cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- April 27, 2006 





NORML's Weekly News Bulletin -- April 27, 2006 
Posted by CN Staff on April 27, 2006 at 14:20:11 PT
Weekly Press Release 
Source: NORML 
 The Economist Opines In Favor Of Legal Access To Medical Cannabis, Denounces FDA Statement As "Posturing"April 27, 2006 - London, United KingdomLondon, United Kingdom: A recent statement by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alleging that no animal or human data support the use of cannabis for medical purposes lacks "common sense," according to an editorial in todayıs edition of The Economist.
The editorial notes that the FDA's conclusion contradicts the findings of a comprehensive 1999 review by US Institute of Medicine, and ignores the reality that "today, cannabis is used all over the world ... to relieve pain and anxiety, to aid sleep, and to prevent seizures and muscle spasms."The piece criticizes the US government for impeding clinical research investigating cannabis' medical potential, and for refusing to allow patients legal access to the drug - noting that there is an "unmet medical need" that could be addressed by cannabis "if the American government cared more about suffering and less about posturing."Since the FDA published its statement last week, more than two-dozen newspapers - including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Daily News, and the Chicago Tribune - have editorialized against it, arguing that the agency is putting politics before science.For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, or Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the editorial, "Marijuana is medically useful, whether politicians like it or not," is available online at: http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6849915DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6887 Ninth Circuit Overturns Rosenthal ConvictionApril 27, 2006 - San Francisco, CA, USASan Francisco, CA: A three-judge panel of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday to overturn three felony marijuana cultivation convictions for noted author and cannabis advocate Ed Rosenthal. Rosenthal was convicted in federal court in 2003 for growing cannabis for local medical dispensaries, but was sentenced to only one day in prison because Judge Charles Breyer determined that the defendant did not believe he was violating federal law. Rosenthal had been deputized by the City of Oakland to provide medicinal cannabis to state qualified patients.The Ninth Circuit ruled 3-0 that Rosenthal should be granted a new trial because a juror contacted outside legal counsel during deliberations. Jurors were instructed to uphold federal law - not state law - in the case, and were not allowed to consider evidence that the marijuana grown by Rosenthal was for medicinal purposes. Although jurors found Rosenthal guilty, they later denounced their verdict, saying that they were deceived by government prosecutors as to the true nature of Rosenthal's actions.The US Attorney's office has not commented on whether they will appeal the Ninth Circuit's ruling or retry Rosenthal.The appeals court indicated that if Rosenthal is retried and again found guilty, they would likely let the one-day sentence stand, noting that they "would not be inclined to disturb the court's reasoned analysis underlying its sentencing determination."The court rejected Rosenthal's arguments that he was "immune" from federal prosecution because he had been deputized by the City of Oakland, ruling that he "was not 'duly authorized' to [grow cannabis,] as state law does not allow the manufacturing of marijuana by individuals other than patients or primary caregivers."For more information, please contact Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel, at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6886Vaporization A "Safe And Effective" Cannabinoid Delivery System, Study Says April 27, 2006 - Leiden, The NetherlandsLeiden, the Netherlands: Vaporization is a "safe and effective" cannabinoid delivery system for patients desiring the rapid onset of action associated with inhalation, but who are seeking to avoid the respiratory risks of smoking, according to clinical trial data to be published in the Journal of Pharamceutical Sciences.Researchers at Leiden University's Institute of Biology (the Netherlands) found that use of the Volcano vaporizing device delivered set doses of THC to subjects in a reproducible manner while suppressing the intake of respiratory toxins."Our results show that with the Volcano, a safe and effective cannabinoid delivery system seems to be available to patients," investigators concluded. "The final pulmonal uptake of THC is comparable to the smoking of cannabis, while avoiding the respiratory disadvantages of smoking."Cannabis smoke contains many of the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke, including greater concentrations of certain aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzopyrene, prompting concerns that chronic marijuana inhalation may be a risk factor for tobacco-use related cancers. Previous research by California NORML and others have demonstrated that cannabis vaporization suppresses many potentially harmful respiratory toxins by heating cannabis to a temperature where active cannabinoid vapors form (typically around 180-190 degrees Celsius), but below the point of combustion where noxious smoke and associated toxins (i.e., carcinogenic hydrocarbons) are produced (near 230 degrees Celsius).A 2004 protocol by California NORML and MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) to investigate the types of emissions produced by cannabis vaporization was recently rejected after an 18-month regulatory delay by NIDA (US National Institute on Drug Abuse), which stated that the study would "not add to the scientific knowledge base in a significant way.""The US Institute of Medicine and others have repeatedly called for the creation of a non-smoked, rapid-onset cannabis delivery system to administer reproducible doses of active cannabinoids to patients," said NORML Advisory Board member Dr. Mitch Earleywine, author of Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence. "These data confirm that vaporization can deliver all the essential components of medical marijuana safely and effectively while suppressing the intake of carcinogenic smoke. Now the Drug Czar's office and the Food and Drug Administration can rest assured that patients may receive the therapeutic relief they need without suffering from the unwanted health risks associated with smoking."For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, or Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the study, "Evaluation of a vaporization device (Volcano) for the pulmonary administration of tetrahydrocannabinol," will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6885Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: April 27, 2006Copyright: 2006 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml 
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Comment #13 posted by Hope on April 28, 2006 at 09:20:09 PT
Cannabis...vapes and all paraphenalia.
