cannabisnews.com: Students Use Marijuana To Treat Health Problems Students Use Marijuana To Treat Health Problems Posted by CN Staff on February 28, 2005 at 16:36:26 PT By Phillip G. Kopp Source: Renegade Rip Junkie, loser, hippie and pothead are just a few of the names that medical marijuana users fear being called. Even with the stereotypes, ordinary people suffering from a variety of illnesses are being treated with marijuana to help them function in everyday life.The consequences for being treated with this controversial drug can often outweigh the help it provides. Medical marijuana, or cannabis, has more than half a million patients across the country. A number of patients happen to be attending college, and Bakersfield College is no exception. A few cannabis patients agreed to be interviewed but wished not to have their real names used for fear of persecution and scrutiny. Cindi has been an active student at BC, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. A mother of three, she has had to battle severe medical problems, such as osteoporosis, arthritis, fibromyalgia and insomnia. She said she took a variety of medications, including regular injections that caused bad reactions."I was getting trigger points of cortisone, which is a shot," Cindi said. "When a physician's assistant gave me the injection, it punctured my lung, causing it to collapse."Cindi sought other forms of treatment, which led her to cannabis. It helped control the pain that kept her from eating and being unable to function normally.She hates being stereotyped and prefers to be called a "cannabis medicator" as opposed to "pothead."Laws regarding medicinal marijuana have been left up to the states to decide, but it's still illegal under federal law. California is one of a handful of states that allows medicinal marijuana use.Tiffany suffers from scoliosis and has been using cannabis treatment for some time. However, despite having her Medicinal Marijuana Card, her foster daughter was taken from her by the courts, who ruled that the child was in "immediate danger." "Saying she was in immediate danger was the only way they could take her," Tiffany said. "The judged ruled that I was taking 'illegal' drugs." Child Protective Services recognized Tiffany's legal right to use cannabis and allowed her to keep her other children. Her lawyer claims that her civil rights had been violated. She must now quit using cannabis to pass a drug test in order to get her foster daughter returned to her. Patients with more mild conditions suffer the same hurdles as any other cannabis user. Kyle is a math major working on his general education requirements while holding an office in the Student Government Association. Suffering from back pain and tension headaches, he uses medical marijuana and is even a caretaker for other cannabis patients. In late January, Kyle said he gave a friend a lift to the southwest parking lot. As they were parking, a Campus Security officer caught him cleaning out a pipe. He also had a small amount of marijuana. A Campus Security report for Jan. 25 said that a glass pipe with burned marijuana was also found in the center console of the vehicle."I was handcuffed and told not to resist," Kyle said. "I only had my permit for being a caregiver and not a patient, so they called the Bakersfield Police Department and I got charged with possession."Kyle faced expulsion but had the charges dropped to suspension instead. He was also forced to resign from his office at SGA and is no longer eligible for financial aid. His suspension report showed that he had violated BC's "Standards of Student Conduct" policy. "Pot is still considered a controlled substance, it collides with the campus laws," said Dean of Student Services Don Turney.The policy states that a student can be suspended due to "the use, sale, possession or being under the influence of alcohol or any other controlled substance prohibited by law, on campus or at any function sponsored or supervised by the College."Students have to comply with both state and federal laws making it illegal for them to carry any form of marijuana on campus. Unless students can propose a new policy to be placed under consideration for legislature, all cannabis patients can be faced with expulsion if caught with their medication. "This is my medicine," Cindi said. "Please don't take my medicine from me."Source: Renegade Rip (Bakersfield College, CA)Author: Phillip G. KoppPublished: Thursday, February 24, 2005 Copyright: 2005 The Renegade RipContact: ripmail bc.cc.ca.usWebsite: http://www.therip.