campaign issue then. A few may even be printed if medical marijuana is given enough attention by the public (US!!). We have a real chance to be heard by legislators and the media if we make them aware of our concerns. Thank you so much for giving a few minutes of your time. You may feel like you are doing this for selfish reasons, but you are helping to save my life, too. Thank You!
*************************************************** MARIJUANA IN THE MOVIES By Mary Jane Borden I've been watching a number of cannabis videos lately, both for entertainment and education. While I'm not a movie critic and don't utilize a rating system, I thought I'd share my impressions of these flicks with OPNews readers. - "Marijuana as Medicine," by Patients Out of Time (http://www.medicalcannabis.com) and the Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics (http://marijuana-as-medicine.org/alliance.htm). To me, this is a sad depiction of cannabis policy, but not because of poor quality or message. For its time, 1993, it would have been powerful and compelling. The sad tale lies in the intervening years in which little changed. "Marijuana as Medicine" overviews medicinal cannabis featuring the five patients at the time who continued to receive marijuana legally from the federal government after it discontinued the Compassionate IND program in 1992. All of the patients expressed optimism that the reclassification of cannabis to Schedule II was immediately forthcoming, particularly in light of a recent ruling by DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis Young (1988). History told us what happened to that optimism. Fast-forward almost ten years to another video that speaks on a similar, but more hopeful note. - "Crimes of Compassion." by the May Street Group. (http://thevics.com/) The tide is turning in Canada where medical marijuana has been made legal. In fact, hundreds of patients are authorized under Section 56 to possess and use marijuana medically with a doctor's permission. Still, the very ill and disabled can't grow what they need themselves. Enter compassion clubs, specifically the Vancouver Island Compassion Society, better knows as VICS, and its founder, Philippe Lucas. Weaving a tapestry of interviews with such notables as Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Rene Boje, and former Canadian Health Minister, Alan Rock, through the personal accounts of several patients, the video chronicles a break-in and theft at VICS which resulted in Lucas' arrest on numerous felony counts for trafficking and distribution. Like "Marijuana as Medicine," "Crimes of Compassion" ends on the hopeful note that patients will continue to receive quality medicine consistently without governmental interference. But unlike its predecessor, this video has a happy ending. Several months ago, Lucas was exonerated on all charges. The judge in the case noted, "while there is no doubt that Mr. Lucas offended against the law by providing marijuana to others, his actions were intended to ameliorate the suffering of others ... Mr. Lucas enhanced other people's lives at minimal or no risk to society." We all wonder when judges in Ohio will become this enlightened. - "A Panel Discussion on Medical Marijuana" by Congregation Beth Am. http://www.betham.org/women/mm/index.html This video is an extension of the work being done by the Women of Reform Judaism who adopted a resolution in support of medical marijuana in 1999. This effort called, "Medical Marijuana as Mitzvah," is brought to life in this panel discussion among an AIDS patient, a physician, and a Rabbi, all three women. Of particular interest was the Rabbi's interpretation of medical marijuana with regard to Jewish law. Religious teachings have always sided with the poor and the ill, with medicinal marijuana fitting well into this context. Dovetailing with the recent endorsement of drug policy reform by other faiths and denominations such as the Unitarian Universalists, enlightenment is coming from those who have historically pointed to a better way. - "Grass" by Ron Mann, Narrated by Woody Harrelson. (http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=9243 Dan Forbes' review, May 2000) I know I must be the last person on the planet - or at least in the reform movement - to see "Grass." Sure, as a student of drug policy, I felt I knew most of the material, but its presentation in "Grass" was exceptionally entertaining. "Grass" carved marijuana's history through a progression of myths from insanity, to lethargy, to memory loss, and at each turn, dispelled each myth. For those who are new to marijuana or marijuana legal reform, I would recommend "Grass" as a tutorial on historical underpinnings that have turned this beneficial plant into a pariah. Pay particular attention to Harry J. Anslinger, lest he reincarnate in the form of John Walters or John Ashcroft. With the exception of "Grass," none of these videos are publicly available. If you would like a copy, please write to the organization that produced it via their Web link. "Grass," on the other hand, can be found at your local Blockbuster. Five day rental for $4.25.
