cannabisnews.com: Hearing Planned on Medical Marijuana

Hearing Planned on Medical Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on September 28, 2007 at 05:56:38 PT
By Diana Del Mauro, The New Mexican
Source: New Mexican
New Mexico -- Since the state's medical-marijuana law took effect in July, 50 patients with debilitating health conditions have received permission to grow, possess and use this otherwise illegal drug.``They're very, very sick people,'' said Dr. Steve Jenison, the program's medical director at the Health Department, who is pleased the law isn't being used as it has been in some other states.
The patients carry special identification cards and have protection from prosecution under state, but not federal, law. Their identity is kept secret, unless a member of law enforcement calls the Health Department to verify whether a person is on the registry. The Health Department, which administers the program, is taking steps to formalize rules that govern the patient registry and the medical advisory board, a group of eight physicians that oversees the program.On Monday in Santa Fe, the public can express its views at a hearing about two proposed rules. One proposal concerns the patient identification card system. Under a temporary provision, patients and caregivers approved by the state have been allowed to possess up to 6 ounces of marijuana, four hemp plants and three seedlings -- what the Health Department describes as a three-month supply.The proposed rule would change that to 6 ounces of marijuana, four hemp plants and four seedlings, Jenison said.The other rule concerns the medical advisory board. Under this rule, the board would have the power to review petitions from people who want to use marijuana as medicine but don't have one of the physical conditions described in the law. The board would have the power to approve other conditions, although the health secretary would have the final say.Currently, qualifying conditions are cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with intractable spasticity, epilepsy and HIV/AIDS. Hospice-care patients with a terminal illness also are listed in the statute. At this time, the Health Department has not worked out a state-sanctioned, secure production and distribution system, as outlined in the second phase of the law. Currently, patients must obtain marijuana through the black market. The Health Department's attorneys are researching possible ways to give patients access to a regulated marijuana product, but this is territory where no state has gone before. Even though 12 states now have medical-marijuana laws, the controlled substance is not recognized on the federal level as a medicine. Erin Armstrong, who has thyroid cancer, lobbied for New Mexico's medical-marijuana law for years and continues to watch over its implementation. She now lives in San Francisco, but she plans to attend Monday's public hearing. ``I think there's still work to be done,'' said the 26-year-old activist, whose mother is cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department. She wants the program to be patient-centered and health-oriented. Part of that means providing a safe supply of marijuana that is of consistent quality, she said. ``That's what makes the program unique,'' she said. Armstrong also said the state could do a better job of informing patients about the legal privileges and limitations of the program. She was alarmed to hear the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, on a tip, raided the home of a medical-marijuana patient in southeastern New Mexico. Although Armstrong has suffered from chronic nausea in the past, she said her symptoms have quieted down and she doesn't use medical marijuana. For more information about the Medical Cannabis Program, visit: http://www.nmhealth.org or call 827-2321.Source: New Mexican, The (Santa Fe, NM)Author: Diana Del Mauro, The New MexicanPublished: September 27, 2007 Copyright: 2007 The Santa Fe New MexicanContact: webeditor sfnewmexican.com Website: http://www.freenewmexican.com/Related Articles: MMJ: Battle Brewing Over State Pot Lawhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23299.shtmlMMJ: Drug Bust Sparks Questions Over Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23293.shtmlFeds Should OK Medicinal Marijuana Usehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23287.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help

Comment #32 posted by Storm Crow on September 30, 2007 at 08:32:05 PT
You are absolutely right!
They are looking mainly at osteoporosis, but I think that knitting bones would benefit in the same way.
Prototype drug to prevent osteoporosis based on cannabinoids
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=15220 Hebrew U. Researchers Find Cannabis Can Strengthen Bones
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/96146 Peripheral cannabinoid receptor, CB2, regulates bone mass
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/3/696 New Weapon In Battle Against Osteoporosis
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/35621.php Activation of CB2 receptor attenuates bone loss in osteoporosis
http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/bulletin/ww_en_db_cannabis_artikel.php?id=210#2 Cannabis-like compound prevents bone loss
http://www.thehempire.com/index.php/cannabis/news/cannabis_like_compound_prevents_bone_loss

And about the pain-
Cannabis effective at relieving pain after major surgery
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=17995 Cannabinoids, in combination with (NSAIDS), produce a synergistic analgesic effect
http://www.medjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1587&postcount=1
Tetrahydrocannabinol for treatment of chronic pain
http://www.cannabis-med.org/studies/ww_en_db_study_show.php?s_id=147Analgesic effect of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
http://www.cannabis-med.org/studies/ww_en_db_study_show.php?s_id=16The analgesic properties of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and codeine.
http://www.cannabis-med.org/studies/ww_en_db_study_show.php?s_id=17Most pain patients gain benefit from cannabis in a British study
http://www.cannabis-med.org/english/bulletin/ww_en_db_cannabis_artikel.php?id=84#1Happy reading!
