cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - May 22, 2008 NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - May 22, 2008 Posted by CN Staff on May 22, 2008 at 13:14:16 PT Weekly Press Release Source: NORML Past Cannabis Use Not Associated With Injury Severity, Study Says May 22, 2008 - The Hague, The NetherlandsThe Hague, The Netherlands: The use of cannabis and other psychoactive substances is not associated with an increase in the severity of car-crash related injury, according to data published in the current issue of the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. Investigators at the Netherlands Forensic Institute and Utrecht University assessed the relationship between substance use and injury severity in a group of crash-involved drivers admitted to a regional trauma center. Authors determined that drivers who tested positive for the presence of drugs or alcohol in their blood or drug metabolites in their urine were no more likely to suffer from more severe injuries than were drivers who tested negative for the presence of psychoactive substances. Authors wrote: “There is much evidence that driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs of abuse is related to an increased accident risk. A remaining question is whether the use of psychoactive substances is also related to clinically more sever accidents.”They concluded, “[W]e found no relation between the use of psychoactive substances (alcohol, drugs) and the severity of injury. … More research is needed and blood sampling of all crash-involved drivers [to more accurately determine recent substance use] is recommended to confirm the[se] results and to [better] study the relation between the different classes of drugs and injury severity.”Previous studies of on road accident data have indicated that recent use of cannabis, as determined by the presence of significant levels of THC in the blood, is associated with an elevated risk of accident compared to drivers who test negative for the presence of THC. By contrast, motorists who test positive for the presence of THC metabolites in their urine - indicating their past use of cannabis at some unspecified point in time - do not appear to have an elevated accident risk compared to other drivers. For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul norml.org Full text of the study, “The relation between the use of psychoactive substances and the severity of the injury in a group of crash-involved drivers admitted to a regional trauma center,” appears in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention. Additional information regarding marijuana use and on-road accident risk is available in the NORML report "Cannabis and Driving: A Scientific and Rational Review," available online at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7459DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7610 Join NORML In Aspen In Two Weeks At The 3rd Annual NORML Legal Seminar May 22, 2008 - Washington, DC, USAWashington, DC: NORML is still accepting registrations from criminal defense attorneys and the general public for its third annual Aspen Legal Seminar. This year's event takes place on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7 at the Gant Hotel in downtown Aspen - one of the nation's most marijuana-friendly cities.Speakers at this year's event include John Wesley Hall, president elect of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Jeralyn Merritt, television legal analyst for MSNBC and host of the popular website TalkLeft.com; Gerald Goldstein, past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and legal counsel for the late-Hunter S. Thompson; NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano; and Paul Wright, editor and co-founder of Prison Legal News, the longest publishing independent prisoner rights magazine in US history.Social events at this year's conference include an opening night reception, a benefit dinner catered by Aspen chef Chris Lanter of Cache Cache, and an afternoon cookout at the fabled Owl Farm, the legendary Woody Creek home of the late Hunter S. Thompson."NORML is proud to make this once-a-year legal seminar open to lawyers and the public," said NORML founder and Legal Director Keith Stroup. "Don't miss this rare opportunity to join NORML's staff and some of the nation's top pot lawyers and activists in this 'highly' unique and intimate setting."Conference agenda and registration information (members of the general public may sign up at a reduced rate) for the 2008 Aspen Legal Seminar is now available online at: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6823DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7612 Oral Pot Preparation Effective For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Journal Reports May 22, 2008 - Berlin, GermanyBerlin, Germany: Oral administration of synthetic THC capsules (dronabinol) mitigates symptoms in patients with treatment-resistance obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), according to a pair of case studies published in the April issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.Investigators at Berlin's University of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, reported two cases of OCD patients augmenting their treatment regimens with oral THC.For the first patient, a 38-year-old female, dronabinol administration three times daily significantly decreased OCD symptoms within ten days. For the second patient, a 36-year-old male, dronabinol treatment twice daily significantly decreased symptoms of OCD within two weeks.Neither patient reported any physical or mental health side-effects from dronabinol.Prior to their use of oral THC, both patients had been unresponsive to standard treatment medications.For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul norml.org Full text of the case study, “Improvement in refractory obsessive compulsive disorder with dronabinol,” appears online in the American Journal of Psychiatry at: http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/165/4/536DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7611Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: May 22, 2008Copyright: 2008 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by Dankhank on May 22, 2008 at 19:16:18 PT great one EJ the resisters of tyranny are everywhere ...Kudus to the fellow who made the sign ... [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 22, 2008 at 17:19:15 PT Funny EJ that's funny. Only in California! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on May 22, 2008 at 16:49:54 PT Something cute I have to share Rain has been so rare in LA that when it rains it's a major news story.A warehouse in Duarte was flooded and they covered it on the news. The warehouse guys were pushing the water out with big pieces of cardboard. Because the news crews were there, warehouse guys started painting things on the cardboard.One said Hi MOM, and another one had a stoned smiley face with a spliff hanging from its mouth.The news person was interviewing the manager and you could see he was having a hard time keeping a straight face watching it all. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by konagold on May 22, 2008 at 16:16:15 PT: council REJECTS fed eradication grant http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2008/05/22/local_news/local02.txt http://www.thereligionofjesuschurch.org [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by JohnO on May 22, 2008 at 15:10:30 PT: Ah, cannabis mitigates OCD symptoms eh? And getting into a crash is no more or less deadly with or without THC or even alcohol. Whoda thunkit? I'd like to see Monk spark a doob before going on a police call, he'd make a great role model. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment