cannabisnews.com: Marijuana In The Medicine Cabinet





Marijuana In The Medicine Cabinet
Posted by CN Staff on March 02, 2008 at 05:21:30 PT
By Sean O'Leary, Staff Writer
Source: Hartford Business Journal
Connecticut -- Medical marijuana advocates took a hit last year. And they weren’t happy about it. Last year, Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed medical marijuana legislation that passed easily through the state House and Senate. It was a significant setback for those who had lobbied for years to get Connecticut to adopt such a bill.
Fast forward a year later, and medical marijuana advocates remain steadfast, emboldened by a recent position paper by the American College of Physicians (ACP). The 13-page paper was written by a dozen of doctors who threw their unanimous support behind the therapeutic use of marijuana and strongly advised that more research was needed. “Unfortunately, research expansion has been hindered by a complicated federal-approval process, limited availability of research-grade marijuana, and the debate over legalization,” the study’s authors said in a written statement. In particular, the ACP report maintained that the medical uses of marijuana have been overshadowed by the lingering debate regarding the general legalization of the drug.  Powerful Allies The study put another powerful ally — doctors — on the side of medical marijuana advocates. Also advocating for legalizing medical marijuana is the Drug Policy Alliance. The alliance has been at the forefront of the state’s debate over the issue, leading a coalition of Connecticut organizations that pushed the legislation last year all the way to Rell’s desk. “There’s no doubt we’re going to continue with this,” said Gabriel Sayegh, policy director for the Drug Policy Alliance. “It’s pretty interesting that the American College of Physicians, that has 130,000 members, would come out endorsing this.” Most upsetting to medical marijuana advocates is Rell vetoed the legislation despite attempts for a compromise. “There was ample opportunity [for compromise] because we solicited feedback,” Sayegh said. “We will do what we can do to make this happen.” Rell spokesman Christopher Cooper said there were two primary concerns: a wide variety of diseases would have been eligible under the bill, and the availability of marijuana. The legislation would have allowed terminally ill patients to grow their own marijuana plants, but obtaining seeds would have, in Rell’s words, forced them to “seek out drug dealers.” Those reasons don’t fly with advocates, as Sayegh accused federal officials and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) of getting involved. “We have reason to believe that [Rell] took a call from the White House before she vetoed the bill,” he said. “The ONDCP has raised a stink in other states. We believe they did so here.” To back up his claims, Sayegh pointed out wording in Rell’s veto statement that said prescribing marijuana would be a “violation of federal law.” “[Her statement] was riddled with inaccuracies,” he said. “Ninety-nine out of 100 marijuana arrests are made due to state law, not federal law.” In response, Cooper disputed Sayegh’s contention about White House involvement, stating that he would like to “debunk that myth.” Meanwhile, medical marijuana advocates remain patient. “We were emboldened last year and then deeply disappointed that people still essentially have to commit a crime to get access to medicine,” Sayegh said. Based on last year’s vote, the medical marijuana bill was one vote short in the Senate and 12 votes shy in the House of reaching the necessary threshold for a veto override. However, criminal justice reforms have “dominated every corner space” at the state Capitol, Sayegh said, and they have found it difficult to promote a new bill with other hot button topics dominating the session. Sean O’Leary is a Hartford Business Journal staff writer.Source: Hartford Business Journal (CT)Author: Sean O'Leary, Hartford Business Journal Staff WriterPublished: March 3, 2008Copyright: 2008 Hartford Business JournalContact: soleary hartfordbusiness.comWebsite: http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/Physician Group Urges Research On Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23714.shtmlDoctors: Ease Penalties for Medical Use, Researchhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23691.shtml
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Comment #4 posted by Paint with light on March 02, 2008 at 18:42:44 PT
A Rose by any other name
Thanks for the comment on marihuana/marijuana. I try to use the name cannabis the most and especially when I am refering to all the uses of the plant. Sometimes I will use the word marijuana specifically when refering to the drug properties of the plant. Is it the spelling that is the problem? Marijuana is not okay but marihuana is?That could work for me. Of course most people would think I am misspelling the word.I've noticed with the advent of middle age spread on the abdomen of stoners it gives a new meaning to the phrase, "pot belly". My book by the Nixon commission uses the Marihuana spelling.Don't you think that in time this will be a word that will lose the racist quality? Words often change meanings as time goes by. I hope so. I am as strongly anti-racist as you can get.It seems that taking a word with racist origin and turning it into a symbol of peace, understanding, healing, and all the other properties of cannabis would be a good thing.It might pay the right wing wackos back for corrupting the use of liberal.In the mean time I will try to use the marihuana spelling if that is still okay.I hope we can use marijuana eventually because, since I don't have a vaporizer, I like my cannabis with a "J".Equal with alcohol is all we ask.
