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OPNews - November 2006 edition
A Publication of Ohio Patient Network (OPN)
From the President of OPN
Dear OPN Members, While I've been with OPN from the beginning, I'd like to
introduce myself to you once again as the newly elected President of OPN.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=499&Itemid=2
Fine Memories - Insatiable Dreams
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as OPN's newly elected
Vice President. Sunday, October 22nd, 2006 was the day I was honored to accept
that position in this five year old organization; yes, Happy Birthday OPN!
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http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=500&Itemid=2
ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS
New Board Members for OPN/OPAN
October 22, 2006 - At the Annual Meetings of the Ohio Patient Network and its
sister organization the Ohio Patient Action Network, the following members were
elected to serve on the respective Boards:
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=497&Itemid=2
Visit with the Columbus Dispatch
Report filed by Mary Jane Borden (10/20/2006) -- Yesterday, Brandy Zink, Michael
Miles, and I met with the Glenn Sheller (Editorial Page Editor), Rick Woodruff
(Editorial Writer), and Misti Crane (Medical Writer) of the Columbus Dispatch.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=492&Itemid=2
STATE NEWS
Monitoring of prescription drug sales aims to curb abuse
Columbus - Pharmacist Jarrett Bauder sometimes becomes suspicious about a customer
having a prescription filled for painkillers, especially if it's someone he
does not know.
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http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=478&Itemid=2
NATIONAL NEWS
AN INTERVIEW WITH JEFFREY HERGENRATHER, MD
What Have California Doctors Learned About Cannabis? -- It has been 10 years
since California voters enacted Proposition 215, making it legal to grow and
use cannabis, with a doctor's approval, for medical purposes. Prop 215 didn't
create a record-keeping system because the authors didn't trust the government
and didn't want to generate a master list of cannabis users. So, over the course
of the past decade, a vast public health experiment has been conducted in California
but no state agency has been tracking doctors who approve cannabis use or patients
who medicate with it.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=496&Itemid=2
Medical Marijuana Activists Get Victory in State Appeals Court
By GENEVIEVE BOOKWALTER - SENTINEL STAFF WRITER (10/20/06) -- Medical marijuana
advocates say this week's state appeals court ruling broadens the scope of who
can legally sell marijuana and will make it easier for those who need the drug
to get it.
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http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=495&Itemid=2
SOUTH DAKOTANS TO DECIDE MEDICAL MARIJUANA MEASURE NOV. 7
Benefits, Side Effects of Drug on Society Debated -- South Dakota would join
11 other states that allow some medical patients to smoke marijuana to ease
their pain and other medical problems if voters approve Initiated Measure 4
on Nov. 7.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=494&Itemid=2
MEDICAL MARIJUANA A 'CON,' U.S. DEPUTY DRUG CZAR SAYS
But Supporters of Measure Say Pot Offers Relief -- The nation's deputy drug
czar on Friday said proponents of the medical marijuana initiative on the Nov.
7 ballot are playing to voters' sympathies to pass a dangerous measure.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=493&Itemid=2
Parts of marijuana may fight dementia
Study: Drug reduces brain inflammation found in Alzheimer's -- Misti Crane
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH (October 19, 2006) -- Give an old, confused rat some pot
and it starts remembering things.
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http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=491&Itemid=2
NEVADA WILL VOTE ON LEGALIZING POT
RENO, Nev. -- Organizers of a measure on Nevada's November ballot hope that
voters in a state in which almost everything goes already will go one better
and legalize marijuana.
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http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=490&Itemid=2
Marijuana may help stave off Alzheimer's
Active ingredient in pot may help preserve brain function -- WASHINGTON (October
10, 2006) - Good news for aging hippies: smoking pot may stave off Alzheimer's
disease.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=489&Itemid=2
Anti-psychotic drugs called little help with Alzheimer's
Study finds pills don't cut aggression, raise risk of death BY LINDA A. JOHNSON,
Associated Press (October 12, 2006)-- Widely prescribed anti-psychotic drugs
do not help most Alzheimer's patients with delusions and aggression and are
not worth the risk of sudden death and other side effects, the first major study
on sufferers outside nursing homes concludes.
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http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=488&Itemid=2
Reimbursement for cannabis
A Californian court decided in September that medical cannabis users with a
low income who receive public assistance benefits from the state may qualify
for reimbursement for the cost of medical cannabis. The case centred on Sylvia
Price, who uses medical cannabis to alleviate severe pain. Ms. Price sought
and received reimbursements for the cost of her medical cannabis under Lake
County's public assistance program until 2003 when Lake County stopped reimbursing
Ms. Price, claiming that federal law prohibited it from doing so. In September
the administrative court finally resolved the issue by making clear that federal
cannabis laws do not prevent the state from honouring its medical cannabis law.
(Source: Drug Policy Alliance of 5 October 2006, http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/100306legal.cfm)
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=486&Itemid=2
Scientists at the University of Mississippi receive 11 million dollars to research
Scientists at the University of Mississippi plan to use a recently awarded
grant from the National Institutes of Health of 11 million dollars (about 8.8
million Euros) to develop THC mini- patches and study the effects of cannabis
and other plants in a new neuroscience research centre. The specific area of
research stems around neuroscience as well as identifying certain components
and properties of natural products that affect the central nervous system, pharmacy
professor Rae Matsumoto said. The THC mini-patch is intended to release THC
into the body like a nicotine patch, although the mini-patch is applied in the
mouth above the gums. "The advantage is by taking the drug orally, very
little is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract," said associate
professor of pharmaceutics Michael Repka, "which means we don't have to
use as large as a dose and the patient usually won't become nauseated."
