US Ignoring Marijuana Research

Sun News ^ | 14 September 2002 | Bruce Mirken

[JediGirl]

Early in the morning of Sept. 5, dozens of armed men stormed a respected medical facility where nearly 300 people desperately ill from cancer, AIDS and other illnesses got their medicine. Brandishing semiautomatic weapons in the faces of terrified patients, including a woman paralyzed from childhood polio, they destroyed all of the medicine and took prisoner the facility's operators.

The work of Osama bin Laden? Hamas? Some other international terrorists?

No. This particular terrorist raid was carried out by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The facility they attacked was the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana ( WAMM ) in Santa Cruz, Calif. A co-op run entirely by and for seriously ill people - 80 percent of whom have terminal diagnoses - WAMM sold nothing. All of the medical marijuana grown was given to members without charge.

The facility was supported by the community and worked closely with local officials. According to County Supervisor Mardi Wormhoudt, WAMM operated in an "exemplary" fashion. After the raid - which had been planned and executed with no warning to the local government - Wormhoudt told reporters she was "appalled" by the DEA's action.

The patients WAMM served are desperately ill. For many with AIDS or cancer, marijuana is the only thing that allows them to tolerate the horrendous side effects of the harsh treatments that keep them alive. Others endure excruciating pain that conventional medicines have failed to relieve, but which marijuana helps.

Because of this raid, many of these people will die prematurely - agonizing, horrible deaths - because the only medicine that helped them has been taken away.

What could possibly motivate such cruelty?

Desperation.

All around the world, governments and scientific experts are coming to believe that marijuana shouldn't be illegal - that it is simply not dangerous enough to warrant arresting and jailing even social or recreational users, much less people using it to relieve symptoms of cancer or AIDS. The British government has already moved to make marijuana possession a nonarrestable offense.

On Sept. 4, Canada's Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs released the most exhaustive investigation of marijuana data and policy options ever conducted by any government. The 650-page report declared that criminalizing marijuana amounted to "throwing taxpayers' money down the drain in a crusade that is not warranted by the danger posed by the substance."

But marijuana - which accounts for the vast majority of illegal drug use and arrests - is the engine that drives the war on drugs and keeps massive drug-control budgets pumped up.

So even as DEA agents were shoving machine guns in the faces of sick people, White House drug czar John Walters and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson stood in front of a Washington, D.C., press conference, spouting long-discredited myths as if they were proven facts.

Marijuana, said Thompson, is "a clear and present danger to the health and well-being of all its users" - a statement contradicted by reams of scientific research.

Indeed, in 1995, the prestigious medical journal The Lancet stated flatly, "The smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health." This year, the British government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and the Canadian Senate committee came to similar conclusions after extensive study.

But our government's drug war ideologues don't care about science. And they don't care how many sick people they literally torture to death in their desperate effort to pump up a collapsing policy.

[clamper1797]

She says that Marinol a little under $4.00 a piece and is generally NOT covered by any medical plans/insurance

[AzJP]

Thnaks.

Don't get hit again.

Depending on your espousal kharma this morning, you might want to stay away from Titans/Cowboys.

kj

[JediGirl]

The cost of Marinol?


From: http://www.ardpark.org/reference/marinol.htm :

"Yet another problem with Marinol and other synthetic forms of THC is cost. Patients report monthly expense of $500 to $900 for Marinol prescriptions. Patients purchasing marijuana on the black market could procure an approximately equivalent supply for less than $500, while those allowed to grow their own supply would be able to produce their 'medicine' for zero cost. "


http://www.marijuanainfo.org/faqs_list2.php?this_cat=11#arg94 :

Marinol costs approximately $1.81 per mg. Pills come in 2.5mg, 5mg and 10mg forms. Unimed Pharmacies, producer of the drug, told MJi cancer chemotherapy- induced nausea patients are generally prescribed the 5 mg dose 3-4 times per day for the duration of their therapy which can be 1-4 weeks; AIDS-wasting patients are generally prescribed 2.5 mg 2x per day and can increase to a 2.5mg and 5mg pill series per day. For a month, average use of Marinol costs $678.75.