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #23 posted by knowhemp on March 01, 2005 at 18:20:47 PT whats in a name? i try to avoid the following terms, because they all sound negative on some level of the collective conciousness:marijuana (made up and used by harry anslinger to fuel racism and the drug war through reference to mexicans) pot (something you piss in or 'everything's gone to pot'), weed (an undesirable noxious plant), grass (i don't like the taste of leaves, so lets stick to the flowers) and dope (cannabis does not affect the dopamine reward system of the brain). If we want to portray ourselves in a better light we should reprogram society, starting with ourselves, by using more uplifting and truthful words such as cannabis, buds, ganja, herb and MEDICINE. I'm a little split on the term medical marijuana. It's taking a propagandist term and changing the connotations, so i guess it works for me. But has anyone here ever felt a little vulnerable saying MARIJUANA amongst co-workers for lack of a more graceful term? Marijuana (the word) tends to blind people to everything you say AFTER that. [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by siege on March 01, 2005 at 09:06:51 PT your Senators Write to your Senators and urge their action against this bill. You can find your Senator and even drop them an email through this site: http://www.congress.orgbut calling and faxing are recommended.-- Write to your local papers' editor; you can find your local media through this link: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/ Use the links above to drop them a note and tell them exactly where to get off, And taking citizens rights away from them. [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by siege on March 01, 2005 at 08:58:10 PT HR 418, `(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall have the authority to waive, and shall waive, all laws such Secretary, in such Secretary's sole discretion, determines necessary to ensure expeditious construction of the barriers and roads under this section.`(2) NO JUDICIAL REVIEW- Notwithstanding any other provision of law (statutory or nonstatutory), no court shall have jurisdiction--`(A) to hear any cause or claim arising from any action undertaken, or any decision made, by the Secretary of Homeland Security pursuant to paragraph (1); or`(B) to order compensatory, declaratory, injunctive, equitable, or any other relief for damage alleged to arise from any such action or decision.'. [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by cannaman on March 01, 2005 at 08:35:02 PT sticks and stones Is this the best they can do? Loser, Junkie not even close, pothead and hippie yes this is a bit closer to the mark but they forgot a couple how about, reeferman, ganjaman, greenbud lover, cannabrain, herbalizer, stoneyhead, cottonmouth king, or queen, treelover, joker, smoker, and a midnight toker, puff the magic dragon, gaugeman, hashhead, baked and loving it, anti-pharmaceutical, dopehead, weedhead, head head, cheechandchonger, bongaroo, expando commando, just thought of that one, and remember sticks and stones may break my bones so dont try to hit me with a stick or a stone because I will shoot your ass! [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by siege on March 01, 2005 at 08:33:09 PT Attorney General Gonzales He said he supports legislation, now pending in Congress, to block "unnecessary appeals" and ensure that suspected criminals have no special status in reviews.Gonzales did not cite a particular bill, but legislation meant to fulfill those aims, HR 418, has passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting action in the Senate. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60683-2005Feb28.html?referrer=email [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by goneposthole on March 01, 2005 at 07:13:23 PT Junkie, loser, hippie and pothead "I don't know why they make so much fun of people who use pot, they're good people, too, you know." -- Joe Schmidlapper [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by potpal on March 01, 2005 at 07:08:19 PT ms treatment http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/02/28/ms.drug.suspension.ap/index.htmlGive pot a chance. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by gloovins on March 01, 2005 at 01:27:37 PT see...this is what alcohol does to ya...... Nude Man Covered in Cheese Gets ProbationMon Feb 28,10:27 PM MARYVILLE, Tenn. - A man caught by police last summer on his 23rd birthday running naked and covered in nacho cheese pleaded guilty Monday to burglary and four other charges. Michael David Monn of Maryville appeared before Blount County Circuit Court Judge D. Kelly Thomas and pleaded guilty to burglary, theft, vandalism, indecent exposure and public intoxication. In a plea bargain with prosecutors, Monn was sentenced to three years in prison but was given supervised probation.He also was given a judicial deferral, which means if he stays out of trouble for the next three years the charges will be expunged from his record. Thomas warned Monn that if he violates the sentencing requirements, he must serve the sentence in a state penitentiary.Early on the morning of July 18, 2004, Monn "was highly intoxicated, broke into the John Sevier Pool snack bar area, stole some snacks and did some