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Medical Marijuana

The DEA is waging war on California

[Courtesy of MPP] 

The DEA is continuing to terrorize medical marijuana patients and their caregivers. On November 20, DEA agents raided the Long Beach Compassionate Cooperative (L.B.C.C.), a medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles County. In addition to seizing assets, federal agents arrested the owner and warned that other area dispensaries could face the same fate. Read the news coverage here.

In recent months, MPP has raised $150,000 of the $180,000 that’s needed to launch our new project in California to fend off these raids. Please donate now to help close the $30,000 gap.

Since the beginning of the year, the DEA has executed dozens of raids in California, including:

• January 11: 11 dispensaries in West Hollywood
• March 29: Central Coast Compassionate Caregivers in Morro Bay
• May 1 and July 16: Nature's Medicinal Cooperative in Bakersfield
• June 13: Farm Assist Caregivers in Pomona
• July 17: Healing Nations Collective in Inland Valley
• July 25: 10 dispensaries in Los Angeles County
• August 29: 3 dispensaries in San Mateo
• October 11: Arts District Healing Center in Los Angeles
• October 30: Compassionate Caregivers of Alameda County
• November 1: C-3 Collective in Garden Grove
• November 2: 105/405 in North Hills

The DEA has also instituted a chilling new form of interference in California’s medical marijuana law: In July, the DEA began threatening landlords who lease space to medical marijuana dispensaries with prison time and forfeiture of their property — a move that was condemned in a Los Angeles Times editorial as a “deplorable new bullying tactic.” The L.B.C.C.’s landlord was a recipient of one of these letters.

Please fight for the will of California voters and for safe access to medical marijuana by donating to MPP’s California plan today.

In the coming year, MPP will be working with a coalition of reform organizations, dispensary owners, health care professionals, patients, activists, and state legislators to protect patients and dispensaries operating legally under state law, but we need your help. Would you please help fund a lobbyist in Sacramento to represent the medical marijuana community against the DEA’s reign of terror?

The situation in California is critical, and what happens in California matters to all of us: Just as California launched the modern era of the medical marijuana movement with the passage of Prop. 215 in November 1996, so, too, will it pave the way for state-recognized dispensaries with the legislation we will help pass next year. And, with your help, MPP and our allies will end state and local cooperation with federal law enforcement — which regularly utilizes local police for assistance during the DEA’s raids. Please join us in making sure that California resources will no longer be used to subvert the state’s own laws. This is important not only to Californians but to residents of every state seeking to enact compassionate medical marijuana laws.

We’re going to make medical marijuana access safe for seriously ill patients. Can I count on your help by making a donation to our California efforts today?

Thank you for your generosity during this critical time.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $3.0 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2007. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