*************************************************** DRUG-ISSUE BALLOT WORDING OK'D Source: Columbus Dispatch, Aug 15, 2002. Copyright: 2002 The Columbus Dispatch (http://www.dispatch.com/). This article is archived at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1507/a07.html?1700. By: Alan Johnson State Issue 1 was a war of words yesterday, but what stood out was a number -- $247 million. That's the estimated cost over seven years if Ohio voters approve a constitutional amendment providing drug treatment instead of imprisonment for people convicted of some drug possession charges. The Ohio Ballot Board approved the official wording yesterday for what is expected to be Issue 1 on the Nov. 5 ballot. The proposal would give eligible, nonviolent first- and second-time drug-possession offenders the option of undergoing up to 18 months of treatment instead of going to prison. Those with multiple previous drug offenses could qualify as long as the offenses occurred before July 1, 2003, the effective date of the proposed law. If the issue is approved, the state will have to set aside $19 million in start-up costs, $38 million annually for the next six years, and an undetermined but "adequate'' amount each year thereafter. The total would be $247 million through the first seven years. "At the end of 2009, the constitutional amendment doesn't go away,'' said Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, chairman of the ballot board. "People need to have an awareness of what they are doing and the fiscal impact.'' Issue 1 proponents counter by saying there would be savings, too, as much as $85 million annually because treating drug offenders costs about one-sixth of the cost of incarceration. Most of the skirmishes at the board meeting at the Statehouse concerned adding or deleting words used to summarize the massive 6,500-word amendment -- longer than the Ohio Constitution. The final ballot summary, drafted by Judy Hoffman, Blackwell's chief elections counsel, and approved by the five-member board, was roughly 500 words. It notes that drug offenders, under the provision, could be sentenced to no more than 90 days in jail. Jail is an option after the second offense during treatment. The language, plus formal arguments for and against the amendment, must be finalized by next Thursday. After three hours of low-key dickering, the board approved the language unanimously. Spokesmen for both camps seemed satisfied with what voters will see at polling places in November. "The ballot language is a fair summary for voters,'' said Columbus attorney Alex Shumate, representing Issue 1 opponents. He said it meets the court test of being "clear, accurate and inclusive.'' Dave Fratello, representing the Ohio Campaign for New Drug Policies, called the wording "accurate, fair and brief.'' Backers of the drug issue last week submitted 779,728 signatures gathered statewide to put the issue on the ballot. The issue must be supported by 335,422 registered Ohio voters -- 10 percent of the total vote in the 1998 gubernatorial campaign -- to qualify for the ballot. The Ohio General Assembly set aside $500,000 to reimburse individual county boards of election for the cost of newspaper advertising alerting voters to the proposed constitutional amendment. Advertising cost about $387,000 for a statewide environmental issue voters approved in November 2000. Besides Blackwell, board members are Sens. Doug White, R-Manchester, Ben Espy, D-Columbus, and two citizen members -- William Morgan, a Republican from Columbus, and Thomas Winters, a Columbus Democrat. The Issue 1 Battleground Here are major points of contention over the wording of Issue 1: Funding: Opponents got the $247 million cost included, but proponents countered by noting it would cover seven years. How much is too much?: The board voted 3-2 rejecting a provision saying treatment would be available to those charged with possessing drugs for ''personal consumption'' and not drug trafficking. Handicapping judges: Opponents successfully lobbied for wording saying the issue would ''limit the authority'' of judges. Sealing records: Supporters won a small victory in wording saying that only people who ''successfully completed'' treatment could have their records sealed. Local, county officials: Issue 1 backers lost an argument for wording saying much of the state money would be allocated to county and local treatment programs. Source: Ohio Ballot Board NOTE: You can view the full text of Issue 1 at http://www.ohiodrugreform.org/index.tpl.
