cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- October 13, 2005





NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- October 13, 2005
Posted by CN Staff on October 13, 2005 at 14:51:15 PT
Weekly Press Release
Source: NORML
California Medical Marijuana Refugee Seized By Canadian Officials,Turned Over To US Authorities While HospitalizedOctober 13, 2005 - Seattle, WA, USASeattle, WA: US medical cannabis refugee Steven Tuck has been turned over to American authorities after Canadian law officials took him into custody while he was undergoing hospital treatment in Vancouver. Tuck is currently being held in jail in Seattle without access to medical treatment, despite a court order mandating his hospitalization, according to the Associated Press.
Federal authorities are seeking to prosecute Tuck, who uses cannabis medicinally to treat chronic pain among other symptoms, on charges that he grew marijuana while living in California in 2001. Tuck, who claims that his marijuana cultivation was legal under state law, had relocated to Canada because federal law forbids defendants from arguing that their use of cannabis was for medical purposes.Tuck, along with several other Californians facing federal prosecution in the United States on medical marijuana-related charges, was seeking asylum status from the Canadian government. Canadian authorities had recently denied his request and Tuck was in the process of appealing that decision.NORML Legal Committee member Douglas Hiatt of Seattle is currently handling Tuck's defense.For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or visit http://www.marijuananews.com for daily updates.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6702Cannabis Poses Less On-Road Risk Than Alcohol, Study SaysOctober 13, 2005 - Arcueil, FranceArcueil, France: Drivers under the influence of cannabis are far less likely to be culpable in traffic fatalities than drunk drivers, according to epidemiological data to be published in the British Medical Journal.Researchers at France's National Institute for Research on Transportation and Safety collected data from approximately 8,000 accidents. Authors found that alcohol intoxication and speeding were nearly ten times more likely to be an attributing factor in traffic fatalities than the use of cannabis. Overall, researchers estimated that cannabis' psychomotor impairment was similar to that exhibited by drivers with blood alcohol levels ranging from .02 to .05 ­ well below the legal limit for drunk driving in the United States.The French findings echo previous research comparing cannabis' psychomotor effects to those of alcohol. A 1993 study conducted by the Netherlands University of Maastrict found: "THC in single inhaled doses ... has significant, yet not dramatic, dose-related impairing effects on driving performance. ... THC's effects on road-tracking ... never exceeded alcohol's at BACs of .08% and were in no way unusual compared to many medicinal drugs."A follow up study in 2004 affirmed, "The degrees of impairment observed in laboratory or actual driving tests after [the ingestion of] THC were comparable to the impairing effects of an alcohol dose producing a BAC [of approximately] .05. "Last month, an analysis of on-road crashes by an international expert panel reported that: "Drivers with THC concentrations in whole blood of less than 5 ng/ml have a crash risk no higher than that of drug-free users." THC blood levels typically fall below 5 ng/ml in recreational cannabis users within 60 to 90 minutes after inhalation. Under French law, drivers who test positive for even trace levels of THC in their blood face up to two years in prison.For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Expert, at (202) 483-5500 or download a copy of NORML's report, "You Are Going Directly to Jail: DUID Legislation: What It Means, Who's Behind It, and Strategies to Prevent It." DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6700Cannabinoids Promote Neurogenesis In The Brain, Study SaysOctober 13, 2005 - Baltimore, MD, USABaltimore, MD: The administration of synthetic cannabinoids promotes the proliferation of newborn neurons (nerve cells) in the rat brain and likely accounts for the drug's anti-anxiety and mood elevating effects, according to preclinical trial data published today in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.Investigators found that the administration of synthetic cannabinoids increased neurogenesis in the rat hippocampus and significantly reduced measures of anxiety and depression-like behavior. Neurogenesis (the birth of neuronal cells) is thought to enable organisms to adapt to their environment and influence their learning and memory throughout life."Cannabinoids appear to be the only illicit drug whose capacity to produce increased hippocampal newborn neurons is positively correlated with its anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects," authors concluded.Alcohol consumption has also been associated with a decrease in neurogenesis in adults."These findings add to the growing body of scientific evidence indicating that cannabis is non-toxic and may hold significant neurological benefits, including the treatment of certain neurologic diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease," NORML Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano said.Previous research has shown cannabinoids to be neuroprotective in animals against brain damage caused by alcohol and/or stroke. For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the study, "Cannabinoids promote embryonic and adult hippocampus neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic- and depressant-like effects" is available in the November issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6701Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: October 13, 2005Copyright: 2005 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml
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Comment #11 posted by runderwo on October 14, 2005 at 16:53:30 PT
FoM
From what I could gather, he needs the mega dose of morphine for pain control. He uses cannabis not for pain control but to control the nausea that results from the morphine.