damage and was caught naked with some stolen snacks," Blount County District Attorney General Mike Gallegos told the courtroom.A police officer found Monn that morning in the parking lot of the pool facility after Monn had apparently scaled an 8-foot-tall fence and was seen running toward a Jeep with a box of stolen snacks and a container of nacho cheese.In addition to being naked, Monn had nacho cheese in his hair, on his face and on his shoulders, police said. He also had a strong odor of alcohol and was semi-incoherent.In his Jeep, Maryville officers found clothing and an open bottle of vodka. THIS IS YOU BRAIN..THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON VODKA ANY QUESTIONS?Yeah, tax and regulate medical cannabis in every state so this poor fellow can get some relaxation and clean himself of his alcoholism. (and all that cheese, damn!...wtf is up w/that!?)Stay well all... [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by SystemGoneDown on February 28, 2005 at 23:36:09 PT Junkie Loser Hippie Pothead... ...hey, aint nuttin wrong with being a pothead. Why does society have to view this as degrading names? Potheads are free thinkers. Free from governmental corporate outer influence. Pot WILL make you lazy, if you absorb too much of the oppressive truth that is shoved down our throats in our everyday lives. Unfortunately our minds cannot handle the big T(truth) word. We are labeled "losers" because we disinvolve ourselves with common being. But we are merely the lowest part of the consumer chain. We consume less, therefore we are made to seem and feel less. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by gloovins on February 28, 2005 at 23:29:32 PT Off-topic but anyone see this? Feds Find Border Tunnel Entrance In Luxury Home In MexicoPOSTED: 8:02 am PST February 28, 2005SAN DIEGO -- Federal authorities from San Diego are investigating a border tunnel discovered by Mexican authorities over the weekend, According to The San Diego Union-Tribune.The tunnel connected a luxurious Mexicali residence to neighboring Calexico in Imperial County, officials with the Mexican Federal Attorney General's Office told the newspaper.Inside the passageway, investigators discovered lighting and ventilation equipment, a closed-circuit security system, hydraulic machinery and various tools, Mexican authorities told the newspaper.The finding led agents to believe that the tunnel was used for drug trafficking, Mexican authorities said.A middle section of the tunnel was initially discovered in the United States early Friday by U.S. Border Patrol agents checking for tunnels in a residential area of Calexico, the newspaper reported. It is the third tunnel found in Calexico in the past 15 months.U.S. investigators searched for the tunnel's other end, Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego told the paper."This is an ongoing criminal investigation, and we're still trying to locate a possible exit to the U.S.," Mack told the newspaper.On the Mexican side, the tunnel's entrance was found Saturday by agents from Mexico's Federal Agency of Investigation, the newspaper reported. The entrance led from the bedroom of a house about 100 yards from the border in an upscale neighborhood known as Colonia Nueva.Bet there is a dozen tunnels, it'll never stop...this un-winnable war is so irresonsible it's sick -- & to think cigs and liquor are legal ... we live in one F%$$ up socity everyone."Legalize it yeah, yeah... & I will advertise it..."- Peter Tosh [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by observer on February 28, 2005 at 21:35:01 PT taking cannabis Junkie, loser, hippie and pothead are just a few of the names that medical marijuana users fear being called. Even with the stereotypes, ordinary people suffering from a variety of illnesses are being treated with marijuana to help them function in everyday life. Prohibitionists make up for the lack of obvious negative traits by unleashing a barrage of vilification on the marijuana user, attempting to play up any negative associations that the propagandist can make stick. For example, an editor of a prominent California newspaper described marijuana users as "curled into a paranoid, catatonic ball," "potheads," "lame-o," "the doobied classes," "practitioners of the Politics of Base Urges," "dope activists," "reefer advocates," and "leftover burnouts."29 To be sure the message that marijuana users are to be hated was not forgotten, the editor repeated the assertion, "marijuana smokers are lame losers."30 Said one law enforcement bureaucrat, concerning laws that protect medical marijuana patients from arrest, "We don't want a bunch of potheads teaching us about it."31 page 14, Drug War Propaganda, (available in print: http://drugwarpropaganda.news-bot.net/ ) [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on February 28, 2005 at 21:19:21 PT siege You don't need to apologize to me. That is interesting information. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by siege on February 28, 2005 at 21:15:30 PT In rebuttal to New Zealand scientists New Zealand scientists, University of Otago, Christchurch Health and Development Study.Psychotic Disorders True schizophrenia begins in adolescence or early adulthood and may persist into late life. Late-onset schizophrenia is called paraphrenia. Between 2 and 5% of elderly persons living in the community exhibit excessive suspiciousness and persecutory delusions. As many as 4 to 5% have delusions and hallucinations, and these symptoms are often disabling. Investigators and clinicians generally agree on six relatively distinct clinical entities: abnormal suspiciousness; transitional paranoid reactions; late-life paraphrenia (severe paranoid illness without deterioration of other cognitive or affective processes) or paranoia associated with late-onset schizophrenia; persistence of early-onset schizophrenia; acute paranoid reactions secondary to affective illness; and transient psychoses due to neurologic, toxic-metabolic, or systemic disorders. Transitional paranoid reactions: These reactions usually occur in women who live alone; they believe that someone is plotting against them. Social isolation and perceptional difficulties contribute to these reactions. The focus of hallucinations and delusional thinking usually moves gradually from outside the home to inside it, eg, from complaints of noises in the basement and attic to reports of physical abuse or molestation. Hence, a transition can be observed from external threats to violations of property and person. Paraphrenia: Paraphrenia is not universally accepted as a distinct syndrome. Persons who distinguish the syndrome emphasize that it is primary rather than secondary to an affective illness or to an organic mental disorder. In addition, the gross disturbances of affect, volition, and function characterizing schizophrenia are not prominent. Nevertheless, paranoid delusions and hallucinations almost always occur. Paraphrenia may be chronic, but deterioration to the extent observed in schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease is not characteristic. The boundaries blur not only between paraphrenia and classic paranoid schizophrenia but also between the transitional paranoid state and paraphrenia. Patients with paraphrenia often report plots against them, focusing on family members. In contrast with mild suspiciousness, these plots are persistent, extreme, and elaborate. Usually, cognitive impairment is not present. Although the patient is physically independent (ie, diet and hygiene are rarely compromised), social functioning and cooperation with staff members are greatly impaired. Such persons rarely speak for long without referring to the symptoms of concern. Patients with paraphrenia usually are female, live alone, and have evidence of difficult social interactions earlier in life. In contrast with schizophrenia, these patients are friendly and trusting, especially when they are interviewed in their homes and are not threatened with the diagnosis of a mental disorder. Patients with paraphrenia tend to have a hearing impairment, but the relationship between paraphrenia and hearing impairment is not nearly as strong as some authorities contend. Psychotic disorders due to neurologic, toxic-metabolic, or systemic disorders: These include suspiciousness and agitation due to drug intoxication, physical illness, and postoperative psychosis (eg, psychosis occurring among patients in intensive care units). Visual hallucinations occur more often (as in delirium), yet the psychosis may be organized and elaborate (unlike delirium). These disorders are usually transient and resolve with treatment of the underlying cause or spontaneously. In the midst of the disorder, however, acute management is necessary. Early-onset schizophrenia: The symptoms include two or more of the following, each present for most of the time for at least 1 month: delusion, hallucination, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, and negative symptoms (eg, flattening of affect). Overall, the symptoms must be present for at least 6 months and significantly interfere with social and occupational functioning. Typically, the symptoms become less acute, yet social functioning continues to deteriorate gradually over time. Acute paranoid thinking may accompany an episode of major depression or acute mania. Treating the mood disorder usually eliminates the paranoid thinking in these patients and therefore rules out the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Elderly persons who have been treated for schizophrenia for years are likely to have adverse effects of antipsychotic drugs (eg, tardive dyskinesia).sorry FoM [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by runderwo on February 28, 2005 at 18:53:29 PT hah They claim to have controlled for getting cause and effect confused. I'm rather curious how they did