Press Release: New Study Finds Marijuana Compound Inhibits Breast Cancer Growth

MEDIA RELEASE from Americans for Safe Access For Immediate Release: November 19, 2007 Contact: ASA Director of Government Affairs Caren Woodson (510) 388-0546 or ASA Media Liaison Kris Hermes (510) 681-6361 New Study Finds Marijuana Compound Inhibits Breast Cancer Growth Mounting evidence should compel federal government to stop obstructing research San Francisco, CA -- A new study announced today by the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute (CPMCRI) found that a non-psychoactive, naturally occurring compound in the cannabis plant (marijuana) called cannabidiol (CBD) inhibits the activity of breast cancer cells “in vitro” and in animals. While previous studies have found that tetrahydrocannabinol, another cannabis compound known as THC, has properties found to inhibit cancer growth, the CPMCRI study is the first time that CBD has been shown to have a similar effect. According to CPMCRI, the study was accepted for publication in October. “This pre-clinical research clearly demonstrates the therapeutic potential of marijuana’s active compounds,” said CPMCRI cannabinoid researcher Jahan Marcu, who is also on the Medical & Scientific Advisory Board of Americans for Safe Access (ASA). “The availability of a non-toxic substance that has the potential to fight breast cancer and likely other forms of cancer is of tremendous importance.” Despite mounting evidence verifying the medical efficacy of smoked marijuana and it’s isolated compounds, the federal government continues to obstruct scientific research in this field. In the last 20 years, the FDA has approved only three studies using plant-derived marijuana or its constituent compounds, forcing researchers such as CPMCRI to use synthetic versions. One reason for a lack of U.S. research using naturally derived marijuana is that scientists must obtain it from the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA), which has a stated disinterest in the investigation of marijuana’s therapeutic qualities. “It’s time for NIDA and the federal government to end the monopoly on research cannabis,” said Caren Woodson, Director of Government Affairs for ASA. “This study should compel our government to do everything in its power to conduct the long-overdue research recommended by the 1999 Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine report.” The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which works with NIDA to restrict the availability of research cannabis, is currently refusing to license University of Massachusetts Amherst Professor Lyle Craker, despite a ruling earlier this year from Administrative Law Judge Mary Ellen Bittner that stated such research was “in the public interest.” The CBD compound used by CPMCRI for the study was synthetic due to the complications of obtaining research cannabis. However, compounds extracted from the marijuana plant are far cheaper and would be easier to acquire for the purpose of research if a competitive source of research grade marijuana were available. Coincidentally, the DEA is recommending that the natural form of THC be rescheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) so that the plant derived compound may be naturally extracted in order to facilitate the research and development of generic, natural THC-based therapeutic drugs. “This study provides clear evidence which suggests that DEA ought to further consider rescheduling other cannabinoids with clear medical benefit in order to jump-start the research and development of cannabis-based drugs so patients have access to these drugs sooner as opposed to later,” continued Woodson. Further information: CPMCRI Study and Researcher Dr. Sean McAllister – http://www.cpmc.org/professionals/research/programs/science/sean.html Additional cannabis research – http://www.cannabis-med.org/studies/study.php 2007 Ruling by ALJ Bittner, claiming marijuana research is “in the public interest” – http://www.maps.org/ALJfindings.PDF

Sensible Colorado Press Release: Historic Lawsuit Overturns State's Medical Marijuana Policy

For Immediate Release: November 18, 2007 Contact: Brian Vicente, Sensible Colorado, 720-280-4067 Historic Lawsuit Overturns State's Medical Marijuana Policy Denver Judge slaps state health department; rules medical marijuana patients can appoint provider of their choice. DENVER -- Sensible Colorado will hold a press conference on Monday, Nov. 19, in front of the Denver City and County Building, to announce the issuance of an order by Chief Denver District Court Judge Larry J. Naves permanently overturning the Colorado Health Department's "Five Patient Policy." Adopted by the Health Department in a closed meeting in 2004, this policy limited the number of patients to which a caregiver can provide marijuana for medical purposes. Chief Judge Naves's decision stems from a lawsuit filed in June 2007 by Sensible Colorado on behalf of state-licensed medical marijuana patient Damien LaGoy. LaGoy, who uses medical marijuana to cope with nausea related to AIDS wasting-syndrome and Hepatitis C, sued the agency after his caregiver request was denied by the Health Department in May 2007 based on the "Five Patient Policy." In a July hearing Judge Naves temporarily suspended the policy accusing the agency of acting inappropriately in establishing the policy in a closed-door meeting which was not open to public or scientific input. Naves further alluded to the harmful nature of the policy in stating, "There is no reason this plaintiff should suffer." In a decision released late last week, Naves permanently overturned the policy citing violations of both the Colorado Open Meetings Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. This decision will allow the plaintiff Damien LaGoy, and the rest of Colorado's 1700 licensed medical marijuana patients, to appoint the medical marijuana provider of their choice. "I feel safer already," said LaGoy. "Now I can get my medicine from a safe and responsible caregiver instead of taking my chances on the streets." "This policy had the real effect of harming seriously-ill Coloradans," said Brian Vicente, lead attorney and head of Sensible Colorado. "Hopefully the Health Department will now begin acting to help medical marijuana patients, not harm them." WHAT: Press conference to announce an order protecting medical marijuana patient rights **copies of Judge Naves's decision will be made available at the press conference** WHEN: Monday, November 19, 12 p.m. (noon) WHERE: In front of the Denver City and County Building, 1437 Bannock Street WHO: Damien LaGoy, plaintiff and medical marijuana patient Daniel J. Pope, medical marijuana caregiver for LaGoy Brian Vicente, attorney and Sensible Colorado executive director Sean McAllister, co-counsel and criminal defense attorney # # #

ASA’s Media Summary for the Week Ending 11/16/07

DOCTORS: Leading Psychiatrists’ Group Endorses Medical Marijuana

The preeminent association of psychiatrists has come out in favor of legal access to medical marijuana. The significance of yet another organization of health professionals endorsing medical use is heightened by a recent report that alleged a link between cannabis use and schizophrenia. Experts have noted that the science behind the study is shaky, and if there were any correlation, the rate of schizophrenia would have increased dramatically with the increased prevalence of cannabis use, which it has not.

