2.  George McMahon’s Battle for Justice in Ohio



6.  OPN Annual Meeting Was Productive and Fun
 

7.  Helriggles Question Convict's Lie
 

11. Sens. Kennedy, Kerry Support University of Massachusetts Marijuana Research Plan

 



 







 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


 
 

2. GEORGE MCMAHON’S BATTLE FOR JUSTICE IN OHIO
 
By Joseph Zoretic
 
(Columbus, OH)  October 14 was supposed to be the date of a legislative briefing that could build support for an acceptable medical marijuana law in Ohio.  Instead the briefing has been delayed because our over-zealous State Highway Patrol has threatened to arrest the key speaker.

Members of Ohio’s 125th General Assembly were to be educated by George McMahon, who is one of seven patients to receive marijuana from the federal government, and his biographer, Christopher Largen.
 
George has been receiving 300 government approved ‘joints’ from Uncle Sam legally for years now through the government’s IND (Investigational New Drug) program.  The program was closed by the Bush administration in 1992 to avert thousands of applications from spinal cord injury and AIDS patients.

Christopher Largen contacted Kenneth Carano, a compassionate Democrat from the Youngstown area, and the Ohio Patient Network, asking if there was anything he and George could do to help.  They offered to come all the way from their home state of Texas to educate our legislators, who are mostly Republicans, about the benefits of marijuana compared to its legal alternative, Marinol.
 
Kenneth Carano and his Legislative Aide, Sara Hall Phillips, set up the educational briefing to answer any medical marijuana questions that the General Assembly might have. Many of the Representatives who signed up for the briefing were extremely interested that they would be meeting an actual patient who has the blessings of the federal government to use cannabis as a medicine.
 
Unfortunately, our State Highway Patrol was not so favorable.  You see, a big part of George’s philosophy is to be discrete about his smoking, and he is certainly not the type to flaunt his use in public. This being the case, George had requested a room away from the public, even a broom closet if necessary, to use his medication and be as discrete as possible.  For some reason, the statehouse asked for approval from the highway patrol, who threatened to arrest George if he brought his medicine into the state.
 
One of the rules of the IND program requires the patient to be in control of his prescription at all times.  His full prescriptions weight is 271.14 grams, which is a felony according to Ohio law.  OPN’s legal counsel, Don Wirtshafter, responded to the Patrol’s threats by clarifying that Ohio Revised Code section 3719.09 makes possession of all controlled substances illegal but then excepts patients with a legal prescription from these prohibitions of the controlled substances act.  In other words, George and his medicine are completely legal under federal AND state law.
 
Unfortunately, the briefing has been delayed due to a slow response by the Attorney General’s office, which has yet to give a written decision and explanation on George McMahon’s impending visit to our state.
 
George and Chris are more determined than ever to visit Ohio and educate representatives that cannabis is a cheaper and more effective medicine than its counterpart Marinol, a $15 pill that is not only hard to swallow but also hard to keep down. 
 
If you would like to learn more about George McMahon’s story, then I would highly recommend purchasing the book, “Prescription Pot: A Leading Advocate’s Heroic Battle to Legalize Medical Marijuana.” If you would like to read a nice review of the publication, check out http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1458/a07.html?204
 
NOTE:  To follow all the news about George McMahon, see http://www.mapinc.org/people/George+McMahon
 
 

3. 15 MINUTE MISSION OF THE MONTH

 

By Deirdre Zoretic, Director of Patient Advocacy

 
I would first like to thank everyone who elected me to stay in my current position with this organization.  This is a duty that I have never taken lightly.  I am honored to have been trusted with leading us all to an era of non-harassment.  I hope to live up to the expectations that you all have for me.
 
Part of living up to that expectation is knowing what you want me to do to help you.  Part of the position also includes letting you know what needs to be done, and when.  We are patients, we are sick; doing anything requires a lot for most of us.  So, we must rely on our strengths to out-weigh our weaknesses.  One of these strengths is our numbers.  We have more than tripled our membership in the last year.  If we could all commit ourselves to doing just one 15 minute (or less) job every month, we will have the laws that our health requires.
 
I have a test for my theory.  I would like you all to participate.  I am going to give you the opportunity to prove me wrong.  (And if you prove me wrong, I will get off your back about doing stuff for a while, OK?)
 