that, because presumably the people who started taking cannabis did so of their own will. If they really wanted a control against the alternative hypothesis that mental illness causes cannabis use, they would administer cannabis to people who would not otherwise have considered taking it.It's also interesting that they insist that a correlated doubled risk corresponds to a pending epidemic of mental health issues. What they have failed to mention is the base incidence of these issues. Even if their hypothesis is true and cannabis does double mental health risks, if the risk is negligible to begin with, why call for action against some pending epidemic?Last, since this is a UK study, as usual we have no idea whether they are talking about pure cannabis or tobacco+hash when they refer to 'cannabis'. It is well known that people with mental health problems (particularly schizophrenia) are extremely predisposed to smoking tobacco. Yet to claim that smoking tobacco causes schizophrenia would be preposterous. This is probably due to the extremely large set and known history of tobacco smokers (1/3 of the worldwide population). By comparison, this study's sample set is puny and from a limited context (the UK). Also, mentally stable weed smokers aren't exactly making themselves well known to the public, thanks to criminal sanctions. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by breeze on February 28, 2005 at 18:42:53 PT HERD Mentality When people fear something that they don't understand- they crowd together and turn away from it. They run from it, and frequently, perish or kill others in the process- example, trying to escape a burning building. If they would stop, remain calm, and approach the problem, attack the problem with common sense, the flames could possibly be extinguished and if not, a reasonable way of thinking a way out of the building that would save many lives if not all. There might be a few casualties, but not EVERYONE would suffer or die. Its the same with this issue- only everyone is suffering right until the very end. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by potpal on February 28, 2005 at 18:36:12 PT Life expectancy... http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/02/28/life.expectancy.reut/index.htmlCurious thing, is this put out there to influence the SS debate going on. Pharmcos can milk us longer, this drug, that drug, everywhere a new drug, keeping everybody alive longer. ...and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats... [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by mayan on February 28, 2005 at 18:19:29 PT Empires Ever notice how most of the propaganda is now coming from Britain and the U.S.? The empirical governments must stand together in their conquests of the world and it's peoples.911 on Trial - WTC Revisited: http://batr.org/view/022805.html9/11 Was an Inside Job - A Call to All True Patriots: http://www.911sharethetruth.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by jfrolang on February 28, 2005 at 18:00:18 PT BBC study Anyone else notice how these studies always seem to show increased 'symptoms' and 'risks' but are unable to be more specific? [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on February 28, 2005 at 17:25:02 PT They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha Ha Ho Ho!!! I think that last BBC article made me snap! LOL!http://www.koyote.com/users/tschmidt/coming.rahttp://www.koyote.com/users/tschmidt/Funnyfarm.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on February 28, 2005 at 17:20:04 PT potpal If they do one more article about insanity and marijuana I probably will go insane! It's driving my insane! LOL! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Sukoi on February 28, 2005 at 17:16:09 PT OT: A couple articles Marijuana Party founder joins Liberalshttp://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/02/28/marijuana-050228.htmlSandia's 'Hound' dogs drugshttp://www.abqtrib.com/albq/news/article/0,2564,ALBQ_19855_3582657,00.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by potpal on February 28, 2005 at 17:16:04 PT It's back... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4305783.stm See how fast the media embraces this tale... [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by charmed quark on February 28, 2005 at 17:11:10 PT Disability Act would protect him if the student had cited the Americans with Disability Act, he would have been able to fight the school. This has been used successfully several times by employees who were legally using medical cannabis and got into trouble with their employer.A related issue is drug testing. If your employer does drug testing as a condition of receiving federal money, the "medical reporting officier", aka, the drug tester, will report you as positive even if you show you are a legal user. AFAIK, there is no recourse in this situation.Silly, stupid stuff.-CQ [ Post Comment ] Post Comment