cannabisnews.com: One Drug, Two Takes One Drug, Two Takes Posted by CN Staff on April 30, 2006 at 10:28:24 PT By Mary Beckman, Special To The Times Source: Los Angeles Times Los Angeles -- As assistant district attorney in San Francisco, Keith Vines prosecuted one of the largest illicit drug busts the city had ever seen. Then he came down with AIDS wasting syndrome and lost 60 pounds over three years.To stimulate his appetite, he started taking marinol, an FDA-approved drug containing THC, one of the active ingredients in marijuana. He says he couldn't control the dose of the drug, which must be swallowed. "I would be out of it for four or five hours," he says. And so, instead of continuing with marinol, he started smoking medical marijuana, keeping his head clear by puffing only as much as he needed to get hungry. He gained back all his weight, he says.Like many in his condition, Vines flatly disagrees with an April 20 announcement by the Food and Drug Administration and several other federal agencies that smoking marijuana confers no medical benefits.So do physicians who write prescriptions for medical marijuana. (Doctors can't prescribe the plant.) They say the government hasn't done its homework — and cite a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine, a prestigious organization that advises the government, that found otherwise.That 1999 report concluded that smoked marijuana could stimulate appetite in some patients with AIDS wasting disease; lessen nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy for cancer; and alleviate pain."I'm disappointed that they haven't really read the research or spoken with people in the field," says Los Angeles internist Dr. Eve H. Elting, who recommends medical marijuana to treat patients with chronic pain due to cancer and injuries; nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy; and migraines. Snipped:Complete Article: http://tinyurl.com/jbkowSource: Los Angeles Times (CA)Author: Mary Beckman, Special To The TimesPublished: May 1, 2006Copyright: 2006 Los Angeles TimesContact: letters latimes.comWebsite: http://www.latimes.com/Related Articles & Web Site:IOM Reporthttp://newton.nap.edu/html/marimed/FDA Denies Medical Value of Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21794.shtmlMMJ Advocates Slam ‘Politicized’ FDA Reporthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21774.shtmlFDA Loses Credibility With Jab at Medical Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21772.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #7 posted by paulpeterson on May 01, 2006 at 08:49:40 PT Straight shooter now Funny how the lord works in such mysterious ways. This guy is still prosecutor, and I am sure he takes a more jaundiced view of prosecution of green people.By coming forward at this time, he is tacitly apologizing for his past sins and by being the voice of truth now, he is helping the cause. Thank you, Keith, for your bravery in the face of certain federal animosity.The cracks are widening and the flood of truth is rising the tide of change.Kudos, people, all over that are hastening the end of the drug war. PAUL PETERSON, from behind enemy lines in Iowa. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by laduncon on April 30, 2006 at 17:35:40 PT A little compassion please "How did he get aids in the first place anyway? He sounds really straight."Not to ruffle feathers, but I found the preceding comment both lacking in knowledge as to how Aids is/can be spread as well as implicity homophobic. Is the implication that if he was gay and got aids that it is OK, or that he deserves such a tragedy?Anyone whose suffering is eased by cannabis has experienced a good thing; gay, straight, abstinent or otherwise.Do I 'sound' straight? LolMy 2 cents. :) Love this site, thank you all. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Toker00 on April 30, 2006 at 15:57:11 PT Thumbs down. He is STILL a prosecutor. He said nothing about the peoples lives he has destroyed with his "prosecutions". This guy smokes pot, then prosecutes people for possessing pot, while he is guilty of being stoned while prosecuting them? Come on. People who toke eventually wind up going to work stoned. Not all the time, but it does happen. He knows it's not dangerous. I wish I knew if he still prosecuted drug cases. I see he is in the psychiatric division. Still, I didn't hear anything about ending cannabis prohibition, only why he can't get HIS medicine legally. It will take more of these prohibians getting sick and finding out that cannabis is the only thing that works for them, to bring change faster.Toke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by John Tyler on April 30, 2006 at 13:37:54 PT ol' keith Looks like ol’ Keith of OK with medical cannabis. Funny how he was so willing to break the laws he holds so dear to help himself. I think he is now understands some of the Drug War implications with regard to medical care and personal freedom. How did he get aids in the first place anyway? He sounds really straight. It doesn’t sound like he has fully seen the light yet. He still has his old job though. I think he is getting there though. Here are some Keith Vines info pages. http://www.medical-marijuana-testimonials.org/Keith-Vines-chronic-pain-patient-experience.htmhttp://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/medical/challenges/cases/conant/declarations/vines.cfmhttp://www.marijuana.org/SJMerc11-30-99.htmhttp://www.aclunc.org/aclunews/news0311/medmj.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Toker00 on April 30, 2006 at 12:45:37 PT gw... Does he still prosecute others for cannabis possession, medically or otherwise, since his enlightenment? Or is he still committing this Sin? Is he a member of cannabis law reform? Does he contribute to ending cannabis prohibition, or just sit on the sidelines, like others of power, and let the people change the laws? Has he asked for forgiveness? No Pity. Pity is bad for the pittied and the pittier. Forgiveness? Sure. But he has to ask.Toke. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by MikeC on April 30, 2006 at 12:30:09 PT global_warming... My thoughts exactly. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by global_warming on April 30, 2006 at 11:21:11 PT shall we pity such a fool? who now can see, [ Post Comment ] Post Comment