Psychiatrists for Medical Marijuana
by Jacob Sullum, Reason Magazine
The Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association, a legislative body composed of representatives from APA districts throughout the country, has unanimously approved an action paper that urges the federal government to stop interfering with the medical use of marijuana in states where it's legal.

WISCONSIN: Lawmakers Hold Hearings on Medical Marijuana

One of the leading physicians specializing in cannabis therapeutics, Dr. David Bearman, who serves on ASA's Board of Directors, testified before a committee of Wisconsin lawmakers this week. The state legislature is again considering enacting a measure that would remove criminal penalties for patients who use marijuana on the advice of their doctors. Dr. Bearman, a Wisconsin native, also gave an educational talk on “Cannabis and Cannabinoids in the 21st Century” to the University of Wisconsin Medical School.

Experts explain health benefits of marijuana
by Jackie Johnson, Wisconsin Radio Network
Dr. David Bearman is one of thousands of medical doctors who supports legalizing pot for patients. Dr. Bearman testified at an informational Health Committee hearing at the state capitol in support of the controversial drug.

Senate hearing on medical marijuana turns emotional
by Ken Harris, Badger Herald (WI)
A state Senate committee heard heated testimony Wednesday morning at the Capitol both for and against medicinal marijuana.

TENNESSEE: Prosecuted Patient Educates Lawmakers on Medical Marijuana

Lawmakers in the Volunteer State also held hearings this week on medical marijuana. Among those testifying career public health officer Bernie Ellis, who is also a medical marijuana patient. Ellis was convicted in federal court after local law enforcement declined to press charges over the cannabis he grew for himself and a few terminally ill neighbors. His battle to save his family farm from federal seizure has been the subject of recent media attention. Ellis is one of the patients featured in ASA’s "Patients in the Crossfire;" download it at www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/crossfire.

Medical Marijuana Lights Up Debate Again
by Tom Randles, WSMV TV (Nashville)
On Tuesday, Health and Human Resources Committee members got an ear full from those pitching pot as a way to heal and others who would like to see House Bill 486 go up in smoke. "It is both an effective therapeutic agent (and) extremely useful with many fewer side effects,” said Bernie Ellis of Americans for Safe Access.

Medical Marijuana Proposal Debated in TN Legislative Committee
by Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press
November 13th, 2007
Tennessee lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday on legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana, although the idea has failed in the General Assembly before and its future is uncertain.

Medical Marijuana Debates Goes Before State Committee
WKRN TV (Nashville)
November 13th, 2007
Whether medical marijuana is beneficial for chronically ill patients and should be allowed in Tennessee was focus of a study Tuesday at Legislative Plaza.

Fowler Witnesses Testify Against Marijuana For Medicinal Purposes
The Chattanoogan
November 13th, 2007
Members of the House Health and Human Services Committee of the Tennessee House of Representatives on Tuesday heard testimony opposed to the legalization of marijuana for “medicinal” purposes from Dr. David Murray, chief scientist for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Executive Office of the President, and Dr. Kent Shih, an oncologist currently practicing in the Nashville area.

ASA's Medical Marijuana in the News: Week Ending 11/9/07

ASA ACTION: Defending Patients’ Right to Work

The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week from ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford on behalf of patients’ right to use medical marijuana without fear of termination. ASA contends that the voters intended for a patient using medical marijuana should be accorded the same workplace protections as those using other prescription drugs. This case is being closely watched, as it will affect how the state’s employers handle employee drug testing. For a video of the hearing, see www.calchannel.com/MEDIA/1106D.asx

Calif high court considers whether medical pot users can be fired
by Paul Elias, Associated Press
When his new boss at Ragingwire Inc. ordered Gary Ross to take a drug test, the recently hired computer tech had no doubt the results would come back positive for marijuana. But along with his urine sample, Ross submitted a doctor's recommendation that he smoke pot to alleviate back pain—a document he figured would save him from being fired.