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #31 posted by whig on September 29, 2007 at 23:29:43 PT
fight 4 freedom
I am glad it went well and I hope it won't hurt too badly for too long. I believe cannabis may be helpful for adult bones and if you happen to be able to find something of that kind it may also help the Vicodin work better, observing the usual precautions against using heavy machinery or driving or other risky activities when under an opiate.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #30 posted by FoM on September 29, 2007 at 21:31:23 PT
fight_4_freedom
I'm glad you are doing fine. Listen to the Doctor and you will do well I'm sure. Young bones are quite remarkable.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #29 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 29, 2007 at 21:12:40 PT:
THANK YOU ALL
Mayan, Whig, Greenmed, DankHank, Had Enough, and FOM: thank you all for your kind words and positive vibes. It means a lot to me.So I went in for the surgery early this morning. First I should say it wasn't a major surgery, as they were just repairing a fractured bone in my right hand. (although I AM right-handed so there was some worry)I was a little nervous, seeing as it was my first surgery ever. And being that I obeyed their rules such as no food, no drink, or NO CANNABIS the morning of, I was a little stressed.And of course when they handed me a sheet containing a list of the possible side effects of the anaesthetic, I about lost it lol.But besides that, the surgery went rather well. The nurses and doctors made me feel really comfortable before and after, which is always a bonus. And I certainly had no complaints once i was given the anaesthetic :) So I have a pin in place, and a big old cast forcing me to fingerpeck this keyboard with my left. Good news is I should only have it on for a couple weeks.When the nurse asked me if I would be ok with a script of vicodin, i told her i guess it will have to do, seeming that our government is still waging a war on a much less harmful, way more beneficial plant called cannabis :) She smiled and said, trust me, you aren't the only one that would prefer that kind of treatment.thanks for all the supportand heres a song for tonight...with the song title so fitting for my day hehe
coldplay- fix you
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #28 posted by FoM on September 29, 2007 at 12:35:03 PT
charmed quark
The future is for the new and young generation. All they have to do is stand up and care and do what they can and then I will feel that my generation did something good. I see the young people involved with Senator Obama's campaign because they post pictures on his blog and I smile when I see them on fire like they are. Change comes with dedication to a belief and they sure seem to have it.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #27 posted by charmed quark on September 29, 2007 at 12:17:14 PT
old world might be able to turn itself around
Reminds me of this line from Willy Mason's "Oxygen""I know the future looks dark
But it's there that the kids of today must carry the light."
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #26 posted by whig on September 29, 2007 at 11:07:28 PT
mbc #19
That's terrible. I think we need to make housing a right not subject to waiver of the fourth amendment.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #25 posted by whig on September 29, 2007 at 10:40:06 PT
fight 4 freedom
I know you'll be fine.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #24 posted by FoM on September 29, 2007 at 09:53:05 PT
fight 4 freedom
I hope all goes well for you today. You are young and you give me hope that this old world might be able to turn itself around. We are the ones that care and it will become a life long journey for you like it has been for many of us here. It's the only way that matters in the end.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #23 posted by Dankhank on September 29, 2007 at 09:30:27 PT
Foo Fighters
I like most of the stuff they perform ...Times ... is a good song I have noticed on the radio ...fight 4 freedom:thanks for contributing ... and ... luck to you for your procedure ...Peace to all who teach and love ...
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #22 posted by Dankhank on September 29, 2007 at 09:25:52 PT
wait staff ...
Had Enough ...know where you're coming from with the hand washing ...consider this: I showed my granddaughter that:wait staff will help clear tables when it's crowded or helps them get customers seated quickly ...see them picking up plates, cups by the rim, and even used napkins with bare hands and then:returning to the counter area and picking up your plates with the same hands recently carrying that other table's trash.sorry to rain on any parades. I've come to the realization that restaurants with dicey hygene likely contribute to a leveling of the background germ population, and as such, MAY be doing us a favor ...comments?