*************************************************** NEARLY HALF OF MS PATIENTS USING MEDICINAL CANNABIS Study Says Three Out Of Four Say Marijuana Alleviates Their Spasms Source: NORML E-Zine; Volume 5, Issue 32, August 22, 2002. Text of archived stories is available at: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3442 (San Diego, CA) Forty-five percent of British multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are using marijuana therapeutically, according to the results of a survey presented this week at the 10th World Congress on Pain in San Diego. The survey's author, neurologist M. Sam Chong of King's College Hospital in London, said that the percentage was much higher than investigators anticipated, and noted that about half of the marijuana-using respondents said they only began using pot after they were diagnosed with MS. According to the study's findings, among those using marijuana, 74 percent said pot eliminated or controlled their spasms. Fifty-four percent reported that they used marijuana primarily for pain relief. Chong said that patients who suffered from the most severe symptoms were most likely to be using marijuana therapeutically. More than 250 patients participated in the survey. A previous 1997 survey of British and American MS patients published in the journal European Neurology found that between 30 and 97 percent of respondents experienced symptomatic relief from cannabis, depending on specific symptoms. A 1998 report by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee called for the legalization of marijuana for MS patients, but Parliament rejected their recommendation. Presently, a number of clinical Phase III patient trials are ongoing in the United Kingdom to identify which strains of cannabis provide the most effective relief for symptoms of MS. A separate short-term trial on the impact of cannabis-therapy on MS is scheduled to begin in the U.S. at the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) at San Diego later this year. For more information, see CMCR's website at http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/geninfo/index.htm.
*************************************************** SYNTHETIC 'POT' RELIEVES ARTHRITIS PAIN Source: Yahoo HealthScoutNews, Aug 21, 2002. By Adam Marcus HealthScoutNews Reporter A man-made molecule may change the debate over medical marijuana. The compound, called ajulemic acid (AjA), is a synthetic chemical that's structurally similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in pot. However, it doesn't seem to interact with brain cells in the same way as the plant form, and it generates no "high," unlike marijuana or even occasionally Marinol, a molecular mimic of THC that's prescribed for the nausea associated with AIDS and cancer treatment. AjA has shown promise in a variety of conditions, from multiple sclerosis, in which it helps ease muscle spasms and pain, to cancer, in which it seems to have the ability at high doses to quash tumor growth. Now it appears to also show promise in the treatment of arthritis, according to new research by the University of Massachusetts chemist who helped discover AjA's properties and owns patents on it. Sumner Burstein's earlier work in rats showed the compound almost completely blocked the joint destruction in the rodent version of rheumatoid arthritis, a crippling disorder for people. It also led to significant, though less powerful, effects on pain and inflammation. The impetus for developing ajulemic acid fell out of Burstein's discovery years ago that the principle breakdown product of THC in the body had mild anti-inflammatory effects. In the new work, Burstein and his colleagues tested AjA in both rat cells and blood samples from healthy human volunteers. They found AjA had a dose-dependent effect on two key immune system chemicals called interleukin-1b (IL-1b) and tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a). Intriguingly, Burstein says, the synthetic molecule muzzled IL-1b, which in arthritis is an agent involved in joint destruction. Yet, it was less potent against TNF-a. The data "really fits perfectly" with the initial rat study, conducted in 1998, says Burstein, who was to present his findings today at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in Boston. "We got significant decreases in both, but I would say when you compare the two of them that there's no question that the effect on bone damage was much, much more significant" than the reduction in pain and inflammation, he adds. Even so, Burstein says, AjA appears to be as potent an agent against arthritis pain and swelling as the most powerful drugs on the market. What's more, he believes the synthetic chemical will have fewer side effects on the gut, kidneys and other organs than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds such as ibuprofen, aspirin or even the newer cox-2 inhibitors. The substance is being developed as CT-3 by the Lexington, Mass.-based biotech firm Indevus Pharmaceuticals. German scientists are currently testing CT-3 in a small study of people with chronic pain. Results of that trial should be reported in the coming months. However, it already has raised some professional skepticism. Dr. Jody Corey-Bloom, a marijuana expert at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), says she's not familiar with AjA. But, she adds, "none of the [synthetic THC compounds] to date have been very impressive. Marinol's on the market, and nobody likes it." Corey-Bloom, part of UCSD's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, says her patients complain that taking the synthetic drug doesn't offer them the same relief as inhaled marijuana. NOTE: The Institute of Medicine has a report on medical marijuana (http://bob.nap.edu/readingroom/books/marimed/), as does the Schaffer Library of Drug Policy (http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/medical.htm).