Calif. Supreme Court May Need Tiebreaker for Pot Dispute
by Mike McKee, The Recorder (CA)
Pity Justice Carol Corrigan. Not only was she sick with the flu on Tuesday, but she might turn out to be the deciding vote in a major case that could determine whether employers have the right to fire employees who use marijuana as medicine.

Local Man's Firing for Medical Pot Goes to State's High Court
by George Warren, KXTV News 10
California's medical marijuana law is facing a critical test Tuesday morning. The state Supreme Court will decide if an employee can be fired for off-duty marijuana use.

The Clash Between Federal Drug Law and California's "Medical Marijuana" Law
by Vikram David Amar, FindLaw
Two news items during the past couple of weeks in California highlight the complicated legal and political tangle that is American federalism - the relationship between federal and state governments -- today. Both incidents involve the interplay between, on one hand, California's (now decade-old) decision to decriminalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes, and, on the other hand, the continuing illegality under federal law of all marijuana cultivation, possession, distribution and use, for any purpose.

NETHERLANDS: Health Minister Defends Medical Marijuana

Cannabis is available by prescription from Dutch pharmacies, but the Health Ministry would like to see more progress on research into targeted cannabis derivatives. A five-year extension to the government-funded program will ensure patient needs are met while drug development process goes forward.

More research into medical marijuana
DutchNews.nl
Research into the medicinal effects of cannabis should be continued for a further five years, health minister Ab Klink said on Wednesday. The extension means there is a serious chance a medicine with cannabis as a raw material can be developed, a ministry spokesman said.

Dutch health minister extends medical marijuana program for five years
Associated Press
The Dutch Health Ministry announced plans Wednesday to extend its experimental medical marijuana program for five years, despite setbacks. Under the program, launched in 2003, standardized marijuana is grown by government-licensed growers under controlled conditions and sold by prescription in pharmacies.

Dutch want cannabis registered as regular medicine
by Emma Thomasson, Reuters UK
The Dutch government said on Wednesday it wants to promote the development of cannabis-based medicine and will extend the drug's availability in pharmacies by five years to allow more scientific research.

ASA’s Media Summary for the Week Ending 11/2/07

ASA IN THE NEWS: Drew Carey Video Features ASA Executive Director

In addition to speaking with a Los Angeles police officer and a Vietnam veteran who uses medical cannabis, comedian, actor and now game-show-host Drew Carey interviews ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer, who tells Carey how federal raids on medical cannabis collectives in the San Francisco Bay Area led to the founding of Americans for Safe Access. To view this episode of the Drew Carey Project, please visit www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/DrewCarey.

Drew Carey defends medical marijuana in new online video
by Sandy Cohen, Associated Press
Bob Barker famously closed each episode of "The Price Is Right" with a pitch to spay and neuter pets. His successor is taking a stand on a more controversial subject: marijuana. Drew Carey won't tout toking up on "Price," but he defends the use of medical marijuana in a video posted online Thursday on Reason.tv.

Drew Carey Defends Medical Marijuana
eMax Health
"I think it's clear by now that the federal government needs to reclassify marijuana. People who need it should be able to get it -- safely and easily," says The Price Is Right and Power of 10 host Drew Carey in a new Reason.tv video examining medical marijuana and the war on drugs.

FEDERAL: Hayward DEA Raid Leads to Arrests

DEA spokespeople have made much of the revenues they claim a Hayward medical cannabis collective enjoyed. They fail to note that the reason for an increase in revenue has been the systematic closing of the other dispensaries in the area, forcing the county’s many patients to one location. The increased revenue reflects an increased volume of patients more than profiteering. ASA's rapid response program again meant that the media was alerted immediately, helping ensure full coverage, and patients and activists were notified by text messages and emails so they could protest at the main dispensary location.

Feds raid seven East Bay medical pot sites
Bay Area News Group
Federal officials raided seven locations in the East Bay this morning that were connected to a medical marijuana dispensary in Hayward, officials said.

