ASA's Medical Marijuana News Summary: Week Ending 2/16/07

RESEARCH: Study Proves Medical Efficacy of Cannabis RESEARCH: Judge Says Grow More Cannabis TEXAS: State Again Considers Medical Exemption RHODE ISLAND: State Law May Become Permanent NEW MEXICO: Public Support Strong CALIFORNIA: ID Card Fees Cause Concern _________________________________________ RESEARCH: Study Proves Medical Efficacy of Cannabis Publication of a new, rigorous clinical study proving that cannabis can help control pain has again highlighted the absurdity of the U.S. government’s continued insistence that cannabis has no medical uses. Doctors around the world have been giving it to patients for centuries, and a growing body of contemporary research is explaining why. As ASA’s scientific director, Barbara Roberts told reporters, it’s time for Congress to hold hearings. Study Shows AIDS Patients Had Relief, Fewer Side Effects from Marijuana by Rick Weiss, Washington Post AIDS patients suffering from debilitating nerve pain got as much or more relief by smoking marijuana as they would typically get from prescription drugs--and with fewer side effects--according to a study conducted under rigorously controlled conditions with government-grown pot. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4202 Study: Medical pot relieves pain by Liz Highleyman, Bay Area Reporter Medical cannabis can alleviate pain due to peripheral neuropathy in people with HIV, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California at San Francisco published in the February 13 issue of Neurology. Following the release of the study results on Monday, patient advocates from the National Association of People With AIDS and Americans for Safe Access called on Congress to hold hearings on medical marijuana. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4199 Study: Marijuana Helps Deal With Pain by Lyanne Melendez, KGO TV - ABC News Chronic nerve pain is just one of the complications that can come with HIV. It can be so severe that the only relief for some comes from marijuana. After a three-year study, scientists at UCSF have concluded that yes, marijuana does help with the pain. It's a study that could alter the whole medical marijuana debate. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4193 Medical pot cuts pain, study finds by Sabin Russell, San Francisco Chronicle Doctors at San Francisco General Hospital reported Monday that HIV-infected patients suffering from a painful nerve condition in their hands or feet obtained substantial relief by smoking small amounts of marijuana in a carefully constructed study funded by the state of California. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4192 HIV patients: Marijuana eases foot pain by Paul Elias, Associated Press Smoking marijuana eased HIV -related pain in some patients in a small study that nevertheless represented one of the few rigorous attempts to find out if the drug has medicinal benefits. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4200 Marijuana reduces pain in HIV patients by Rebecca Vesely, ANG Newspapers HIV patients who smoked three joints of marijuana per day for five days experienced relief from chronic foot pain associated with the disease, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco reported Monday in a rare U.S. study on medical marijuana. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4195 Marijuana May Ease AIDS Patients' Foot Pain by Randy Dotinga, HealthDay Adding fuel to the debate over medical marijuana, a new study suggests that AIDS patients can relieve stubborn nerve pain in their feet by smoking the drug. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4201 AIDS Study Shows Marijuana Medical Benefits by Bruce Mirken, New York Blade A University of California at San Francisco study appearing in this week's issue of the journal Neurology puts to rest any doubts about the need to change the laws to allow for legal access to marijuana for the seriously ill. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4207 _________________________________________ RESEARCH: Judge Says Grow More Cannabis A barrier to research on medical cannabis in the U.S. has been both the government’s refusal to approve studies and their insistence on the use of their cannabis, which has proven to be substandard and hard to get. One of the DEA’s own judges has now ordered them to allow a university researcher to grow his own. DEA judge says government not growing enough pot by Michael Doyle, Fresno Bee Medical researchers need more marijuana sources because government supplies aren't meeting scientific demand, a federal judge has ruled. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4204 Prof gets boost in bid to grow marijuana by Kevin Freking, Associated Press Concluding that there is an inadequate supply of marijuana for medical research, an administrative law judge has recommended to the Drug Enforcement Administration that it grant a Massachusetts professor’s application to grow the drug in bulk. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4205 Judge tells DEA to issue license to grow pot for research by Bob Roehr, Bay Area Reporter An administrative law judge has ruled that the Drug Enforcement Administration should issue a license to a Massachusetts plant biologist to allow him to cultivate marijuana for medical research purposes. Barbara Roberts, Ph.D., a former head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and a current board member of the pro-marijuana group Americans for Safe Access, said this is "a wake up call for Congress to hold hearings" on the 1999 Institute of Medicine report that supported research into the medicinal potential of marijuana. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4203 _________________________________________ TEXAS: State Again Considers Medical Exemption Before he was President, former Texas Governor George W. Bush said that allowing medical cannabis is a matter that should be left to states to decide, and his is again considering it, despite his Administration’s opposition. Medical marijuana bill before Texas Legislature News 8 - Austin Once again, a medical marijuana bill is before the Texas State Legislature. Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin, filed the bill (1534) Thursday. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4206 _________________________________________ RHODE ISLAND: State Law May Become Permanent The success of the state law in Rhode Island has convinced lawmakers there that it should be expanded to cover more medical conditions and made permanent. Medical MJ advocates want to drop 'sunset clause' by Jim Baron, Pawtucket Times (RI) "The sky has definitely not fallen" as a result of Rhode Island's law permitting the use of medical marijuana by gravely ill patients, said Sen. Rhoda Perry. "It's gone exactly as we expected," she said. "A relatively small number of people, for whom more traditional pain treatment hasn't been effective, have been referred by their physician and have used the program successfully to relieve their pain. It has worked virtually without incident and has proven to be an effective program that doesn't promote abuse. It's time to make it permanent." http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4209 _________________________________________ NEW MEXICO: Public Support Strong Support for protecting medical cannabis patients from prison is strong everywhere in the country, but recent polling in New Mexico shows that it is even more so there, with 3 in 4 in favor. A measure to make that sentiment law was thwarted at the end of last session, but with the governor’s backing, it may pass this session. Poll: Most residents OK with use of medical marijuana by Steve Terrell, Santa Fe New Mexican An overwhelming majority of New Mexicans support the idea of allowing people with serious medical conditions to smoke marijuana to ease symptoms, according to a poll commissioned by a drug-reform group lobbying for a medical marijuana bill in the Legislature. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4208 _________________________________________ CALIFORNIA: ID Card Fees Cause Concern The enormous increase in fees for patients who want a state ID card has caused concern among many. Supervisors in San Francisco and Marin, the two counties that have issued the most cards, have asked the state to reconsider. The cards help law enforcement identify qualified patients, saving taxpayers money by keeping patients out of the judicial system. Many CA Residents Worry About Cost of Marijuana ID Card by Dave Padilla, KCBS radio (San Francisco) An impending state increase in the cost of medical marijuana identification cards has both county health officials and medicinal marijuana users in Contra Costa concerned about its potential financial impact. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4194 Medical marijuana ID card fee may soar by Katie Mintz, Ukiah Daily Journal The fee for obtaining a medical marijuana identification card in Mendocino County may more than double beginning March 1, and medical marijuana advocates fear the increased fee will keep many from using the voluntary identification program. http://safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=4198 ___________________________________________ MORE NEWS: See ASA's Website News stories and archives of the weekly news summaries are available on ASA's website, www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org. For previous summaries, see http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?list=type&type=122.