This month, we are going to call, write, email, and fax the Attorney General’s office.  As you have read in the story by my husband, Joe Zoretic, you should be aware of the problems that two friends of OPN are facing.  They are only facing these problems because they are trying to help us. 
 
We want the Attorney General to know that NO ONE has the right to stop citizens of our country from traveling freely throughout the United States.  NO ONE has the right to try to squelch the first amendment rights of our friends, or any one else.  Please!!  Get in touch with the Attorney General’s office and let them know that we are watching them.  Their actions do not go unnoticed.  This will not happen quietly.
 
Thank you for time and effort.  I know how difficult it can be.  Contact information follows:
Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro
State Office Tower 30 E. Broad Street, 17th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-3428  
(614) 466-4320
Executive Assistant, Melissa Vasil
Website and email info: http://www.ag.state.oh.us/contact/contact.htm
 
 


 

 

 

 

 

 
 


 
By K R “Doc” Miller, OPN Director of Development
 
The Ohio Patient Network has teamed up with iGive.com online charity shopping mall.  iGive.com enables you to shop online at hundreds of merchants and simultaneously support charitable causes, such as the Ohio Patient Network.  Up to 25 percent or more of every purchase is donated to the OPN at no extra cost.
 
I have found iGive.com to be an excellent and nearly effortless way to raise needed funds.  Many of our supporters are already shopping online.  Now when you shop through the Mall at iGive.com, everything you buy – from CDs, books, toothpaste to computers – helps OPN.  We’re excited about the continued funds this technology and iGive.com will help us raise for medical cannabis patients.
 
Robert Grosshandler, founder and chief executive officer of iGive.com states:  “We’re delighted that the Ohio Patient Network is utilizing iGive.com and the information age to help medical cannabis patients.  The OPN benefits from supporters’ online shopping, and shoppers benefit from the ability to help causes close to their hearts and homes.  iGive.com’s mission is to provide a reliable, valuable, secure and easy-to-use tool to help individuals support their favorite causes.”
 
iGive.com is the Internet’s first venture for turning online shopping into a vehicle for charitable giving.  In addition to supporting any cause you wish, you can also track, directly on the site, your individual donations to your causes and the total amount your causes have raised. 
 
For more information or to register with iGive.com, visit www.iGive.com/OPN .
 
 

6. OPN ANNUAL MEETING WAS PRODUCTIVE AND FUN
 
By John Precup, OPN President
 
(Lodi, OH)  This year’s annual meeting on October 4th was the best yet.  Over 25 people attended, and at least 3 sister organizations were represented.
 
The afternoon began with setup and networking.  It was a great chance to share ideas with other activists and patients.  Special thanks go to Cher Neufer of North Ohio NORML for offering the use of her facilities and to K.R. “Doc” Miller for coordinating the event.
 
I started the business meeting a little after 4:00 p.m. by welcoming everyone who attended.  The first item was to elect this year’s board members.  The following people were elected:
 
John Precup - President
Jim White - Vice President
Mary Jane Borden - Treasurer
Robert Ryan - Secretary
Deirdre Zoretic - Director of Patient Advocacy
K.R. “Doc” Miller - Director of Development
Norman Jentner - Director of Public Health
 
Next, each of the board members gave reports about the latest news from their respective committees.  After an open discussion, we ended the meeting around 6:00 p.m.
 
Once the business part of the day was over, we enjoyed a potluck dinner.  Everyone brought their specialty, and a wonderful meal was had by all. 
 
Next came the door prizes. Thanks again to Doc Miller, who obtained a table full of donations from Puff-N-Stuff and Cloud Nine stores in Columbus.
 
As the evening got cooler, the bon fire grew more and more inviting.  Many people were drawn to the fire to discuss future plans.
 
Thanks to the help and involvement of many people, the annual meeting was a productive and fun event.
 
 

7. HELRIGGLES QUESTION CONVICT'S LIE
 
Source: Dayton Daily News http://www.activedayton.com/partners/ddn/ , October 27, 2003.  The whole article is archived at: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1677/a03.html
 

 
...The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office [recently released the files of an] investigation into the shooting death of 23-year-old, Clayton Helriggle, in a 2002 raid on a Preble County farmhouse.
 