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Comment #10 posted by eco-man on October 14, 2005 at 05:45:04 PT
High doses of THC versus blood alcohol limit
From the NORML article: "Last month, an analysis of on-road crashes by an international expert panel reported that: 'Drivers with THC concentrations in whole blood of less than 5 ng/ml have a crash risk no higher than that of drug-free users.' "-----Check out this graph:http://www.cannabisculture.com/forums/uploads/1161692-s16p3f1.gif From my webpage on driving impairment:
http://members.fortunecity.com/multi19/impair.htmThe bottom line seems to be that it takes high doses of the THC cannabinoid to reach a level of driving impairment similar to that of the legal limit for blood alcohol while driving. Most people do not smoke that much cannabis at one time. The danger seems to be when cannabis and alcohol are combined. *The Influence of Cannabis on Driving. B., Sexton F., et al. United Kingdom: TRL; 2000: pp. 110. The results from a study of different doses of cannabis and the influence on driving and driving related skills are reported. UK's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). 
http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_driving6.pdf and
http://www.trl.co.uk/store/report_detail.asp?srid=2633 A URL that you can use to remote load or hot link the image below:http://www.cannabisculture.com/forums/uploads/1161692-s16p3f1.gif "One approach to deriving a legal limit for cannabis during driving has been to set the threshold to the level at which 50% of results show impairment. For alcohol, Berghaus showed a BAC [blood alcohol content] of 0.073% corresponded to impairment on 50% of 923 performance measures examined. The corresponding threshold for THC was 11ng/ml [11 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood]. This is the closest estimate of dose equivalence to date, although there are recent, well-controlled studies which have not been included in such meta-analyses. A necessary research undertaking would be a thorough meta-analysis of results to date, using statistical measures of effect size related to dose."
 -- Quote above (emphasis added) is from the conclusion page of the 
UK Department of Transport report. Cannabis and driving: a review of the literature and commentary.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1068625.stm and
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_504567.hcsp and
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_504567-12.hcsp#P1670_191984 The Berghaus info mentioned in the above quote is from his 1995 article:
*Behavioral Effects of Alcohol and Cannabis: Can Equipotencies be Established? 1995 by H.-P. Krüger and G. Berghaus Center for Traffic Sciences, University of Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany.
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Misc/driving/s16p3.htm
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 13, 2005 at 20:03:25 PT
A Comment About Steve
I hope they have a good re-hab center at the hospital and I hope they will give him time to detox and get off of morphine. It's a terrible thing to be addicted to a drug because for whatever reason if you can't get the drug you pay dearly. They might give him a little bit for pain but if he was taking it for many years a little won't really take all the pain away. I hope they help him with his urinary problem and do a good and thorough physical on him. He might not feel good for six month or longer but he will get over the empty feeling he will have. The empty feeling is hard to handle and nightmares are like horror movies but they to will pass. I pray for his recovery.
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Comment #8 posted by The GCW on October 13, 2005 at 19:29:33 PT
Cast the grapes; keep the cannabis.
Quoted above, "Previous research has shown cannabinoids to be neuroprotective in animals against brain damage caused by alcohol and/or stroke." & it says, Alcohol consumption has been associated with a decrease in neurogenesis..."""WHAT IT SAYS IS ALCOHOL BAD; CANNABIS GOOD!THCUHere is another way I see it say that.Malachi 3:11, “Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. NOTICE how this shows an example of The Lord of hosts, stopping the devourer from destroying the fruits of the ground; today that could be considered cannabis. To stop the devourer from destroying cannabis means Your vine in the field will not cast its grapes but instead will cast cannabis; because the Lord of hosts, has stopped the US Government from devourering the fruits of the ground.  If the Lord of hosts were to devourer IT, so that IT will not destroy fruits; then the IT is the US Government. -Right now would be a good time to be separated from the US Government. Cast the grapes; keep the cannabis."Cast it's grapes" is printed in italics in the book.  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=46&chapter=3&version=49 (the area surrounding Mal. 3:11 is consistant.)
