There's even the compassion question: Is it more compassionate: a) to allow people who are very ill to use marijuana, under a doctor's care, or b) to keep it out of circulation because medical marijuana is a cruel hoax?

The jury could be out for a long time because opposing camps show no signs of backing down.

For Jim Miller of Toms River, who wants to use marijuana -- legally to help his wife Cheryl, time is running out. Cheryl, 55, who has advanced multiple sclerosis, can barely sit up, and is growing weaker every day.

Cheryl regularly suffers from spasticity, a painful tightening of the muscles that causes her legs to stiffen up so much Jim can barely move her.

She has a prescription for Marinol, an FDA-approved version of marijuana, but marijuana works much better than Marinol when it comes to easing her pain, according to Jim. Her range of motion is unbelievably different using marijuana, says Jim, who also believes marijuana makes his wife more alert.

When Cheryl was at a rehabilitation center a while back, she was almost thrown out of the program because it took three people to pick her up, he says. That was before Jim slipped her marijuana brownies -- he didn't reveal the ingredients to the staff. These days, if Cheryl has marijuana, it's usually combined with butter because she doesn't smoke.

Jim and Cheryl have been waging a public battle to get marijuana accepted as medicine. He's been arrested twice -- once for lying in at the doorway to Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia's office, whom Jim blames for single-handedly stopping the vote count on a medical marijuana referendum in Washington, DC

Jim says when he went to court he got a $50 dollar fine and the judge wished him luck.

But all he hopes now is that his wife of 17 years will see some progress toward their goal while she's still alive. "I don't believe she's going to live that long," he says. "I can't even understand how she's still with us."

Meanwhile, others claim marijuana helps relief the pressure of glaucoma as well as the intense nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, and some AIDS symptoms. And although the Institute of Medicine and the American Medical Association say there's no concrete evidence marijuana works, they recommend further study.

Marijuana clearly has medicinal value, says Lyn Nofziger, former press secretary to Ronald Reagan, in the foreword to "Marijuana as Medicine." Nofziger says he turned to illegal marijuana to help an adult daughter who was constantly vomiting after undergoing chemotherapy.

If doctors can prescribe morphine and other addictive medicines, it makes no sense to deny marijuana to sick and dying patients when it can be provided on a carefully controlled, prescription basis, he says.

Christian Ratsch, author of " Marijuana Medicine," says traces of hashish -- a concentrated form of marijuana resin -- were found in Egyptian mummies, and that hemp has also been used over the years in Russia, Asia and South America for allergies, blood clots, asthma and skin diseases, among other ailments.

On the other side of the marijuana debate are a host of law-enforcement officials, anti-drug organizations, politicians and others who believe that besides the fact that marijuana is illegal, it doesn't work.

"To say otherwise is to lead innocent people on," says David G. Evans a Pittstown attorney who also represents three New Jersey drug-treatment centers. "In the long run, the kindest thing is to enforce governmental standards of medical treatment for people...That's the most compassionate thing because otherwise you lead people down blind alleys and you kill them."

"Smoked marijuana is an intoxicant," he says. "If you're intoxicated, it's not helping you." He adds that smoked marijuana damages the immune system and has more carcinogens than cigarettes.

To Evans, the proponents of medical marijuana are perpetrating a cruel hoax by using persuasive and heart-wrenching tales about sick people. He says although there are anecdotal stories about marijuana helping some people, studies by several key medical groups proved it was ineffective.

"In the United States, we have a very good drug-approval process...we should use that drug-approval process," he says. A century ago, before the Food and Drug Administration, "We had chaos. We had snake oil," he says.

A cancer survivor himself, Evans says, "I know what it's like to be faced with death. At that point you need good, accurate information...If I looked at the guys who said 'Marijuana cures cancer,' I'd be dead today."

He says he believes many organizations that tout a a pro-marijuana medicine message are actually for legalizing all marijuana.

While Evans was in Washington, DC, recently, "marijuana advocates told schoolchildren that marijuana makes you smarter, a better driver and prevents cancer," he says. "They're trying to say that this is not harmful, and that's not true."

Forty-eight percent of the kids that are in drug treatment today are there because of marijuana, he says. "We've got tons of kids that have a marijuana problem. It's a harmful drug."

Evans is involved with a coalition of some 50 anti-drug organizations that are gearing up to fight potential state referendums on medical marijuana. About half the states -- but not New Jersey - have the power to hold any kind of state referendums.

Nine states have already approved the use of medical marijuana: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. However, in May, in a case involving a California marijuana buyers club, the Supreme Court ruled marijuana can't be sold for medicinal purposes. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the majority opinion that marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

That case was successful. "The Supreme Court agrees with us," says Evans, adding only a small percentage of the people who frequented marijuana buyers clubs were actually medical users. "A lot of them are 21 year olds who have gotten a doctor on the Internet to recommend it."

