Medical Marijuana Under Fire in California

I was watching a special on Medical Marijuana in California that aired on 60 minutes the other night. They were talking about the way the law is being abused by certain providers and patients. This story was pretty upsetting to me while watching it. It portrayed California as everyone looking for an easy way to get Marijuana. "Show up at this doctor and give him $100 and he will write the perscription for you." There are a couple of points that they didn't discuss that made me think. First and and formost, why California? there are 11 other states right now with Medical Marijuana legalized and we do not have these issues. Prop 215 in California was the first one to pass in the country since the Federal Government stopped allowing it while Geaorge Bush Senior was President. Could it be that California needs to re-evaluate the way the bill is written. Right now there is no certain ailement that Marijuana is for, there isn't a list of illnesses that a Doctor is told he can or can't perscribe it for. Is it the best medicine for the issue with the least amount of risk? That is what the Doctors are suppose to be asking and that is what they are suppose to be perscribing it for. There are many types of medication out there that will do the same as others but the doctors do thier risk assesment and perscribe the best for that patient. The next issue that brings up in my mind is why are we not talking about those that go to the doctor to get their perscription Pain medications so they can abuse them? Yes, I agree the ability to tell a doctor that the toe nail on my little toe hurts so I need Marijuana is not a good thing, but will he give me Hydrocordone? Probably not, then why are we as a federal government looking at this issue in this way. It is not that California is abusing the Medical Marijuana bill. California is abusing the Perscription Medication laws. Why are we singling out Marijuana. Ohh, this is probably because there are Medical Marijuana Shops. This is the big problem, lets let the state provide perscriptions for medical marijuana but not allow the Pharmacy to get that percription to the people. Lets make them come up with other means to get it. This to me is the Federal Governments issue. You, the Ferderal Government, have been providing Marijuana for medical purposes for years. You have found a method that works but you refuse to see that this is useful and will not accept the Doctors that write these perscriptions. Let the Doctor treat it like a perscription medication and let the patient receive it like a perscription medication. Let it be manufactured like a medication and treat those that manufacture it like they are providing a medication. This is not saying Provide a centralized area that grows and packages Marijuana. That is the federal Governments issue, it is always up to the patient to provide it for themselves or they want it centralized. Let it be like any other perscription medication. There are different types of the same medication now, that is why you can go to the pharmacy and get the "generic" version to save money. California was the first state to legalize the medical use of Marijuana, their law was very generic when written, the laws have been written differently in each state that has legalized the use of Marijuana, I think it is time for the Federal Government to Legalize it federally this will stop the many issues that we currently see with the California Pot Shops. It will also give Doctors in all states to provide their own risk analysis of their patients to see what medication is the right medication for them. This is my Opinion and I know it differs from a lot of those that want Medical Marijuana but I am a Veteran so even the state laws will not effect me. Plus, Hydrocordone, been on it for 3 years... Just try to get me off that stuff...

Trust in the FDA???

Do you trust the FDA? This is what the FDA has reported on Medical Marijuana:

A growing number of states have passed voter referenda (or legislative actions) making smoked marijuana available for a variety of medical conditions upon a doctor's recommendation. These measures are inconsistent with efforts to ensure that medications undergo the rigorous scientific scrutiny of the FDA approval process and are proven safe and effective under the standards of the FD&C Act. Accordingly, FDA, as the federal agency responsible for reviewing the safety and efficacy of drugs, DEA as the federal agency charged with enforcing the CSA, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, as the federal coordinator of drug control policy, do not support the use of smoked marijuana for medical purposes.