Medical-pot brothers held on drug charges
by Henry K. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle
Two East Bay brothers were arrested Tuesday after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that they ran a large-scale drug operation from a Hayward medical marijuana club from which proceeds were delivered to a bank by armored car, authorities said.

Two brothers arrested, accused of drug dealing
by Jason Sweeney, Paul Thissen and Scott Marshall, Mercury News (San Jose)
Federal agents arrested two brothers early Tuesday and seized a Lafayette house after they were indicted on charges that they ran a multimillion-dollar drug operation out of a Hayward-area medical-marijuana collective.

Press Release: California State Supreme Court to Hear Landmark Medical Marijuana Employment Discrimination Case on Tuesday

[Courtesy of Drug Policy Alliance] For Immediate Release: November 5, 2007 For More Info: Tony Newman, (646) 335-5384 or Tamar Todd (510) 593-4908 California State Supreme Court to Hear Landmark Medical Marijuana Employment Discrimination Case on Tuesday Gary Ross, Fired After Testing Positive for Medical Marijuana, Despite Using Off-Hours and in Accordance with California Law Leading Public Health Organizations File Amicus in Support of Gary Ross; Outcome May Affect Thousands of Working Californians Who Use Medicine to Relieve Chronic Pain On Tuesday, November 6, 2007, the California Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Ross v. Ragingwire Telecommunications, Inc., a case in which a lawful medical marijuana patient was fired by his employer after testing positive for medical marijuana he used during off-hours in accordance with his doctor’s recommendation for the treatment of severe pain. The case concerns Gary Ross, who treats his chronic pain and muscle spasms from a military injury with physician-recommended medical marijuana in compliance with California law. Mr. Ross provided the company with documentation of his legal status as a medical marijuana patient but was fired after eight days on the job because he tested positive for THC in a pre-employment drug test. Mr. Ross filed suit alleging wrongful termination but two lower courts sided with the employer, holding that the company did not discriminate against Mr. Ross based on his disability and chosen treatment. “The livelihoods of thousands of working Californians who are using medical marijuana in full compliance with state law are at stake in this case,” said Tamar Todd, staff attorney at the Drug Policy Alliance. Mr. Ross is represented by Joe Elford of Americans for Safe Access, who will be arguing that case in front of the California Supreme Court on Tuesday. The Drug Policy Alliance filed an amicus (friend-of-the-court) brief in support of Mr. Ross on behalf of leading national and state public health organizations, including the American Pain Foundation, the American Medical Women’s Association, the Lymphoma Foundation of America, the American Nurses Association, the California Nurses’ Association, the AIDS Action Council, the National Women’s Health Network, Doctors of the World – USA and the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. The brief argues that patients should not be forced to choose between the best course of treatment or employment, and outlines the sound evidence that marijuana is medically appropriate treatment for chronic pain and other serious medical conditions. Signatories to the brief represent a powerful contingent of medical and public health organizations that represent a broad class of patient-employees. “These leading health organizations recognize the need for patients to be able to follow their doctors’ advice for pain relief and treatment without fear of being fired from their jobs for doing so,” said Todd. Oral argument is scheduled for November 6, 2007 at 9 a.m., in the California Supreme Court‘s Capitol courtroom, Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Sacramento.

Americans for Safe Access Monthly Activist Newsletter

Defending Patients' Access to Medical Marijuana

  • November 2007
  • Volume 2, Issue 11

ASA Pressures Calif. Governor to Stand Up for Patients' Rights

Schwarzenegger Asked to Resist Federal Interference in Medical Marijuana Program

In response to the dramatic increase in federal raids on California's medical marijuana patients and caregivers, Americans for Safe Access this month organized a campaign to convince Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to stand up for his state's most vulnerable citizens.

The campaign—which included more than 40,000 postcards to the Governor, as well as hundreds of phone calls and emails, all urging him to take action to defend patients' rights—included a meeting with a representative of the governor on October 5. Governor Schwarzenegger's chief advisor for health and transportation spent an hour with ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer and ASA California Director Don Duncan, discussing how medical marijuana patients and providers in California are being victimized in the state-federal conflict. The advisor assured them that the governor's office has received hundreds of cards from ASA supporters and is well aware of the issue. ASA's constituents have the governor's ear, she said, and the governor is listening.