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 13, 2005 at 19:05:05 PT
Reuse, Recycle, Repeat By Mark Fiore
http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/fiore/
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 13, 2005 at 18:32:32 PT
Current Update on Steve Tuck By Richard Cowan
Finally, after yet another 24 hours without any treatment for pain or even any antibiotics, Steve has been released from the Seattle jail and has been taken to Haborview Hospital by Douglas Hiatt, who is a true hero. It is outrageous that it would take this long to resolve a "mix up in the paperwork", but Doug fought for Steve all the way. We obviously do not know how long Steve will be in the hospital. I will report more about that tomorrow, Friday, October 14. 
http://marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=857
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Comment #5 posted by mayan on October 13, 2005 at 18:22:16 PT
They've Committed
IMHO, Bush is just a puppet and his handlers have already committed to their agenda (Just do a little research on PNAC). There is no turning back for them. Nobody could be so incompetent if they tried. They are intentionally bankrupting America so a few fat cats can get fatter and more easily control the increasingly poorer masses. Bush doesn't have to please anyone as he is a lame duck and soon the other branch of the corporate duopoly will throw up another candidate(Hillary?) to compete with whoever the republicans choose(Giuliani?). The polls will have them neck and neck so folks will be less inclined to vote for third-party candidates. Same old song and dance. Of course, that's if we aren't under martial law with all elections suspended by then. How many times will we fall for it? This country is toast because we allowed ourselves to be dictated by two parties that are really one. Bush and the neo-cons don't have to concede anything. Pissing off medical cannabis supporters is notheng compared to two rigged elections,9/11 complicity,Plamegate,the DSM and the related,illegal,preemptive invasion/occupation in Iraq. These neo-cons will be richer when they leave than when Bush first got appointed. The democrats will perpetuate the same agenda as they are owned by the same international powers and bound by the same CFR.I'm afraid that a military/intelligence agency coup is the only way out now.Military Dictatorship USA?
http://www.hermes-press.com/militarismindex.htm THE WAY OUT...Delaware Folksinger Writes 'Tough Lyrics' Calling Attention to Neo-Con Corruption: Vic Sadot picks up where Bob Dylan left off, telling America in his music to end the Iraq War and put the neo-cons in jail for causing 9/11:
http://www.arcticbeacon.citymaker.com/articles/article/1518131/35232.htm
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on October 13, 2005 at 16:03:43 PT
EJ That Would Be Great
They might even need to try medical marijuana to help with anxiety and stress.
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Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on October 13, 2005 at 15:50:03 PT
Or FoM consider the following scenario
The sinking polls prompt a crisis in the White House.What's the one thing we could do to get back in the good graces of the American people, they wonder.Someone has the brilliant idea -- let's surrender on the medical marijuana front. First they'll have to get Walters and Tandy to resign and appoint someone perhaps associated with the Arnold faction of the Republican party.Then they'll issue some statement that blames everything on Clinton, and announce a new Bush policy that's spun in a way to appeal to the kinds of conservatives who spit nails at the name of Harriet Miers.It's a kind of dream, but who knows? IF things get bad enough, he has to start shoving ballast out of the ship, and this issue sure does weigh him down.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 13, 2005 at 15:42:31 PT
I Love an Optimistic View
Bush's polls are really low and everything he touches seems to self destruct. I don't write to people about much of anything but today I did. I wrote a candid e-mail to John Kerry. I put our link in it and told him how I felt. I was polite and kind but I did speak my mind.
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on October 13, 2005 at 15:37:03 PT
Here's my deadly optimism again
The Ship of Bush is sinking. Since he invested so much of his administration's reputation in publicly slandering marijuana users, maybe the reputation of marijuana prohibition will sink along with him.
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