Here is a list of Medications the FDA has Approved, surprisingly most of these are still getting perscribed and some even to children: VIOXX - cause heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infection, swelling of the lower extremities, high blood pressure, itching, stomach ulcers or bleeding, fatigue, vomiting, dark urine, and black stools. Additionally, recent studies have also linked VIOXX to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Bextra - can cause a number of serious side effects, from stomach bleeding to upper respiratory infection Celebrex - has been linked to at least 10 deaths, 11 cases of gastrointestinal bleeding that required hospitalization, and an increased risk of stomach ulcers. Celebrex can increase or double users' risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. Crestor - has been linked to a slew of serious health problems, ranging from muscle weakness and asthenia to kidney damage and total renal failure. Baycol - it was also linked to at least 31 deaths in the United States and more than 52 worldwide. It has also been said to cause rhabdomyolysis, a typically non life-threatening but nonetheless serious muscle ailment that puts undue stress on the kidneys. Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis include fatigue, muscle pain, joint pain, dark urine, nausea, and other discomforts. Viagra and Cialis - possibility of heart attack, sudden death due to cardiac complications, hypertension, and priapism, a serious disorder requiring immediate medical attention in which a man develops a painful and prolonged erection. Risperdal - has been linked not only to type 2 diabetes, but to hyperglycemia, other blood sugar disorders, and pancreatitis—a dangerous inflammation of the pancreas. Seroquel - is linked not only to type 2 diabetes, but to hyperglycemia, other blood sugar disorders, and pancreatitis – an inflammation of the pancreas. Adderall - the occurrence of heart attacks, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular complications that may result in sudden death. The FDA report cites 51 deaths Ritalin - may pose serious health risks including heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and other potentially fatal cardiovascular problems. The report finds that 51 deaths These are just some of the Medications with Dangerous side affects that the FDA has approved.