Proponents of medical marijuana say the Supreme Court ruling was strictly about distribution, and that in states which passed referendums, people who grow their own marijuana for medicinal use are free from prosecution under state law -- although they could be prosecuted under federal law.

Nicolas Eyle, executive director of Reconsider, a pro-marijuana organization says, "If a local town cop drives by and sees your plants, they can't do anything. If a federal D. E. A. officer drives by, he can seize your home."

On his first day in office last month, new Drug Enforcement Administration Director Asa Hutchinson said he would strive to enforce the federal ban on medical marijuana. Singling out a new California law allowing sick people to receive, possess, grow or smoke marijuana for medical purposes without fear of state prosecution, he said he was concerned about drug quality control.

Meanwhile, Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts introduced legislation to repeal federal restrictions preventing states from allowing medical use of marijuana, saying he didn't think the federal government should overturn state referendums.

New Jersey state Sen. Bill Schluter also wants to see legalization of marijuana for medical use, and has introduced a state resolution that urges Congress to allow marijuana for medical patients under doctors' orders.

Under his proposal. "doctors will prescribe based on sound information," he says.

Thirteen states, including New Jersey, have laws allowing medical-marijuana research, and numerous studies already have been done, but few or these are the rigorous clinical studies required for drug approval by the FDA.

The Millers are still hoping the state of New Jersey will get involved in a medical-marijuana research program, and have a letter from Dr. Alan Leshner, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, saying he is open to "state-sponsored research projects."

But the chances appear to be slim in New Jersey, at least for now, based on a recent letter from George DiFerdinando Jr., acting commissioner of New Jersey's Department of Health and Senior Services, to Reed Gusciora. a state assemblyman who inquired about research programs here. The department's position, according to DiFerdinando, is that "based on current federal law and New Jersey state law, marijuana remains illegal.

The Millers, who are getting ready for their semi-annual trip to Washington, DC, hope to change that when they and other medical marijuana proponents visit several legislators in their offices next month.

Although the trip may be a bit tough on Cheryl, "We're on," Jim says confidently.

Note: Proponents of marijuana tout its medicinal value, but opponents call the claims a hoax.

Newshawk: The Cherylheart Project
Source: Home News Tribune
Author: Tracy Ecclesine Ivie - Correspondent
Published: September 17, 2001
Copyright: 2001 Home News Tribune - Pages B1 and B2
Contact: letters@thnt.com
Website: http://www.thnt.com/hnt/

Related Articles & Web Sites:

The Cherylheart Project
http://www.cherylheart.org

OCBC Versus US Government
http://freedomtoexhale.com/mj.htm

Pot Proponents Dismayed
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9720.shtml

Activists Demand Legal Marijuana
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7415.shtml

CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives
http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml

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Sow every seed.

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Those goats were hard to rope in. Not gettin' roped in this time either, not much luck today.... the ropinfool

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It seems not much has changed. The forces of control are trying their damnest to prevent any use of healing drugs unless they are recommended by the Medical Establishment. This has become a fight over which version of the truth is real. The Medical Establishment, along with the Law Enforcement Establishment, are arguing that only they know what is true. This is dangerous for all concerned, and believing that only you know the truth can at its extreme lead to calamities like we saw one week ago.


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Another shady aspect of the Cannabis Sativa/Hemp plants' past (as noted in the Dictionary) is the Many different centuries that entries have been officialized, for example 12,13,14, & 15oo's (then, kinda/sorta off subject, Cannabinoid wasn't discovered and entered until 1960's/70's)(probably with BIG HELP from High Times. Amazing how much Grass and the UTTERLY liberal press/journalism of the Culture that surrounds this Praised Herb has assisted this Conservative Paradigm. How ripped off I would feel. How even more ripped off, I would feel, if I had died and NEVER have gotten to see the days when CannabisHemp isn't under this demons' reasoning. I just might, myself.
That's terrible. I feel soooOOoo bad for the cannabis movement (because its' pretty easy to get side-lined {by jail, loss of job, mental ward, loss of home, GETTING F@#CKNIG SHOT by Supremely Brutal Federal "protectors", being crashed into by SOME MASSIVE, STEEL piece of "art" {re: Cars, Trucks, Trains, Planes} take your pick) but I feel pretty optimistic about it too, though!!!
This culture has been influencing people of ALL walks of life. We're all human and VERY much alike, I believe.
Keep on KEEPIN' ON...


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I'm out ropin approximately 535 goats. Wish me luck......theropinfool

[ Post Comment ]

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Beer doesn't have any medicinal value that I'm aware of. Ice cream doesn't either...

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Option (B) doesn't mention the other aspects of not allowing medical marijuana - the arrest and jailing of seriously ill people for the "crime" of trying to feel better.

[ Post Comment ]

If Marijuana is illegal? Why are alcohol and cigarettes still legal?

[ Post Comment ]

http://drugsense.org/radio/features.htm

• arrest prohibition