Legalize them today.
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on April 28, 2006 at 09:18:06 PT
VAPORIZED MARIJUANA
A new drug?That's just outright scare mongering tactics.I suspect the sheriff is pulling one on them...or that some one has done a thorough job of pulling one on him. Can the DEA do that to local law enforcement?It would be funny if not for the fact that he is riling people up personally to despise us...and reform...if possible.Vaporized marijuana...a new drug.What is wrong with them? 
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Comment #11 posted by whig on April 28, 2006 at 09:02:41 PT
Genthirdday
That's ominous. Sounds like they're going to try to characterize vaporized cannabis as being like crack-MJ.In reality, vaporization is no more potent than smoking, in fact it is probably a bit less in most cases because the temperature is lower than flame, but the healthful benefits are greater and the risks of harm due to smoke inhalation are eliminated.
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Comment #10 posted by Genthirdday on April 28, 2006 at 08:44:44 PT
Comment #2........A NEW INTOXICANT........
 About a month ago, I read an editorial in a small city newspaper titled..."We must be on the alert" It quoted the local sheriff and police chief. Chief of police,..."job getting harder.....local market so fertile..." He tells about a question he asked at a meeting......"HAS ANYBODY HEARD OF A NEW INTOXICANT CALLED VAPORIZED MARIJUANA?" Only one participant had heard, a 13 year old girl!!! Is this a new prohib talking point???? OR just a stupid local LEO???? I think that the prohibs do FEAR VAPORIZORS. 
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on April 28, 2006 at 08:35:52 PT
Who among us
would kill over the plant, Cannabis?Yet...they would kill you. They would kill me. They would kill and imprison us...over cannabis.My Lord!How vicious is that?
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on April 28, 2006 at 08:32:21 PT
Toker...excellent idea
If there was no harm in any way to the prisoners because of it. They are being "brain-washed" and "re-educated" by a hugely powerful entity.The "masters" get po'ed when you don't "walk the line", their line, and you better act like you like it. They bring people to their knees. Hideously.Over a plant and substance consumption. Oh.
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Comment #7 posted by Toker00 on April 28, 2006 at 06:16:25 PT
Hey...
I was thinking. Yes, cannabis DOES make you think. That's what I was thinking.How can we set up a mass mailing campaign directed to as many cannabis prisoners as we could afford? Wouldn't it be great to get a letter each MONTH from C-News/C-Newsers? It could be a form letter, and we could all have input as to it's contents. We could contribute to the cost of mailing. We wouldn't be able to cover ALL cannabis prisoners, due to the expense, but enough to get the media's attention. It would be a shot in the arm to our brothers and sisters in JAIL. And it would be a statement that our movement is getting larger and more organized. So, what do you THINK? Could each one of us in our respective states, gather a small list of non-violent cannaprisoners to mail our Monthly to? I realize I may not be considering all the Expenses on this, but help me out here, will ya?Toke.
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Comment #6 posted by Christen-Mitchell on April 27, 2006 at 21:50:45 PT:
Omnis Usis Medicinalis Est
All Use Is MedicinialThe is even a case for the symbol of Medicine, the Cadeuseus, originating from prehistoric Chinese medical practices. See what the Zionist Coptic Church has to say on my Spirituality page at....
Hemptopia: Towards Our Greener Future
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Comment #5 posted by afterburner on April 27, 2006 at 21:44:30 PT
FDA Called onto the Carpet
"Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) led a bipartisan group of 24 House members in calling on the agency [FDA] to explain its reasoning and show scientific proof to support its view." --NY Congressman Condemns FDA Ruling on Medical Marijuana 
by Jeff Lieberson for Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) (27 Apr, 2006) Hinchey leads bipartisan House coalition in calling for FDA to explain baseless anti-medical marijuana policy
http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/4737.html"On April 20, the FDA issued a one-page press release without any documentation to back up its claim" How DARE they try to hijack our holiday (4/20). Sniff. Sniff.
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Comment #4 posted by b4daylight on April 27, 2006 at 21:41:29 PT
Nice
How silly can these people be. When the rest of the world is showing us where we could be. When will we look?