The report is an administrative review of the practices and training of the Preble County sheriff's now-disbanded regional SWAT team. There it is, in black and white, on page 21 of the 31-page report:
 
Kevin Leitch - convicted felon, burglar and a key witness in the case - told investigators he mistakenly told a Greene County grand jury that Clayton Helriggle was the one selling drugs from the house. The grand jury did not issue any indictments against the officers or the farmhouse residents.
 
"That part of the report upset us greatly," Mrs. Helriggle said. "I don't know if it would have changed the outcome of the grand jury, and we'll probably never know."
 
"My war cry [is] - 'Justice for Clayton,' " Mrs. Helriggle said. "He deserves to have his name cleared."
 
After reading the report, she also was stunned by the near-total silence from the officers involved in the raid. Acting on the advice of their lawyers, they refused to be interviewed by their brother officers in Montgomery County.
 
"When I first saw the report I was thoroughly disgusted," Sharon Helriggle said. "But it has stirred things back up. People are mad because the police won't cooperate. It makes the public wonder if they do have something to hide."
 
Preble County Sheriff Thomas Hayes declined comment because of the civil lawsuit the Helriggles filed in federal court last month against Preble County and 20 individuals involved in the raid, claiming wrongful death and violation of their son's civil rights.
 
Suzanne Schmidt, first assistant Greene County prosecutor, said Friday that she and Greene County Prosecutor William Schenck plan to review the report closely as well as speak with the Montgomery County investigators. "Bill and I will take a look at this report and see if anything further needs to be done," Schmidt said.
 
It has been more than a year now since the chaotic raid, during which Lewisburg police Sgt. Kent Moore shot Helriggle as Helriggle descended the back stairway to the kitchen. A previous Montgomery County investigation concluded Helriggle was carrying a 9 mm handgun (a claim the Helriggles continue to dispute).
 
 

8. SUPREME COURT REJECTS ANTI-MARIJUANA CASE
 
Source: Associated Press (Wire), October 14, 2003.  The entire article is archived at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1582/a03.html
 
By Gina Holland
 
(Washington, DC)  The Supreme Court rejected an appeal that jeopardized state medical marijuana laws that allow ill patients to smoke pot if they get a doctor's recommendation.
 
Justices turned down the Bush administration's request to consider whether the federal government can punish doctors for recommending or perhaps even talking about the benefits of the drug to sick patients. An appeals court said they cannot.
 
Nine states have laws legalizing marijuana for patients with physician recommendations or prescriptions: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, and 35 states have passed legislation recognizing marijuana's medicinal value. But federal law bans the use of pot under any circumstances.
 
The case gave the court an opportunity to review its second medical marijuana case in two years. The last one involved cannabis clubs.
 
This one presented a more difficult issue, pitting free-speech rights of doctors against government power to keep physicians from encouraging illegal drug use. A ruling for the administration would have made the state medical marijuana laws unusable.
 
Some California doctors and patients, in filings at the Supreme Court, compared doctor information on pot to physicians' advice on "red wine to reduce the risk of heart disease, Vitamin C, acupuncture, or chicken soup."
 
The administration, which has taken a hard stand against the state laws, argued that public heath -- not the First Amendment free-speech rights of doctors or patients -- was at stake.
 
[snip]
 
NOTES: 
*More articles about the Walters v. Conant case are archived at: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Conant
 
*PBS’s Gwen Ifill got two perspectives on the supreme court decision from Rob Kampia, director of the Marijuana Policy Project, and Dr. Andrea Barthwell, deputy director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.  Listen to the RealAudio recording at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/supreme_court/
 
*The Chicago Sun-Times’ compelling editorial U.S. ON THE WRONG SIDE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA BATTLE at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1591/a07.html is also worth checking out.
 