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #21 posted by Had Enough on September 29, 2007 at 07:02:28 PT
fight 4 freedom
21 yrs. youngWelcome to the RevolutionThis is not a movement, it’s a revolution.Movements’ start in one place and stops in another.A revolution keeps coming back around in your face.Tommy Lee Jones said something like that in the movie “Siege”Good luck going under the knife. Let us know how you made out as soon as you can.And ask the surgeon if he washed his hands after using the bathroom before they started. We do that with waitresses when they bring food out. It gets a grin every time :)See Ya soon…
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #20 posted by Had Enough on September 29, 2007 at 06:34:47 PT
Changes
It looks like the mantra with the ‘children” is morphing into ‘grandchildren’Pointing to them will become a popular thing. I wonder if the Drug Czar (Czars belong in Russia not America) is a little envious because he didn’t come up with it first. Or did he…These prohibitionists are all but done.CNN is on in the background. They have covered the raids out west several times. And it’s about time they did this. The more people that see this waste of money the sooner this madness can end.They are interviewing Mick Jagger too. At 64 he sure does look Shattered/Tattered.*********Rolling Stones - ShatteredUh-huh, this towns full of money grabbersGo ahead, bite the big apple, dont mind the maggots, huhhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th47siid6_k
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #19 posted by mai_bong_city on September 29, 2007 at 05:40:09 PT
yes, whig..
if i were to get the section 8 to begin with. as it stands, i will likely be declared ineligible for assistance and that will be that. had i gotten approval, yes they could search any time they please - random inspections.....and evict.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #18 posted by Toker00 on September 29, 2007 at 05:12:13 PT
GCW...Interview with Jesus after second coming.
"Even if you’re not a professing Christian, I'm sure you do not want to see your children or grandchildren using marijuana or any other similar drug."Are you sure? Have you ever used cannabis for medicine or recreation? Did you know that many "Christians" and other people of faith claim cannabis brings them closer to God? Have you ever had any one's life in your family uprooted due to cannabis prohibition? Then how can you be sure? You can't. You are a fool to suggest that people wouldn't possibly want to use a substance with the longest history of safe, effective medical use on the planet. Who would want to use something safer than Pharma-poisons for medicine? For recreation? Everybody. EVEN YOUR DAMN CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN! Fool!GCW... http://www.garlicandgrass.org/issue9/Sven_Eberlein.cfmToke.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #17 posted by The GCW on September 29, 2007 at 04:48:02 PT
US MO: LTE: Don’t sign pot petition
US MO: LTE: Don’t sign pot petitionWebpage: http://www.joplinglobe.com/editorial/local_story_271092842.html

Sept. 28, 2007On the front page of The Joplin Globe (Sept. 22, 2007), I was appalled at the headline, “Taking the Initiative,” about a group of liberal-minded people who wish to decriminalize marijuana in Joplin. They want to introduce into our society an opportunity for the citizens of Joplin to enact a more "sensible" marijuana policy. In other words, to legalize its use.Listen folks, marijuana is a drug. Perhaps it's not considered as strong as others such as crack or cocaine, but that doesn't negate the fact it is a drug and could become habit-forming for our children and/or grandchildren, leading to them wanting something (stronger) that would give them a better high.We as a nation have too often in the past stood by and done nothing, as these “liberal-minded” people took prayer out of our schools, kept the 10 Commandments from being allowed in public places, and allowed Christmas at school to become a “Winter Festival” break. Folks, when is everyone going to stand together and bring some decency and Godly principles back into our society?Even if you’re not a professing Christian, I'm sure you do not want to see your children or grandchildren using marijuana or any other similar drug. We need to come together and make sure this doesn't get on the ballot. You can do this by not signing the proposed petition. If they can't get 15 percent of the registered voters of Joplin to sign (about 5,000 people) the proposal will not be allowed on the 2008 Ballot. Let's defeat it before it gets off the ground. Don RayJoplin(COMING SOON TO MAP)
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #16 posted by greenmed on September 28, 2007 at 22:12:43 PT
fight 4 freedom
Best wishes on your surgery. I hope all goes well, and that you'll be back to CNews soon.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #15 posted by whig on September 28, 2007 at 21:09:19 PT
fight 4 freedom
Here's a little something that might help you free cannabis, if you can translate it back to English then maybe I did a good job of preparing it.This is the blessing over cannabis, still in draft form. :) Baruch atah Adonai Elohenu melech ha'olam borei peri ha'kanehbos etz chaim(עברית)
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #14 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 28, 2007 at 20:16:23 PT:
I am a beatles beginner
I'm just now starting to really get into them. Being only 21, I still have a lot of catching up to do on them and their music.My dad, god bless him, was a huuuge fan. And an even bigger fan of John Lennon. I have a big wooden framed, velvet textured picture of him that was my fathers pride and joy. It's so unbelievably unique, i'll have to take a pic and show you all one day.If he had been around for my teen years I'm sure I'd know every song by heart hehe. But I'm reminded of him everytime I hear a song or look at that picture. Which always gives me a warm feeling full of hope. And it drives me to try and change the world for the better.He passed away when I was 10 years old from brain tumors. But to think back seeing him in so much pain, unable to eat, unable to sleep, unable to move from the waist down...it just makes me so upset to know for a fact that his quality of life would have been so much better with the help of cannabis. It absolutely sickens me. And then to find studies that have been done in other countries showing that cannabinoids could possibly help stop the blood flow to brain tumors preventing them from increasing in size, it just blows my mind.We cannot let this go on any longer.Cannabis IS the tree of life. Let's share with the world.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #13 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 28, 2007 at 19:35:29 PT:
times like these
I don't know if any of you are fans of the foo fighters, but here's a good one from them. Simple, but meaningful.