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Comment #3 posted by ekim on April 27, 2006 at 19:08:15 PT
Life in prison? A 17 year-old man 
http://lastonespeaks.blogspot.com/Thursday, April 27, 2006 
Vote Nall Y'AllWoo Hoo. Loretta's campaign is picking up steam. She's scheduled to be a guest on Air America on the Stasy Taylor show tomorrow morning, Friday April 28th at 10 am CST. You can listen live here. Meanwhile, she had a little adventure the other day where a car in which she was a passenger was stopped by the police. It could have been ugly. Interestingly, when the police found out she was the Libertarian candidate of governor of Alabama, they let them go. Quite a story. We're, of course, glad that it turned out well but one wonders if the outcome would have been the same a month ago, before she secured the nomination.
 Libby 4:38 PM Permalink Comments Trackback 
. . .
South Carolina legislator proposes rendition for American prisonersTom Angell at the DARE Generation Diary tells us something's rotten in the State of South Carolina. The same legislator that considers sex toys a matter of legislative concern also proposes to solve prison overcrowding by sending all drug offenders to foreign countries for them to do with as they will, along with anyone convicted of sexual crimes against children. As Tom notes, it's hard to say what's more offensive. That Rep. Davenport would send Americans into countries known to abuse human rights or that he equates marijuana consumers with pedophiles. But perhaps he's on to something here. Maybe we can get these countries to take legislators that waste our tax dollars on proposing inane legislation. That ought to be a crime.Drug War Travesties
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/
These have been widely reported elsewhere, but in case you missed them, I wanted to give you the links:
 Torturing Drug War Suspects: I talked about it some time ago, but Radley brings back to the net the case of the torture of Eugene Siler. Cops torture him to get him to sign a consent form for their search of his place. Siler's wife, however, had turned on a tape recorder and now the audio is available online (Note: The address is an mp3 file being forced to play on Windows Media. If Mac users have trouble making it work, install Windows Media Components for Quicktime).Life in prison? A 17 year-old man takes part in a robbery that nets $2 (they returned the wallet), pleads guilty, and gets 10 years probation. During his probation, he smokes a joint and flunks a drug test. Judge sentences him to life in prison.
http://www.leap.cc/events/
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Comment #2 posted by mayan on April 27, 2006 at 18:21:12 PT
HERE COME THE VAPORIZORS
A 2004 protocol by California NORML and MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) to investigate the types of emissions produced by cannabis vaporization was recently rejected after an 18-month regulatory delay by NIDA (US National Institute on Drug Abuse), which stated that the study would "not add to the scientific knowledge base in a significant way."The prohibitionists fear vaporizors like we fear jail! NIDA might as well merge with the FDA as neither agency relies on real science and both maintain their existence by politicizing and posturing. Look out prohibs, here come the VAPORIZORS! NOOOOOOOO!!!Dr. Mitch Earleywine's take on the Netherland's study is a dagger into the heart of medical cannabis prohibition..."These data confirm that vaporization can deliver all the essential components of medical marijuana safely and effectively while suppressing the intake of carcinogenic smoke. Now the Drug Czar's office and the Food and Drug Administration can rest assured that patients may receive the therapeutic relief they need without suffering from the unwanted health risks associated with smoking."OUCH! Sorry, Johnny Pee. The fat lady is clearing her throat!FoM, thanks for the action alert!THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...The questions that "United 93" can't answer:
http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/003187.html911Truth.org urges nationwide response to United 93:
http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20060427045349879Twin Towers of Lies:
http://tinyurl.com/kmwog9/11 Videos: THE CONTROLLED COLLAPSE OF WTC 7:
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/wtc7.htmlCome gather in NYC April 29th, 2006 for the East Coast 9/11 Truth Summit:
http://www.ny911truth.org/events/northeast_9-11_truth_summit.htm
 
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 27, 2006 at 14:43:47 PT
Action Alert from The Drug Policy Alliance
ACTION ALERT: Take FDA to Task on Medical Marijuana Position***April 27, 2006"For Sale to the Highest Bidder" should be the sign that hangs outside the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). From emergency contraceptives to Vioxx, the agency is placing ideology and special interests above science. Now the FDA is providing cover to Congressman Mark Souder and others who want to put medical marijuana patients in prison.First, consider Rush Limbaugh's recent attack on cancer and AIDS patients:"The FDA says there's no -- zilch, zero, nada -- shred of medicinal value to the evil weed marijuana. This is going to be a setback to the long-haired, maggot-infested, dope-smoking crowd." (Rush Limbaugh on his radio show, April 21, 2006).Then, consider the fact that President Bush has put people just like Rush Limbaugh in key FDA positions. They are so extreme they're blocking contraceptives from being sold because they're worried the drugs might encourage women to sleep around.Now, ask yourself why the FDA released an anti-medical-marijuana statement last week that contradicts dozens of scientific studies. And why scientists are condemning it.You know the answer. The New York Times calls it the "politics of pot."If we don't stand up now and fight, the once-independent scientific agency will become a total tool of the White House. And that will impact not only what drugs you're allowed to take but their safety.Fax your members of Congress today and tell them to support medical marijuana now more than ever. 
Then become a DPA member if you haven't already. We need a united front. 
URL: http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/042706fda.cfm
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