*************************************************** STUDY FINDS THC-LIKE CHEMICALS USEFUL FOR CERTAIN DISORDERS Source: The Week Online with DRCNet, Issue #249 -- August 9, 2002. A Publication of the Drug Reform Coordination Network (http://www.drcnet.org) View this issue on the web at http://www.drcnet.org/wol/249.html. A new study has found that THC-like chemicals known as endocannabinoids, naturally produced by the brain, may play a role in combating anxiety and panic attacks and phobias, according to the British journal Nature. The study showed that rodents without the capacity to utilize these natural analogues of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, had trouble getting over bad memories. The mice were subjected to electric shock while a tone was sounded. The tone was repeated without the shock over the next few days. The normal mice quickly learned that the shock would no longer accompany the tone. Those mice who could not properly use their endocannabinoids would still become paralyzed with fear when the tone sounded. These results led researchers to suggest that THC-like chemicals help to erase particular memories of terror. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorder in the United States and cost $46 billion a year in medical expenses. New drugs based on these findings could be useful in treating anxiety disorders such as phobias, panic attacks, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, perhaps replacing such drugs like Paxil and Valium. Researchers also suggested that these chemicals would be useful in fighting some types of chronic pain. A United Press International (UPI) article quoted researcher Pankaj Sah as saying that "it's worth considering that people (who) constantly use cannabis may be doing it for other reasons than just to 'get high' -- perhaps they are experiencing some emotional problems which taking cannabis alleviates... This, I suppose, fits with the very long history of cannabis in human society." NOTE: For a more detailed analysis, see "Study: Marijuana Eases Traumatic Memories", which is archived at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1429/a09.html?1822.
*************************************************** CONYERS QUESTIONS DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES Source: August 23, 2002 press release from the office of Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Fourteenth District, Michigan - Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee, Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus (Detroit, MI) - Congressman John Conyers, Jr. has requested an immediate investigation by the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, Asa Hutchinson, of DEA's possible misuse of federal funds without proper authorization by Congress and in contravention of existing law.. Conyers said: "It appears that the DEA has been actively engaged across the country in collaboration with groups who are opposed to ballot proposals involving reform of our drug laws. Michigan is one of the states which will have a proposal of this kind on its November ballot. Citizens opposed to this kind of ballot initiative clearly are permitted to campaign and lobby in support of their point of view in an effort to win public support for their position. This is what our democracy is all about. But it is far from clear whether federally funded agencies and their employees can be used to spread a message or promote a campaign for or against a ballot initiative, on federal property and on government time." "The use of our local DEA office by those opposed to the Drug Reform ballot initiative seems clearly in violation of Section 601 of Public Law 107-77 (November 28, 2001), which clearly states that no part of any appropriation for DEA can be used for 'publicity or propaganda purposes' not authorized by Congress". "I am concerned that DEA has actively been involved in a campaign, both locally and nationally, to oppose drug reform proposals which have been properly and legally put before the citizens of this state for their approval or rejection. There seems little doubt that the appropriations for DEA are specifically prohibited from being used for this purpose. This apparently unlawful involvement of the DEA to promote a political agenda must cease immediately. We cannot allow the integrity of our national government to be compromised for any purpose, regardless of the intent of these over zealous federal activists. I am shocked that judges in violation of their Canon of Ethics would participate as well." NOTE: The DEA proudly displays its propaganda and misinformation at: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/legalization.html. To see extensive documentation of misuse of funds in Ohio, see Dan Forbe's investigative report "The Governor's Sub-Rosa Plot to Subvert An Election in Ohio" at: http://www.ips-dc.org/projects/drugpolicy/ohio.htm
*************************************************** MPP FIGHTS REJECTION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA PETITIONS Board