Marijuana, which costs patients and average of $11.80 per gram typically costs patients $330.94 per month for a smoked dose that creates comparable nausea-relieving effects.

[avenir]

It's either stupid or dishonest, or both. Most likely the latter.

Kinda like this statement?:

"The smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health." (the "prestigious medical journal" The Lancet)

[gargoyle]

...It is rye. I read something concerning the Salem witches that the "visions" were the result of rye ergot...

[KarlInOhio]

Why the hell is the government in the drug and medical business anyway? Whats up with that?

It's right there in the Constitution. Somewhere in the left edge of the emanations of the penumbra of the 94th ammendment. You must be some type of LSD pusher to preschoolers to even question that. < /sarcasm>

[JediGirl]

"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."
Ronald Reagan

[AntiGuv]

I don't smoke pot. For that matter, I don't even like pot. But, I'm not so dense that I can't understand how central pot has been to the expansion of coercive government institutions. To suggest that only a "stoner" can understand this point (or that this is even the key reason for their wanting it legal - i.e. they just wanna be free to smoke) only reduces my regard for your intellect.

My arguments have no relation whatsoever to what I personally choose or desire. Unlike some people here, I don't think of freedom as something that stops at the edges of my personal belief system or my personal behavior. If it harms no one whatsoever, including themselves, then it should be legal. And I shouldn't be paying to have the feds beat up on them.

[tallhappy]

Your answer in 31 is a non-sequitar.

I stated you are propagandizing for typical harcore leftist anti-American groups.

Nothing to do with dope being legal or ilegal.

Also, the article presents the use of marijuana in a medical context. I addressed how the article presented it. Nothing to do with illegal drugs should be made legal.

[kcvl]

I don't think our Community Hospice cares to have their dying patients smoke a joint when they're on oxygen already. You can crush the medication and give it to them. Please don't use your excuse to get high at the expense of dying patients. At least be honest enough to admit you just want to smoke a joint.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"marijuana - which accounts for the vast majority of illegal drug use and arrests - is the engine that drives the war on drugs..."

This is the typical leftist crap that our law enforcement is tied up chasing reefer-heads. In California the police don't even arrest anymore for pot possession you get a ticket and I think many states are the same.

So the police in my community are chasing meth-amphetamine makers and crack cocaine which needs to be kept out of the hands of teenagers.

[clamper1797]

Oh ... it's worse ... she's a 40whiner fan and I'm a Raider fan. Look for the mushroom cloud when these two teams play later this year. The cloud will indicate where our house used to stand before the Raider kicker the whiners a$$$$$$$$$$$$ ....ouch (back of the head again)

[tallhappy]

Your language is inappropriate.

[clamper1797]

Raider kicker the whiners a$$$$$$$$$$$$ = Raiders kick the whiners a$$$$ ... can't type with her watch over my shoulder. BTW I took De La Hoya last night and she owes me a bet.

[Yeti]

What you fellows don't realize is there is an easy way to legalize drugs and that is to change the laws.

Of all the assinine, idiotic, moronic ...

What the hell do you think everyone here is talking about?

I am looking really hard at #28, and thinking about irony...

You get the prize for stupidest post by anyone on any side of any issue this week.

<sarcasm>
No, we will find way to make drugs legal without changing the drug laws!
</sarcasm>

[kcvl]

That is NOT true! It is covered by insurance plans. It also increases your appetite.

[LowOiL]

I was going to try acid in the 60's ... but I couldn't get it out of the battery

Battery acid is a common ingrediant in Meth. But I am sure God gave us battery acid somehow and we are feel to do with it as we feel.

[JCG]

I've not had the Mary Jane experience so far in my life and know very little about it. But, I've heard that marijuana ingested in brownies is more potent than if smoked. Any truth to that as far as you know?

America's Fifth Column ... watch PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
New Link: Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)

[tallhappy]

Sounds like the cost of dope is probably more than marinol.