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=485&Itemid=2
SD EDITORIAL: MEDICAL MARIJUANA MEASURE SHOULD PASS
Next month, South Dakota voters have an opportunity to embrace what might be
considered an act of compassion by passing Initiated Measure 4, which would
provide certain seriously ill individuals with access to marijuana for medical
purposes.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=484&Itemid=2
'GANJA GURU' REINDICTED ON POT-RELATED CHARGES
Rosenthal Says Feds Are on a Mission to Shut Down Every Dispensary in State
-- Oakland "Guru of Ganja" Ed Rosenthal was reindicted by a federal
grand jury Thursday on a host of marijuana-related charges, roughly six months
after an appeals court tossed out his earlier convictions.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=483&Itemid=2
City weighs pot-growing co-ops
MEDICAL MARIJUANA: The proposed ordinance offers an alternative to storefront
dispensaries. By STEVE MOORE The Press-Enterprise - 10/06/06 PALM SPRINGS -
Roger Fisher says strictly run medical-marijuana dispensaries help patients
and "get rid of the criminal element."
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http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=482&Itemid=2
Top 10 Reports the Government Wishes It Hadn't Funded
10) MARIJUANA USE HAS NO EFFECT ON MORTALITY: A massive study of California
HMO members funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found marijuana
use caused no significant increase in mortality. Tobacco use was associated
with increased risk of death. (Sidney, S et al. Marijuana Use and Mortality.
American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 87 No. 4, April 1997. p. 585-590. Sept.
2002.)
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=481&Itemid=2
Medical marijuana and the 9th and 10th Amendments
Anthony Gregory (10/05/06) -- On Tuesday, Drug Enforcement Administration agents
swooped down upon the premier medical marijuana club in California's Bay Area,
targeting its dispensary and seven ancillary locations in San Francisco and
Oakland. By destroying and confiscating property, seizing medical records, pummeling
ATM machines with sledge hammers and jailing fifteen people, the federal agency
hopes to teach a lesson, not just to medicinal pot users but to all Americans
-- this area, as all areas in the country, belongs to the federal government."
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=480&Itemid=2
Federal Agents Raid San Francisco Medical Marijuana Dispensary Third Action
by DEA in California
SAN FRANCISCO-Nearly two dozen federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
agents in full tactical gear descended on a medical cannabis dispensing collective
in San Francisco and at least two other related locations today, seizing medicine
and making at least four arrests. It is the third such action in California
in the past week.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=479&Itemid=2
Major U.S. Religions Advocate Marijuana Decriminalization
In a new marijuana policy book edited by best-selling academic author Mitch
Earleywine, Ph.D., two chapters about religious denominations' opinions reveal
substantial support for less punitive marijuana laws. Pot Politics: Marijuana
and the Costs of Prohibition, just released by Oxford University Press, is the
first book to compile the official marijuana policy positions of dozens of the
largest religious groups in the United States.
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http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=474&Itemid=2
DUSTIN COSTA STRUGGLES AGAINST INVISIBILITY
Thomas Jefferson O'Connell, MD, perused a front-page story on in the Times
and said, "I'm glad the torturers are being exposed, but I can't help thinking
that the prisoners at Guantanamo get a lot more attention than Dustin Costa."
Costa is a patient of O'Connell's who has been imprisoned in Fresno since August
2005 on cultivation charges.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=473&Itemid=2
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Migraine study
Researchers of the Institute of Neurology in London found out that the activation
of CB1 receptors causes inhibition of the nerve cells that control the blood
vessels of the trigeminus nerve. Migraine involves activation, or the perception
of activation, of the blood vessel system of the trigeminus. They concluded
that these data "suggest that CB receptors may have therapeutic potential
in migraine, cluster headache or other primary headaches." (Source: Akerman
S, et al. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2006 Oct 3; [electronic publication ahead of
print])
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=487&Itemid=2
THC reduces intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma
British researchers investigated the effects of THC and CBD in six patients
with ocular hypertension or glaucoma. In a four-way crossover study participants
received 5 mg THC, 20 mg CBD, 40 mg CBD, or a placebo. The substances were applied
to the mucosa of the mouth.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=477&Itemid=2
An overview of the first year of activity of the Cannabis Pharmacy
According to a release by the Cannabis Pharmacy, to date 43 patients have obtained
access to the Cannabis Pharmacy through recommendation by a physician working
with the pharmacy. 31 persons have donated cannabis at least once to supply
these patients. 15 of these donors took responsibility for the entire supply
of at least one patient, two donors adopted two patients and one donor adopted
three patients. 22 patients are currently waitlisted without a supplier. The
Cannabis Pharmacy has been working without interference by German law enforcement.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=476&Itemid=2
Nabilone reduces pain in patients with spasticity
Researchers of the University of Innsbruck, Austria, conducted a crossover
study with the synthetic cannabinoid nabilone in 13 patients who suffered from
chronic pain related to spasticity in chronic upper motor neuron syndrome. Participants
received both 1 mg nabilone per day in one treatment phase and a placebo in
another phase. 11 patients completed the study. Nabilone caused a significant
decrease of pain, while spasticity, motor function and activities of daily living
did not change. Side effects were generally low. Of the two patients who did
not complete the study, one patient experienced moderate transient weakness
of the lower limbs and one experienced an acute relapse of multiple sclerosis.
Read more...:
http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=475&Itemid=2
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REGULAR FEATURES
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.
YOU ARE INVITED TO OPN MEETINGS
The OPN Board of Directors invites you to participate in OPN/OPAN meetings,
which are held at 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) every Wednesday. Electronic voice/text
meetings are held at the DrugSense MAP sponsored chatroom in PalTalk. More information
about meetings, password, and using PalTalk is available at http://www.ohiopatient.net/v2/content/view/435/160/.
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 on our website.
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 website (http://ohiopatient.net)
and click on the Donate button on any page 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
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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
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