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Comment #3 posted by runruff on March 02, 2008 at 10:41:16 PT:
Gov. Rell what the hell?
Is she just so eager to please the big cheese that she will robot like do their bidding?Is she ignorant on the subject.Does she know better and being politically correct?She thinks she is smarter than her own house and senate?I am so tired! 
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Comment #2 posted by HempWorld on March 02, 2008 at 08:19:35 PT
Read this after Post# 1 Sorry to bother again I j
ust got curious on what Spermatorrhea is or was, here it is:SpermatorrheaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSpermatorrhea, defined as "excessive" ejaculation, was regarded in the nineteenth century as a medical disorder with corrupting and devastating effects on the mind and body. The cure for spermatorrhea was regarded as enforced chastity and avoidance of masturbation, with circumcision sometimes being used as a "treatment" for this imagined condition.Ejaculation is now known to be self-limiting, and incapable of causing ill effects (other than temporary tiredness and reduction of sexual desire in the individual concerned). Spermatorrhea is now regarded as a social construct with no basis in medical fact, and an example of a moral panic.“The percentage of neurasthenia of sexual origin is so large that it is always well in the presence of this anomaly to look for sex as a fruitful cause. _There is an intimate relation between the genitals and the head_... The two perversions, masturbation and onanism (congressus interruptus of Onan) are oftener the cause of the general breakdown than excesses in normal sex life. Of these two, masturbation is the more dangerous because its practice usually begins in the immature child, and if indulged in to excess, leads to fatigue and exhaustion of the central nervous system.”
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Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on March 02, 2008 at 08:10:02 PT
Speaking of Marijuana or rather Cannabis (as it wa
s called then) in the medicine cabinet.Actually Marijuana is a word derived from marihuana and we should not be using this word as it implies racism. From now on we should be using the word cannabis to strenghten our cause to use the other (m) word, would be as if shooting ourselves in the foot.From: http://hempworld.com/HempPharm/articles/cannabistincture.htmlLabel reads: Specific Medicines / CANNABIS. - Absolute Alcohol 74%, LLOYD BROTHERS, CINCINNATI, O. Below is the actual text on the bottle of Cannabis Tincture and very accurately describes the effects and application. From then to today, it seems not much has changed.Specific Indications: Nervous depression, tendency to melancholia, with wakefulness. Mental illusions or delusions, and forgetfulness. 
Uses: To relieve the above conditions, especially if there be pain in the stomach, or distress and discomfort in the pelvic organs especially; frequency of urination, or tenesmus or cystitis.Dose: R. Sp. Med. Cannabis, gtt. v to 3ss. Water, 3iv.The range of action of this remedy, although classed as a mild one, is quite wide. It especially controls gastric pain, and directly influences pain in the pelvis, especially if the specific indications herein given are present. There are certain conditions of the brain and nervous system which are directly affected by it. It is useful in hysterical patients, and in the mild forms of insanity in women, especially if these be due to menstrual irregularities which are the cause of pain. It is useful in delirium, with restlessness, after protracted fevers, and in cerebro-spinal meningitis.In functional disorders of the stomach, with pain, given in conjunction with directly indicated remedies, it is of much value.It does not suppress secretion or disarrange the functional operations of the gastro-intestinal organs.Certain erratic pains in the bowels are controlled by it.It allays abnormal sexual appetite; is given with good results in gonorrhea and controls chordee, priapism and spermatorrhea, and soothes metal anxiety present with these conditions.It cures strangury, spasmodic stricture, painful urination, burning and scalding in passing urine, and frequent urination.It is a remedy for insomnia, especially where, during brief sleep, there are unpleasant dreams. (Ed. i.e. Post combat stress disorder etc.)ANTIDOTE - Emetic of mustard, followed by large draughts of warm water, then strong tea or coffee.Arouse patient and keep him in motion.
------------------------------------------------------------Ed note: We can see that what science knew in the 1930's is reconfirmed today via tentative record collection in California after Prop. 215 and from anecdotal evidence. Cannabis has fallen victim to a greedy Pharmaceutical industry and power hungry politicians and judiciary. Since 70 years mere possession of marijuana can land one in jail (and join the cheap labor force) just because the US Pharmaceutical companies hates competition and loves money. We have a huge pile of money on one hand and a huge pile of bodies on the other, from all the side effects of the pharmaceutical drugs that have tried to fill the void the prohibition of Cannabis left us with. Death is very profitable so it seems. And... a dead patient never complains. Judges, politicians and police hate to give up the additional control they have gained over us via cannabis prohibition. Together they try to keep cannabis illegal in direct violation of a democratic system of government and the right of self determination, our birthright, our right to self medicate and the inalienable rights given to us by God.Note: The Antidote has more to do with the fact that this tincture contains about 74% alcohol and served to prevent death from alcohol poisoning.
On a mission from God!
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