Six days after the meeting, more than 300 medical marijuana patients and advocates gathered at the governor's Los Angeles office for a rally urging the governor to act.

People began gathering in front of the governor's office over an hour before the event. By the time the rally began, the crowd took up almost the entire block, spilling into the streets and chanting, "support patients' rights, stand up and fight," and "we're patients, not criminals!" Many held movie-marquee style signs with such slogans as “Coming Soon: The Gov. in End of DEA Days.”

The rally at the governor's office The rally drew 300

The Los Angeles City Council was represented at the rally by Brian Perry, a staff member in Council Member Dennis Zine's office, who read a prepared statement, saying, "this year has seen a dramatic increase in federal law enforcement activity surrounding medical cannabis, including raids, confiscation of medicine and plants, and indictments." Council member Zine, a former Los Angeles police officer, has been leading the City Council in working on city regulations for the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries. The LA City Council has publicly condemned the recent federal raids and asked the DEA to not interfere as the regulatory process goes forward.

Orange County Supervisor Chris Norby also sent a statement of support, and other speakers included Sherer, Duncan and Michael Martin, the former medical marijuana edible maker who was recently raided by the DEA. The rally ended on a somber note, as the crowd went silent to hear medical marijuana patient Stephanie Landa, 60, say a few words by speakerphone from federal prison, where she is serving a 41-month sentence. The rally got extensive coverage from local LA media, which reaches 10 million people.

Advocates are also urging the governor to discourage state and local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal medical marijuana raids. Governor Schwarzeneg-ger is also being encouraged to join New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and other governors in states with medical marijuana laws to change federal policy.

This year alone, the DEA and other federal agencies have conducted more than 44 raids of California patients and providers, more than double the number of the two previous years.

Meanwhile, Governor Schwarzenegger has allocated more than $1 million to fund a statewide ID card program, and the state has established sales tax rules for dispensaries. Since 1996, more than 30 cities and counties have adopted regulations for dispensaries.

ASA's campaign will continue until the governor takes action to stop federal interference in California's medical marijuana program. See: AmericansForSafeAccess.org/StandUp.

 

Patients Protest DEA Raid on Medicinal Edible Maker

Feds Deny Patients Access to Alternative to Smoking

On October 4th, ASA activists and medical marijuana patients gathered in protest at the Oakland Federal Building, as an activist turned himself in to federal authorities to face charges that he supplied edible medical cannabis products to other patients.

Surrounded by protestors carrying signs reading, "DEA: Keep your hands out of the medical marijuana cookie jar," Michael Martin, 33, spoke to the press before surrendering. Martin condemned the ongoing raids in California, with his wife, Elinor; their sons, 3-year-old Tyler and 5-month-old Lucas; and his mother by his side.

The Martin Family The Martin family in happier times

"I believe truly in my heart that I have done nothing wrong," Martin said outside the Oakland Federal Building. "We must put a stop to this travesty and, as a community, speak up and defend a patients' right to use safer alternatives of medication as they and their doctors see fit."

Federal prosecutors had issued an arrest warrant for Martin in connection with raids the previous week on Tainted, Inc., a maker of baked goods and other medical marijuana edibles. He was released later that day on a $300,000 bond; he faces charges that could result in more than 20 years in prison and $1 million in fines. Three others who worked at Tainted were charged along with Martin; all three are free on $200,000 bond.

Edible cannabis products provide an alternative to smoking cannabis and are preferred by many patients. Ordinances allowing for the sale of edibles by dispensaries have been adopted by many local officials, including the County of Los Angeles, the County of Alameda, and the City of Oakland, where the raids on Tainted, Inc. occurred. The medical cannabis products made by Tainted, Inc. carry prominent warning labels and are available only to qualified patients through dispensaries.

"Since I cannot smoke cannabis, I rely on edibles to control my pain and to allow me to sleep through the night," said Lenny Fisher, a 54-year-old cancer patient who has used Tainted's medical marijuana products.

The development of delivery methods that do not involve smoking was one of the recommendations of the White House commissioned 1999 Institute of Medicine Report on medical marijuana. While long-term studies of chronic marijuana users have shown that there is no associated risk of lung cancer or other diseases, many patients remain concerned about smoking cannabis or find oral ingestion to be easier or more effective.