foo fighters- times like these
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #12 posted by OverwhelmSam on September 28, 2007 at 19:33:40 PT
The Beatles Were My Childhood Heros
It amazed me when I was growing up how much these four men had done in their lives. I have always looked up to them.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2d2llB4oIQ
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #11 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 28, 2007 at 18:52:42 PT:
thanks mayan
we might need it. These next 2 months are going to be the toughest months to gather sigs.
1. Because the weather is changing, and soon its going to get a lot colder.
2. All of the big festivals and events have pretty much passed.So now we must show that really want to do this. We all really need to step up to the plate at this point. And swing for the fences. Or better yet, hit it right out of the ballpark.There is no time to waste.So here's some inspirational music for us tonight.
The beatles- Revolution
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #10 posted by mayan on September 28, 2007 at 18:13:04 PT
fight 4 freedom
Good luck with your signature drive! Here's more on Ron Paul... Ron Paul Calls for an End to the 'War on Drugs':
http://www.jonesreport.com/articles/280907_ron_paul_drug_war.htmlTHE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...We need the truth about 9/11 attacks:
http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070920/OPED04/709200328/1102/OPEDKevin Barrett Questions Amy Goodman On Building 7:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2yC4xgeVMMShocking New Revelations On 9/11 Ground Zero Cover-Up:
http://prisonplanet.com/articles/september2007/280907_new_revelations.htmA View on 09/11/01:
http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=200709281436049859/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB - OUR NATION IS IN PERIL:
http://www.911sharethetruth.com/
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #9 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 28, 2007 at 17:40:40 PT:
attention activists: we need your help!
Especially those living in michigan. Here's a bulletin I just received from MPP on myspace. I know after I am done with my surgery tomorrow, I will be completely dedicating the next 2 months of my life to this campaign. I figured by now we'd be close to done. But from the looks of things, we have a long way to go.SO PLEASE HELP, ANYWAY YOU CAN!heres the bulletinMichigan medical marijuana campaign needs your urgent helpDear Friends of MPP:MPP's campaign to pass a medical marijuana initiative in Michigan urgently needs your help.In May, the Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care (MCCC) began gathering signatures to place a statewide medical marijuana initiative on the November 2008 ballot.If you live in Michigan, MCCC needs you to collect signatures or to make a sizable donation to ensure the initiative gets on the ballot. If you don't live in Michigan, MCCC needs you to donate money to support the signature-gathering effort. Four months into the signature drive, MCCC has collected half the signatures that are needed. And since the signature drive must be completed by mid-November — which is just two months away — your help is needed now.Michigan law requires MCCC to collect 304,101 valid signatures in order to place the medical marijuana initiative on the November 2008 ballot. Because the validity rate for the signatures that are being collected is hovering around 60%, this means we actually need to collect about 500,000 raw signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot. So far, we have about 250,000 raw signatures in-hand, so we're halfway there.It's going to cost about $500,000 to obtain the remaining 250,000 raw signatures that are needed — or about $2 apiece. This means we need to spend more than $8,000 per day — every day, including Saturdays and Sundays — between now and the middle of November to qualify the initiative for the statewide ballot.Would you please visit www.StopArrestingPatients.org to donate $10 or more today? If everyone on this e-mail list were to donate just $10, we'd have literally twice as much money ($1,000,000) as will be needed to complete the signature drive.Making Michigan the 13th state to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest is crucial to our national strategy: Michigan is the country's eighth largest state and would be the first medical marijuana state in the Midwest.Would you please lend your support today?I'll be grateful for anything you can do to help.Sincerely,Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.