Medical Marijuana Endorsements and Statements of Support

Found at http://www.veteransformedicalmarijuana.org/ The following is a representative sample of the large number of medical practitioners and organizations who have publicly stated their support for medical access to marijuana or their opposition to criminal penalties for medical marijuana users. “[T]he Leukemia & Lymphoma Society supports legislation to remove criminal and civil sanctions for the doctor-advised, medical use of marijuana by patients with serious physical medical conditions...[the] Leukemia & Lymphoma Society strongly urge that in a state where patients are permitted to use marijuana medicinally for serious and/or chronic illnesses and a patient's physician has recommended its use in accordance with that state's law and that state’s medical practice standards, the patient should not be subject to federal criminal penalties for such medical use.” —Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, July 2007 "[A] federal policy that prohibits physicians from alleviating suffering by prescribing marijuana for seriously ill patients is misguided, heavy-handed, and inhumane." —Dr. Jerome Kassirer, "Federal Foolishness and Marijuana," editorial, New England Journal of Medicine, January 30, 1997 "[The AAFP accepts the use of medical marijuana] under medical supervision and control for specific medical indications." —American Academy of Family Physicians, 1989, reaffirmed in 2001 "Approved medical uses for marijuana or [THC] for treatment of glaucoma, illnesses associated with wasting such as AIDS, the emesis associated with chemotherapy, or other uses … should be administered only under the supervision of a knowledgeable physician." —American Society of Addiction Medicine, April 16, 1997 "[We] recommend … allow[ing] [marijuana] prescription where medically appropriate." —National Association for Public Health Policy, November 15, 1998 "[AAHIVM supports] state and federal legislation not only to remove criminal penalties associated with medical marijuana, but further to exclude marijuana/cannabis from classification as a Schedule I drug." —American Academy of HIV Medicine, November 11, 2003 "Therefore be it resolved that the American Nurses Association will: … Support the right of patients to have safe access to therapeutic marijuana/cannabis under appropriate prescriber supervision." —American Nurses Association, resolution, 2003 "The National Nurses Society on Addictions urges the federal government to remove marijuana from the Schedule I category immediately, and make it available for physicians to prescribe. NNSA urges the American Nurses' Association and other health care professional organizations to support patient access to this medicine." —National Nurses Society on Addictions, May 1, 1995 "[M]arijuana has an extremely wide acute margin of safety for use under medical supervision and cannot cause lethal reactions … [G]reater harm is caused by the legal consequences of its prohibition than possible risks of medicinal use." —American Public Health Association, Resolution #9513, "Access to Therapeutic Marijuana/Cannabis," 1995 "When appropriately prescribed and monitored, marijuana/cannabis can provide immeasurable benefits for the health and well-being of our patients … We support state and federal legislation not only to remove criminal penalties associated with medical marijuana, but further to exclude marijuana/cannabis from classification as a Schedule I drug." —American Academy of HIV Medicine, letter to New York Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, November 11, 2003 "[The LFA] urges Congress and the President to enact legislation to reschedule marijuana to allow doctors to prescribe smokable marijuana to patients in need … [and] urges the US Public Health Service to allow limited access to medicinal marijuana by promptly reopening the Investigational New Drug compassionate access program to new applicants." —Lymphoma Foundation of America, January 20, 1997 "The American Medical Student Association strongly urges the United States Government … to reschedule marijuana to Schedule II of the Controlled Substance Act, and … end the medical prohibition against marijuana." —American Medical Students Association, March 1993 "[T]he use of marijuana may be appropriate when prescribed by a licensed physician solely for use in alleviating pain and nausea in patients …" —The Medical Society of the State of New York, May 3, 2004 "[T]here is sufficient evidence for us to support any physician-patient relationship that believes the use of marijuana will be beneficial to the patient." —Rhode Island Medical Society, 2004 “[The] CMA continue to support scientifically rigorous research, including all FDA-approved Phase II and Phase III clinical trials and examine the current science concerning the therapeutic role of cannabinoid-based pharmaceuticals” “[The] CMA continue to support the ability of physicians to discuss and make recommendations concerning the potential benefits or harm to the patient of smoked herbal cannabis consistent with state and federal law and oppose criminal prosecution of patients who possess or use smoked herbal cannabis for medical reasons upon the recommendation of a physician” —California Medical Association, October 30, 2006 "Marijuana has proven to be effective in the treatment of people with HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and those suffering from severe pain or nausea … The legalization of medical marijuana would be a step forward for the health of all New Yorkers." —New York State Association of County Health Officials, resolution, 2003 "The SFMS takes a support position on the California Medical Marijuana Initiative [legalizing medical marijuana]." —San Francisco Medical Society, August 1996 "Present evidence indicates that [cannabinoids] are remarkably safe drugs, with a side-effects profile superior to many drugs used for the same indications…" —British Medical Association, November 1997 "[We] support pharmacy participation in the legal distribution of medical marijuana." —California Pharmacists Association, May 26, 1997 "We think people who use cannabis to relieve the pain of arthritis should be able to do so." —Arthritis Research Campaign, October 23, 2001 "The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by illnesses like multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS — or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day." —Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, M.D., "Myths About Medical Marijuana," Providence Journal, March 26, 2004 "We must make sure that the casualties of the war on drugs are not suffering patients who legitimately deserve relief." —Scott Fishman, president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, February 2006 "It [medical marijuana] should be an option for patients who have