 

9. MARIJUANA ARRESTS DECLINE SLIGHTLY

 

Source:  Marijuana Policy Project October 27, 2003 press release

 

 

 

 
[snip]
 
 

10. DRUG CZAR OFFICE SAFE FOR NOW
House Votes for Five More Years of Same Old Drug War, Senate Vote Pending
 
Source:  Drug War Chronicle #305, October 3, 2003 http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/305/fivemoreyears.shtml
 

 

 

 
 

11. SENS. KENNEDY, KERRY SUPPORT UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS MARIJUANA RESEARCH PLAN

Proposal Would Break DEA Monopoly on Marijuana for Research

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 


 

 

 

 

 

 
 


 

 

 

 
 

14. GERMAN STUDIES SUPPORT USE OF MARIJUANA EXTRACTS FOR EPILEPSY, PAIN
 
Source:  Drug Policy News, October 6, 2003
http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/10_06_03german_epilepsy_pain.cfm
 
Two new German studies provide more evidence for the medical uses of marijuana. According to the BBC News Online, researchers at the Max-Planck Institute – who have been seeking ways to prevent epileptic seizures – report that “natural brain chemicals which resemble cannabis extracts can interrupt a process which can trigger a seizure.” The compounds act to reduce the excitability of brain cells common in epilepsy sufferers. Max-Planck researchers called the cannabis compounds a “promising therapeutic target” in the search to develop effective drugs to fight epilepsy.
 
In the second study, chronic-pain researchers at the Hannover Medical School found that “a synthetic version of one of many marijuana compounds safely reduced chronic nerve pain without impairing thinking and behavior.” Previous research into the compound, CT-3, has already shown it to be an effective anti-inflammatory and pain reducer.
 
[snip]
 
NOTE:  For more information, see
*October 4 BBC News article CANNABIS 'COULD HELP EPILEPTICS' which is archived at http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1520/a03.html
*October 8 NORML News story POT CHEMICAL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES CHRONIC PAIN IN HUMANS, STUDY SAYS at

 
 

15. OTTAWA'S POT RULES UNCONSTITUTIONAL, COURT RULES
 
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) http://www.globeandmail.ca/ , October 7, 2003.
View the whole article at: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1533.a12.html
 
By Kirk Makin
 
A federal scheme that supplies marijuana to those with serious medical problems unconstitutionally forces users into the black market to obtain a reliable supply, the Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled.
 
The court said the current federal licensing scheme obliges those who are ill to act like criminals, obtaining illicit supplies "with all the risks of tainted product this presents.
 
"Exposing these individuals to these risks does not advance the objective of public health and safety," it said in a 3-0 ruling. "Rather, it is contrary to it. Equally, driving business to the black market is contrary to better narcotic drug control."
 
The court stopped short, however, of striking down the entire scheme. It opted to tinker with the law to make it comply with the constitutional right to life, liberty and security of the person.
 
The ruling effectively forces the government to make it easier to grow and supply licenced marijuana to medicinal users, while at the same time upholding the laws prohibiting pot possession.
 
It ends a period of chaos in which police essentially stopped enforcing the marijuana possession law because of conflicting rulings as to its validity... Specifically, the ruling removed:
 
* The need for a second physician to endorse a patient's application to receive medical marijuana...
 
* A restriction that prevents designated, licenced growers from receiving compensation for supplying marijuana to sick people eligible to receive it.
 
* A provision that prevents licensed growers from raising marijuana for more than one person.
 
* A prohibition against licensed growers' producing marijuana in common with more than two other growers.
 
[snip]
 
NOTES: 
*Links to the court decisions are at http://cannabislink.ca/legal/#legalcases
 
*For the latest news on medical marijuana in Canada, see: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm
 
 



 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 
 

HELP THE OPN SUPPORT PATIENTS
 
The Ohio Patient Network's goal is to provide a voice for Ohio's medicinal cannabis patients and create an environment where this vital medicine becomes an accepted and legitimate therapy. To do this, we need your help.
 
We'd like you to personally become involved in OPN by donating your time.  Please check out our various committees and activities at http://www.ohiopatient.net/Get_involved.htm. Respond with your interest to our Membership Coordinator, Doc Miller, at KRMiller@OhioPatient.net.
 
If you'd prefer, you can also support medicinal cannabis and what we are doing by contributing monetarily to OPN. Please note that the Ohio Patient Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in the State of Ohio.  Donations to OPN are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
 
Please visit our donations page at http://www.ohiopatient.net/Donate.htm to make a contribution using your credit card. Please note that these donations will be processed through Paypal.
 
If you would prefer to donate by check or money order, please make them payable to the "Ohio Patient Network" and mail to P.O. Box 26353, Columbus, OH 43216.
 
Thank you for supporting the Ohio Patient Network.