Michigan Coalition for Compassionate Care
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #8 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 28, 2007 at 17:26:51 PT:
video of Ron Paul
making a case for an end to the war on drugs
ron paul
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #7 posted by whig on September 28, 2007 at 15:38:54 PT
mbc
Does section 8 mean that they can search your home and evict you for using your medicine?
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #6 posted by OverwhelmSam on September 28, 2007 at 12:03:19 PT
Report Assails FDA Oversight of Clinical Trials
Remember when the FDA said marijuana had no medical uses back on 04/20/2007? Government investigators are now attacking the FDA. Read this:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21032902/
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #5 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 28, 2007 at 09:02:26 PT:
thanks goes out to our mi activists who attended
Opponents of Random Student Drug Testing Fight Back at Detroit SummitThursday, September 27, 2007In Detroit Tuesday, the ONDCP hosted a surprise summit promoting random student drug testing. Since 2004 the agency has traversed the country hosting four summits a year, but the Detroit summit was the fifth for 2007, and was not advertised on the ONDCP website.

With the summit under wraps, opponents of random student drug testing had short notice to organize their response. Even so, they were able to amass a strong, persuasive presence at the event. Students, educators and concerned citizens attended, distributing materials to educators and asking sharp questions.

Chris Chiles, Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy's University of Michigan Chapter, reported that the majority of educators were very open to opponents' materials and concerns. He was able to ask a question verbally--a first at these summits--and his fellow chapter members submitted tough written questions. Educators also questioned speakers about how they measured the success of drug testing programs.One presenter struggled to respond to the question of how suspending students from the right to participate in extracurricular activities--the very activities that provide structure and supervision--helps those who test positive. The speaker retorted that schools are not required to punish students in this manner. However, the majority of schools with programs do punish students by barring them from extracurricular participation.“The summit was an eye opener for me. I came away shaken by the continued push for total random drug testing,” said Mike Whitty, Professor of Management and Labor Relations at the University of Detroit Mercy. “I am glad I attended. It helps to listen to the other side; it makes us stronger and more effective.” Coinciding with the summit, the Detroit News published an op-ed by Jennifer Kern, coordinator of DPA's Drug Testing Fails Our Youth campaign, about the summits. The Michigan Daily published a powerful letter to the editor written by SSDP’s Chris Chiles that describes the group’s efforts at the summit.

On the same day, across the country in southern California, a school board member hosted a community forum to give parents the chance to examine the premise of drug testing. A physician presented at this forum on the potential harms of drug testing, and a retired professor spoke about promising alternatives that will help students thrive.

Kern said, "Parents, educators, and health professionals are looking for the best way to keep students safe. Unquestioning acceptance of drug testing is harmful, and the more we ask questions, the more effectively we can respect and support young people."
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 28, 2007 at 07:56:37 PT
MBC
Sometimes I wish I was a millionaire. I wouldn't be one for long because there is so much need in society.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #3 posted by mai_bong_city on September 28, 2007 at 07:53:13 PT
thank you, FoM
i wish i new something good to say, too :(
maybe someday. in the meantime, your understanding helps.mbc
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #2 posted by FoM on September 28, 2007 at 07:43:23 PT
MBC
I wish I knew something good to say. I am so sorry.
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by mai_bong_city on September 28, 2007 at 07:24:54 PT
i heart albuquerque
i'd move to new mexico in a heartbeat - in fact, had planned to, soon as my section 8 voucher came through. well, it has - after four years of waiting for it. my medicine costs between 450 - 900 per month, and my disability income is 1000. i don't care who knows. i pay half my income for rent, the other half for medicine. because if i don't have medicine, i don't need food or anything else.
so this section 8 thing was really going to help me. i would only pay a third of my income for rent, leaving a little for food, yay!
four years' wait - and i turned down three public housing units offered specifically because i knew it would be wrong to push bringing a garden and vaporizing my medicine in public housing units. so i stuck it out for good ol' section 8. i'm a disabled american in need of a little help. just a little.
but no. i won't be moving to - anywhere.
because of my medicine, i am considered bad, and not worthy of help.
no federal housing monies can go towards this sick woman. because i need cannabis to live.
oh well. power to new mexico, at least in my dreams. although i'm in a state with a medical marijuana law, i'm no better off. i thought maybe since n.m.'s law was trying to protect patients from feds by taking on cultivation and providing themselves - it might be the best place for me to spend the rest of my life.
i might have HAD the rest of my life.
none for the weary, they say.peace.
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment