OPNews - December 2006 edition
A Publication of Ohio Patient Network (OPN)

From the President of OPN

"Excellence is the best deterrent to bigotry."

A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held for the memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to be built on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Many celebrities had assembled, and a number gave moving speeches. Among them was the famed Oprah Winfrey. Like so many of her time, Dr. King inspired her to obvious greatness. Part of her journey, she said, was motivated by the saying, "Excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism." I'd like to generalize it to more correctly read, "Excellence is the best deterrent to bigotry."

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ORGANIZATIONAL NEWS

PUB LTE: OHIO SHOULD ALLOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA

What if you had an infection, a disease or an injury so severe that it changed your life. What if you were offered several options for treatment, all of which would leave you in great pain and bedridden? What if there was one treatment that would allow you to live in relative peace and comfort, but was illegal to prescribe or use. Which would you choose?

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Because I Smoke Pot

Powerful words from OPN member Mike Boop

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HOT HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST

BENEFIT THE OHIO PATIENT NETWORK AT THE IGIVE.COM MALL -- Give Twice This Holiday Season At Over 470 Online Stores at http://www.igive.com/ Where A Portion of Every Purchase Goes To The OPN. It's holiday time again! That means the Office Holiday Party preparations and decorating. That means Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas preparations, cooking, decorating, greeting cards and GIFT-GIVING! Not to mention winter break vacation traveling and New Year's Eve celebrations.

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Tax Deductible Donations!

It's the time of year to remind you that donations to the Ohio Patient Network are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, you can assist our work to provide networking and support to Ohio's cannabis patients and to educate the media, public, and government officials about this medicinal plant. Just make your check or money order payable to the Ohio Patient Network and mail to P.O. Box 26353, Columbus, Ohio 43216. You can also make your donation by Paypal. Just click on the Paypal button at the top right of any page.

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Meeting Notes

OPN 11/15 Meeting Notes

Notes from the OPN meeting on November 15, 2006

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NATIONAL NEWS

THC reduces spasticity in patients with spinal cord injury

According to an open label clinical study conducted at the REHAB in Basel, Switzerland, THC was effective in reducing spasticity in 25 patients with spinal cord injury. In three study phases patients received oral THC, rectal THC-hemisuccinate (THC-HS) and/or placebo, each for six weeks. Originally, it was planned to start with an open phase with oral THC followed by an open phase with rectal THC-HS and then a three-way crossover placebo-controlled phase with oral THC and rectal THC-HS. Due to logistical problems with the import of THC- HS Phase 2 had to be stopped after inclusion of seven patients. Phase 3 was changed to a parallel study with oral THC and placebo.

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THC reduces stomach cramping after eating according to a clinical study by the Mayo Clinic

THC may relax the colon and reduce stomach cramping after eating, according to a study presented at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. The study compared the effects of dronabinol (THC) and placebo on colonic motility and sensation in healthy adults.

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ARTIST OBTAINS PERMIT, GROWS POT FOR SAN FRANCISCO EXHIBIT

SAN FRANCISCO -- The first reaction to the thriving marijuana plant encased in Plexiglas in a San Francisco art gallery is to its pungent odor. Then come the questions.

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MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS ARRESTED

SAN DIEGO - Angry medical marijuana patients were arrested Tuesday when they staged a protest at a convention of federal Drug Enforcement Agency agents at the San Diego Marriott in Mission Valley.

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GATHERING WILL MARK 10 YEARS OF LEGALIZED MEDICAL POT USE

Despite Setbacks, Veterans Of California's Pioneering Movement Will Celebrate. SACRAMENTO -- With pomp and a bit of pot-inspired pageantry, the battle-tested veterans of California's medical marijuana movement will come together this weekend to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Proposition 215, the milestone ballot measure that redefined cannabis as medicine.

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10 YEARS OF LEGALIZED MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN CALIFORNIA

Dr. Mikuriya's Observations - Tod Mikuriya, MD (Berkeley), was the first California doctor to monitor patients' use of cannabis systematically. In the early 1990s his interviews with members of the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club documented Dennis Peron's observation that people were self-medicating for an extremely wide range of problems.

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CLOUDY FUTURE FOR MARIJUANA AS A MEDICINE

Medical Marijuana Stores Have Met With Resistance in the South Bay and Three California Counties Claim in a Lawsuit That the Measure Approved by Voters in 1996 Is Illegal. - SAN FRANCISCO -- A decade ago, California voters were the nation's first to approve medical marijuana, and 10 other states have since followed suit. But the future of the landmark California statute is no clearer now than when voters headed to the polls Nov. 5, 1996.

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MEDICAL MARIJUANA REMAINS IN LEGAL LIMBO

Prop. 215 Approved by Voters Decade Ago -- Over the years, doctors prescribed Vicodin, Valium and a medicine chest of other drugs to soothe his constant pain, but the narcotics killed his appetite and kept him awake at night. Until he started smoking marijuana, Cody could barely sit still for a movie.

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MARIJUANA, THE ANTI-DRUG

The extent to which medical cannabis users discontinue or reduce their use of pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs is a recurring theme in a recent survey of pro-cannabis (PC) California doctors. The drug-reduction phenomenon has obvious scientific implications. Medicating with cannabis enables people to lay off stimulants as well as sedatives -suggesting that the herb's active ingredients restore homeostasis to various bodily systems. (Lab studies confirm that cannabinoids normalize the tempo of many other neurotransmission systems.) The political implications are equally obvious. Legalizing herbal cannabis would devastate the pharmaceutical manufacturers and allied corporations in the chemicals, oil, "food," and banking sectors. Put simply, the synthetic drug makers stand to lose half their sales if and when the American people get legal access to cannabis.

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South Dakota: Students Lose Medical Marijuana Shirts

November 8, 2006 -- A pair of South Dakota high-school students who wore T-shirts promoting a state medical-marijuana ballot initiative had the shirts confiscated by school administrators, the Associated Press reported Nov. 7.

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CA Doctors Face Federal and Professional Scrutiny

November 6, 2006 -- Doctors in California who recommend that patients use marijuana for medical purposes have been prosecuted by federal authorities and investigated by state medical officials, the Associated Press reported Nov. 5.

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Narrow defeat of a measure that would have legalized the medical use of cannabis in South Dakota

A measure that would have made South Dakota the 12th state with a medical cannabis law got a support by only 48 percent of voters at the elections on 7 November. This is the first defeat of a medical cannabis measure presented to voters in the United States. Measures that would have legalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis by adults in Colorado and Nevada got support by 40 and 44 percent, respectively.

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Long-term use of a cannabis extract in patients with multiple sclerosis

An open study in 137 MS patients with symptoms not controlled satisfactorily using standard drugs was conducted with an oral cannabis extract (Sativex) to investigate long-term efficacy and safety. Participants had completed a 10-week, placebo-controlled study and were followed for an average of 434 days (range 21-814).

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JUDGE REJECTS COUNTY'S CHALLENGE TO POT LAW

SAN DIEGO -- A Superior Court judge issued a tentative ruling Thursday morning, rejecting San Diego County's controversial challenge to overturn California's 10-year old, voter-approved "Compassionate Use Act" -- the law that says seriously ill people can legally use marijuana to ease their pain and suffering.

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California: MERCED POT GROWER CONVICTED

Jury Takes Just Two Hours to Return Verdict; Medical Marijuana Defense Fails. -- A federal jury took only two hours Wednesday to convict Merced marijuana activist Dustin Costa of growing and dealing the drug, a conviction that could send him to prison for the rest of his life.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Italy/Switzerland: Governments plan legal use of cannabis for medicinal purposes

The Italian government has decided that in the future cannabis may be used for the treatment of pain. The parliament has still to hold a vote on this issue. The meassure has "nothing to do with joints" Health Minister Livia Turco stated. The reform can only become into effect after the House of Representatives and the Senate have approved it. The opposition is devided on this question. While the right-wing nationalists accused the government to legalize a soft drug, Chiara Moroni of the party "Forza Italia" of opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi supported the decision of the cabinet.

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The Netherlands: Patient with multiple sclerosis may grow cannabis for personal use

In a groundbreaking ruling a Dutch court of appeals has decided that a man who is suffering from multiple sclerosis may grow cannabis for personal use to alleviate his pain. The court in Leeuwarden in the north of the country said on 17 October that the interest of the 51 year old patient outweighs the public interest in the current prohibition of growing cannabis.

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Spain: A pilot study with Sativex showed positive effects in 65% of patients with chronic diseases

On 20 October the Health Committee of Catalonia presented results of a clinical study with the cannabis extract Sativex in patients with different chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, neuropathic pain as well as appetite and weight loss. 65 percent of the 123 participants experienced an improvement of quality of life and a decrease of pain. The other 35 percent discontinued the treatment due to side effects, mainly dizziness, dry mouth and fatigue.

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Canada: IT'S OK TO PUFF POT FOR HEALTH, SURVEY FINDS

ALTHOUGH Canadians are hardly trading maple leaves for pot leaves, newly published findings suggest Cheech and Chong would feel right at home here.

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Canada: GW Pharmaceuticals seeks approval for the use of Sativex in cancer pain

On 19 October GW Pharmaceuticals and Bayer HealthCare announced that GW has submitted a regulatory application in Canada for their cannabis extract Sativex to seek approval for a new indication, for the treatment of pain in patients with advanced cancer that has not been adequately relieved by opioid medications.

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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 7:30 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 contacts the district office.

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