it recommended by knowledgeable physicians." —Dr. Jesse L. Steinfeld, former U.S. Surgeon General, July 2003 "Whitman-Walker Clinic supports the valid use of marijuana, under a physician's supervision, to help alleviate AIDS wasting syndrome and nausea associated with treatment regimes." —Whitman-Walker Clinic, April 1998 "[I]t cannot seriously be contested that there exists a small but significant class of individuals who suffer from painful chronic, degenerative, and terminal conditions, for whom marijuana provides uniquely effective relief." —HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America; American Medical Students Association; Lymphoma Foundation of America; Dr. Barbara Roberts; and Irvin Rosenfeld, Amicus Curiae brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court (in the case of Gonzales v. Raich), October 2004 "Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known … The evidence in this record clearly shows that marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving the distress of great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under medical supervision. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance." —Francis L. Young, DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge, 1988 "[The American Bar Association] recognizes that persons who suffer from serious illnesses for which marijuana has a medically recognized therapeutic value have a right to be treated with marijuana under the supervision of a physician." —American Bar Association, May 4, 1998 "I consider the most important recommendation made by the IOM (Institute of Medicine) panel [to be] that physicians be able to prescribe marijuana to individual patients with debilitating or terminal conditions … I believe such compassionate use is justified." —Andrew Weil, M.D., July 1999 "Cannabinoids and THC also have strong pain-killing powers, which is one reason medical marijuana should be readily available to people with cancer and other debilitating diseases." —Dean Edell, M.D., March 2, 2000 "I'm an oncologist as well as an AIDS doctor, and I don't think that a drug that creates euphoria in patients with terminal diseases is having an adverse effect." —Dr. Donald Abrams, 2005 "Cannabis will one day be seen as a wonder drug, as was penicillin in the 1940s. Like penicillin, herbal marijuana is remarkably nontoxic, has a wide range of therapeutic applications and would be quite inexpensive if it were legal." —Dr. Lester Grinspoon, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2006 “In states where patients are permitted to use marijuana medicinally for serious and/or chronic illnesses and a patient's physician has recommended its use in accordance with that state law and that state’s medical practice standards, the patient should not be subject to federal criminal penalties for such medical use.” “Well-designed and scientifically rigorous research, including all FDA-approved Phase II and Phase III clinical trials that lead to investigation into the potential therapeutic role and commercial licensure of prescription marijuana should be encouraged, and that production facilities that meet all regulatory requirements should be licensed by the DEA to produce pharmaceutical-grade marijuana for use exclusively in federally approved research.” — HIV Medicine Association, October 30, 2006 “Not everybody needs marijuana for medical illness. But for those who really do, it’s very helpful. As more and more states are taking medical marijuana – New Mexico just did it the other day – eventually it will just be overwhelming. And it will happen. But I’m shocked that it’s taken this long.” — Dr. Thomas Ungerleider, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at UCLA and member of President Nixon’s National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, “3rd Degree,” interview, LA City Beat, March 29, 2007 “[T]he American Association for Social Psychiatry supports full legal status for states to implement their own doctor-advised, medical marijuana programs for patients with serious physical medical conditions…[T]he American Association for Social Psychiatry strongly urge that in a state where patients are permitted to use marijuana medicinally for serious and/or chronic illnesses and a patient's physician has recommended its use in accordance with that state's law and that state’s medical practice standards, the patient should not be subject to federal criminal penalties for such medical use.” —American Association for Social Psychiatry, May 20, 2007 “Overall, by comparison with other drugs used mainly for ‘recreational’ purposes, cannabis could be rated to be a relatively safe drug … In contrast, cannabis might have beneficial effects in some medical indications … It seems likely that medicinal cannabis will re-enter the pharmacopeia.” —Leslie Iversen, pharmacologist at Oxford University and member of the British government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, “Long-tem effects of exposure to cannabis,” Current Opinion in Pharmacology, 2005 “Cannabinoids, the active components of cannabis sativa and their derivatives … exert palliative effects in patients with cancer and inhibit tumour growth in laboratory animals.” —Manuel Guzman, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Complutense University, Madrid, Spain, “Cannabinoids: Potential Anti-Cancer Agents,” Nature Reviews – Cancer, October 2003 “54% of oncologists favor the controlled medical availability of marijuana, and 44% have advised at least one of their cancer patients to obtain marijuana illegally.” —Doblin/Kleiman (Harvard University) scientifically valid, random survey of oncologists, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 1990 “I have spent my entire career in search of more effective treatments for this awful disease [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease)]. We have now found that the cannabinoids, the active ingredients in medical marijuana, work remarkably well in controlling the clinical symptoms of ALS. Even more exciting is that we are now discovering that the cannabinoids actually protect nerve cells and may prolong the life of patients with ALS.” —Testimony of Greg Carter, M.D., Clinical Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Co-Director, Muscular Dystrophy Association clinics and the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research Center, submitted to Illinois Senate Public Health Committee, March 2007

New Advocacy Organization is Born

One issue being a Disabled Veteran is that my Medical Doctors work for the federal government. Even if Medical Marijuana is made legal in my state, I will not benefit because my doctors will not be allowed to prescribe it. I am not alone, If you are a Veteran or support those that have given so much for their country please check it out. http://www.veteransformedicalmarijuana.org/