Drew Carey Kicks It with Steph Sherer

Dear Friend,

In this second episode of The Drew Carey Project, released on Reason.tv, Drew interviews ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer and takes a look at federal interference with medical cannabis dispensing in California.

Check out the video at: www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/DrewCarey

The video is the second episode of a joint project between Drew and Reason, The Drew Carey Project. Its mission is to create “a series of video documentaries that take a hard look at the variety of threats to our liberties -- and celebrate what it really means to be free.”

In the video, Steph shares her story with Drew and talks about how her own experiences led to her founding of Americans for Safe Access. Drew also visits a Los Angeles dispensary and goes on to interview Steve Whitmore, spokesperson for the LA County Sheriff’s Department, as well as Bill Leahy, Vietnam vet and medical marijuana patient.

Share this episode of the Drew Carey Project with your friends and family! We know medical cannabis improves the lives of millions of people and we know that the federal interference with state medical marijuana laws is outrageous. But unless we share Drew's report with friends and family who might not support our views or who might not feel as passionately as we do, we will lose a great opportunity to reach out and educate people about medical cannabis and the threats facing patients nationwide. So please forward this email and share Drew Carey’s report on Medical Marijuana!

Enjoy watching Drew’s report at www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org/DrewCarey and please remember to share it!

Thank you,

Rebecca Saltzman
Chief of Staff
Americans for Safe Access

 

 

P.S. The only way we can continue our work and educate people about medical cannabis is with support from people like you. Please visit www.AmericansforSafeAccesss.org/Donate today to become a member of ASA.

ASA's Medical Marijuana in the News: Week of 10/26/07

RESEARCH: Federal Research Project Findings Withheld

Despite the insistence of federal agencies that there is no medical use for marijuana, for decades a handful of seriously ill Americans have been receiving marijuana grown and paid for by the U.S. Government. The Investigational New Drug program includes only a handful of people now, since the program was closed to new applicants during the HIV epidemic of the 1980s. While each of the participating patients has been certified by physicians who report regularly to the federal government on the effectiveness of the treatment, those in charge of the program have yet to release any data.

A few people get Uncle Sam's weed
by Bryan Denson, The Oregonian
The U.S. government's official policy on marijuana is that it's dangerous and illegal, even in states such as Oregon and California that have approved its medical use. Yet Uncle Sam prescribes pot for 68-year-old Elvy Musikka of Eugene, one of seven test subjects in a little-known federal medical marijuana program.

RESEARCH: Pain and Depression Helped by Low-Dose Cannabis

Prohibition and the attendant reluctance of the federal government to fund or even allow research studies on medical marijuana have slowed scientific advances -- as the AMA predicted in 1937, when Congress passed the first law restricting marijuana. But researchers in other countries are active, and the state of California is now funding research that is starting to be published. Recent findings show that relatively low doses of cannabis can be highly effective in treating pain and depression.

Smoked Cannabis Proven Effective In Treating Neuropathic Pain
Science Daily
Smoked cannabis eased pain induced in healthy volunteers, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR.) However, the researchers found that less may be more.

Cannabis shows anti-depression benefits, but too much has reverse effect
Canadian Press
Cannabis in small doses has some beneficial effects for curbing depression, but too much of the drug can cause the polar opposite effect, a new study suggests.

A Little Marijuana Helps, but Lots May Hurt
by Brandon Keim, Wired
A moderate dose of medical marijuana can soothe your hurts, both mental and physical -- but getting flat-out toasted may actually make the pain worse.

Too much cannabis 'worsens pain'
BBC News (UK)
Smoking large amounts of cannabis for therapeutic reasons may increase rather than reduce pain, a US study suggests.

COLORADO: Test Case Yields Return of Marijuana

Another court case has helped clarify the rules around medical marijuana in Colorado, and the outcome is again largely thanks to attorney Brian Vicente, director of the Colorado Campaign for Safe Access, a joint project of Sensible Colorado and Americans for Safe Access. In this case, police returned the property of a qualified caregiver.

Marijuana returned to caregiver
by Howard Pankratz, Denver Post (CO)
A small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia was returned by Jefferson County authorities today to a medical marijuana caregiver who was issued a summons at Mount Falcon Park earlier this year.

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