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| NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- September 13, 2006 |
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Posted by CN Staff on September 14, 2006 at 15:38:30 PT Weekly Press Release Source: NORML 
New NORML Report Summarizes The Role of Cannabis in Moderating Disease Progression - - Review Of 120+ Recent Scientific Trials Reveals That In US, Politics Trumps ScienceSeptember 13, 2006 - Washington, DC, USA Washington, DC: Recently published clinical and preclinical research on the therapeutic use of cannabis indicates that cannabinoids may curb the progression of various life-threatening diseases - in particular, autoimmune disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease) - according to a comprehensive new report published today by the NORML Foundation. The NORML Foundation report summarizes over 120 recently published trials assessing the therapeutic utility of cannabinoids for the treatment of fifteen specific disease indications: Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, diabetes mellitus, dystonia, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, gliomas, hepatitis C, hypertension, incontinence, osteoporosis, pruritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, and Tourette's syndrome. "Despite continued political debates regarding the recreational use of cannabis, clinical investigations of the therapeutic use of cannabinoids are now more prevalent than at any time in history," states the report's author, NORML Foundation Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano. "In some of these cases, modern science is now affirming longtime anecdotal reports of medicinal cannabis users. In other cases, this research is highlighting entirely new potential clinical utilities for cannabinoids." Whereas initial clinical investigations into the therapeutic use of cannabis focused primarily on whether cannabinoids might provide symptomatic relief, investigators today are exploring the potential role of cannabinoids to inhibit the progression of several life-threatening diseases including cancer, Armentano says. "Arguably, this latter trend represents far broader and more significant applications for cannabinoid therapeutics than researchers could have imagined some thirty or even twenty years ago," he concludes. "Unfortunately, because of the US governmentıs strong public policy stance against any use of marijuana, the bulk of this modern research is taking place outside the United States and continues to go unrecognized in North America. Nevertheless, the emerging body of clinical and preclinical work published over the past six years makes it clear that the US government's stance against the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids is based on politics, not science." Full text of the report, "Emerging Clinical Applications For Cannabis & Cannabinoids: A Review of the Recent Scientific Literature, 2000 - 2006," is available online in HTML and PDF formats at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7002 For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Foundation Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500 or via e-mail at: paul@norml.org DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7035 Missouri: Federal Judge Limits Random Drug Testing Of Public Employees September 13, 2006 - Jefferson City, MO, USA Jefferson City, MO: A US federal court judge this week struck down the practice of random drug testing for the majority of Missouri's Department of Mental Health (DMH) employees, finding that the blanket policy violated Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches by the state. US District Judge Nanette Laughrey ruled Tuesday that the Department failed to demonstrate a "special need" to justify drug testing all of its employees without probable cause. "In the end, DMH's decision to subject the Plaintiffs to random drug tests is nothing more than a 'gesture or symbol' that DMH does not approve of illegal drug use," she opined. "Every public employer has an interest in ensuring that its employees are not under the influence of illicit drugs. ... Because this interest is so pervasive, if it alone were enough to justify warrantless drug testing, the Fourth Amendment's protection for public employees would be meaningless." The judge did uphold random drug testing as it applies to employees in state habilitation centers, determining that employees who work with this "particularly vulnerable" population may be subjected to stricter state scrutiny. Approximately one-third of the state's 10,000 DMH employees would continue to be randomly drug tested under the ruling, said attorney Dan Viets, who brought the suit on behalf of Missouri NORML. "While the Court's order allows such testing under circumstances where there is a reason to suspect drug use, and of some employees of state habilitation centers, the most offensive and pervasive for of testing - random drug testing - has been permanently stopped by this order," he said. For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500 or Dan Viets, at (573) 819-2669. The case is Jakubowicz et al v. Dittemore. DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7036 Source: NORML Foundation (DC) CannabisNews NORML Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #3 posted by FoM on September 15, 2006 at 10:08:33 PT |
| Thank you for sharing your letter to the editor with us. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #2 posted by RevRayGreen on September 15, 2006 at 10:05:30 PT:
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| It just doesn't seem right
September 15, 2006 The Des Moines Register In the Sept. 3 article, "Higher-End Liquor Sales Push State Income Up," nothing was mentioned about the thousands of Iowans who die as a result of alcohol consumption whether it be by drunken driving, domestic abuse or alcohol poisoning. It seems odd that the same state government that has a monopoly on such a dangerous drug would throw people in jail for using marijuana, a drug that is much less of a problem for society than alcohol is. It is impossible to die from marijuana poisoning and, unlike people who use alcohol, most pot-smokers avoid violent situations. If the State of Iowa is serious about putting a stop to the use of dangerous drugs, it needs to prohibit alcohol right along with marijuana, meth and cocaine. - James Grimm, Des Moines. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by ekim on September 14, 2006 at 19:28:01 PT |
| said attorney Dan Viets, who brought the suit on behalf of Missouri NORML. "While the Court's order allows such testing under circumstances where there is a reason to suspect drug use, and of some employees of state habilitation centers, the most offensive and pervasive for of testing - random drug testing - has been permanently stopped by this order," he said. some day will see many small, and great reformers join together ----like CSNY have done in their own right i bet ol John Denver would be doen a concert for Prop 44 and Mason in CO. Maybe Norml and MPP and all the rest will help bring this warrantless drug testing, the Fourth Amendment's protection into the publics attention, seeing that might shame the Dems into taking a stand for the good of the people [ Post Comment ] |
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