of Elections Rejected Thousands of Valid Signatures Source: Marijuana Policy Project August 16, 2002 press release, available at http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr081602.html. (Washington, DC) The Marijuana Policy Project today filed formal papers asking the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE) to reconsider its decision not to certify Initiative 63, the "Medical Marijuana Initiative of 2002," for the November ballot. At an 11:00 a.m. press conference in front of the BOEE's offices, MPP Executive Director Robert Kampia and other speakers presented evidence of massive errors by the BOEE's staff, which resulted in the rejection of thousands of valid petition signatures. "We are absolutely confident we have enough signatures to be on the ballot," Kampia said. "In fact, we're confident enough that we are starting to hang 10,000 campaign signs this weekend." Initiative petitions must contain valid signatures from five percent of the District's registered voters, and that total must include five percent of voters from at least five of the city's eight wards. There is no dispute that the more than 18,000 signatures accepted by the Board met the citywide requirement, but the BOEE claimed that MPP had presented enough valid signatures from only four of eight wards. Since then, MPP has identified thousands of valid signatures that were wrongly rejected as not belonging to registered voters -- enough to surpass the five percent requirement in at least six wards. One of those voters, Sanho Tree (who was interviewed about international drug policy on the July 30 ABC News special "War on Drugs, A War on Ourselves"), spoke at today's press conference and showed the elections guide he had just received in the mail from the BOEE. "I've been a registered voter in the District for 14 years, and obviously they know it," Tree said. "It's bad enough to be disenfranchised by Bob Barr, but to be disenfranchised by our own city government is adding insult to injury." [snip] *************************************************** MEDICINAL POT STILL ON AGENDA: MCLELLAN Source: Winnipeg Free Press. August 27, 2002. Copyright 2002 Winnipeg Free Press http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/. This article is archived at: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n1593/a04.html?1340 By: Julia Necheff / Canadian Press
NOTE: For background information, view "Canadian Government Backs Away From Medical Marijuana: But Advocates See No Big Defeat" at http://www.drcnet.org/wol/251.html. This DRCNet article chronicles Canadians' efforts to make marijuana safely available for patients. It provides links to the BC Compassion Club Society (http://www.thecompassionclub.org) and the Cannabis Research Institute (http://www.cannabisresearchinstituteinc.com).
*************************************************** *************************************************** The following items are included in every OPNews: *************************************************** OPNews DISCLAIMER OPNews, a publication of Ohio Patient Network (OPN), provides medical cannabis news that affects Ohio patients, caregivers, and health professionals. Articles are intended for information purposes and do not reflect an official position by OPN or the OPN Board of Directors. For more information, contact Jean Taddie, Editor (editor@ohiopatient.net). *************************************************** YOU ARE INVITED TO OPN MEETINGS The OPN Board of Directors invites you to participate in the OPN planning meetings. Electronic voice/text meetings are held at the OPN chatroom in PalTalk. To receive PalTalk and meeting room instructions, as well as date and time information, contact info@ohiopatient.net. *************************************************** HOW TO GET YOUR INFORMATION IN OPNews OPNews is published monthly. To have your information considered for publication, submit your story to editor@ohiopatient.net. PLEASE DO NOT SEND ATTACHMENTS. Please do not boldface or italicize text. Include a contact name with a phone number and/or e-mail address with submissions. *************************************************** HOW TO BE REMOVED FROM THE OPNews LIST You may sign off this list at any time by using the webform at www.ohiopatient.net. *************************************************** HOW TO CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR Find your Representative in the Ohio House at http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Representatives.jsp Find your Ohio Senator at http://www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/ Write to your officials care of their district office, or send your letter to their Columbus office at: The Honorable (name) Ohio House of Representatives 77 South High Street Columbus, Ohio 43266-0603 -or- The Honorable (name) Ohio Senate Building Columbus, Ohio 43215 Telephone calls and emails are also persuasive, especially when the constituent contacts the district office.
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