* Crossposted from: Civlib
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR THE REFORM OF MARIJUANA LAWS
1001 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW
SUITE 1010
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036
T 202-483-5500
F 202-483-0057
E-MAIL NATLNORML@AOL.COM
Internet http://www.norml.org
. . . a weekly service for the media on news items related to Marijuana
Prohibition.
January 30, 1997
New England Journal Of Medicine Argues For Medical Marijuana
Proposed NORML Bill Echoes Medical Journal's Sentiments
January 30, 1997, Boston, Massachusetts: Federal policy that
prohibits physicians from prescribing marijuana for seriously ill patients
is "misguided, heavy-handed, and inhumane," according to the new issue of
the New England Journal of Medicine, the country's most prestigious medical
journal.
Calling the administration's position "hypocritical," magazine editor
Dr. Jerome P. Kassirer argued that: "Federal authorities should rescind
their prohibition of the medicinal use of marijuana for seriously ill
patients and allow physicians to decide which patients to treat. The
government should change marijuana's status from that of a Schedule 1 drug
(considered to be potentially addictive and with no current medical use) to
that of a Schedule 2 drug (potentially addictive but with some accepted
medical use) and regulate it accordingly."
Kassirer's recommendation echoes the text of a proposed new federal
bill by Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass). Frank, a longtime proponent of
medical marijuana, has been working with NORML to craft a streamlined
medical marijuana bill that will reschedule marijuana under federal law,
thereby making it legal to prescribe. Once states are free of the federal
law prohibiting the prescription of marijuana, they can legally implement
different systems for growing and distributing medical marijuana to patients
on a state-by-state basis. The passage of this legislation would also
remove the threat of prosecution in the eight states that already allow
doctors to prescribe marijuana. (See chart on page three for a breakdown of
current state medical marijuana laws.)
"Both historically and presently, states have been more receptive to
the medical marijuana issue than the federal government," explained NORML's
Executive Director, R. Keith Stroup, Esq., who noted that 25 states and the
District of Columbia currently have laws recognizing marijuana's medical
utility. (See chart.) "Therefore, NORML proposes a bill that effectively
gets the federal government out of the way of those states that wish to make
marijuana legal as a medicine." Stroup said that he expects Rep. Frank to
introduce the federal medical marijuana bill as soon as next month and
considered today's editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine to be a
major blow to the administration's current position.
"A lead editorial in favor of allowing patients legal access to
medical marijuana by the editor of one of the most prestigious medical
journals in the world gives additional legitimacy to this issue, and
conversely, further damages the credibility of the federal government's
position," he said.
A commentary written by Harvard Medical Professor and NORML Board
Member Lester Grinspoon in the June 21, 1995, edition of the Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA) stated; "It is time for physicians to
acknowledge more openly that the present classification is scientifically,
legally, and morally wrong." A lead editorial published later that year in
the highly respected British medical journal, The Lancet, added: "The
smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health."
"Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey is out of his league when he attacks
medical marijuana," said Bill Zimmerman, director of Americans for Medical
Rights, one of the organizations that spearheaded the successful medical
marijuana campaign in California. "He has ridiculed this issue as a 'Cheech
and Chong show.' In truth, it is a matter of real concern to medical
professionals. McCaffrey has made a bad policy worse, and is now facing the
consequences in the form of a rebellion by the medical community."
"Congress can no longer ignore the issue of medical marijuana,"
summarized Stroup. "The passage of state initiatives supporting its medical
use in California and Arizona brought this issue to the political
forefront. We expect the introduction of Rep. Barney Frank's legislation
and the high-profile hearings that follow to keep it there."
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre or Paul
Armentano of NORML @ (202) 483-5500. NORML's report summarizing the various
state medical marijuana laws is available upon request.
Federal Study Concludes That Marijuana's Main Active Ingredient
Does Not Cause Cancer
January 30, 1997, Boston Massachusetts: The main active ingredient
in marijuana (THC) did not cause cancer when fed to laboratory animals in
huge doses over long periods, according to a federal study recently
publicized by The Boston Globe. The $2 million dollar study had been left
on the shelf for over two years.
"This study's findings undercuts the federal government's contention
that marijuana itself is carcinogenic," said NORML's Deputy Director Allen
St. Pierre. "It is ridiculous that such a report has failed to see the
light of day until now.
According to The Boston Globe, the 126-page draft study has never
been published, though a panel of expert reviewers found in June 1994 that
its scientific methods and conclusions were sound. "We found absolutely no
evidence of cancer," John Butcher, director of the National Toxicology
Program, told The Globe in reference to the study. Surprisingly, Butcher
said that THC may even have protected against malignancies.
In the study, high doses of THC were delivered directly into the
stomachs of mice and rats daily for two years. Since the animals were not
exposed to marijuana smoke, the study did not address the carcinogenic
potential of inhaled marijuana.
Butcher told The Boston Globe that his agency had not been pressured
to bury the report, and said the delay was due to a personnel shortage.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of NORML @
(202) 483-5500 or Attorney Steve Epstein of Mass/CANN NORML @ (617)
599-3161.
Medical Marijuana Legislation Hot Topic For State Legislators
January30, 1997, Washington, D.C.: Following the passage of
Proposition 215 in California and an Arizona provision recognizing marijuana
s medical value, several state legislators have expressed interest in
passing similar medical marijuana measures in their states. In Wyoming,
legislation to reschedule marijuana to allow for physicians to prescribe it
for medical purposes (S.F. 132) was heard today before the Labor, House and
Social Services Committee. Similar legislation has also been introduced in
Hawaii (H.B. 604) by Rep. David Tarnas (6th District), and a law providing
for a prima facie defense for patients who are certified by the state to use
marijuana to treat glaucoma, asthma, or the nausea associated with
chemotherapy (H. 2170) took effect in Massachusetts last week.
Other states that have shown interest in introducing medical
marijuana legislation include New
Jersey, Wisconsin, New York, and Maine. NORML is currently sending
comprehensive medical marijuana info-packets to legislators in these states
and has offered to help identify physicians, medical marijuana experts, and
patients who could testify at hearings in support of marijuana's therapeutic
value.
"Legal access to medical marijuana is a topic on the minds of many
state legislatures this year," said NORML's Deputy Director Allen St.
Pierre. "NORML and its local affiliates stand ready and willing to work
with interested legislators on the state level in the months ahead."
An unfortunate backlash to the recent national publicity regarding
medical marijuana has been the response of some legislators to introduce
measures repealing existing state medical marijuana laws. On January 8,
Virginia Delegate Robert Marshall (R-Manassas) introduced legislation
repealing an 18-year old law allowing physicians to prescribe marijuana to
seriously ill patients (H.B. 1621). The bill passed in the House by an
86-13 vote today and is being referred to a Senate committee. Although
Virginia's law does not provide legal access to the drug, the state's
recognition of marijuana's therapeutic value does help patients defend
against marijuana possession charges. Meanwhile, Ohio Sen. Louis Blessing
(R-Cincinnati) has introduced legislation to pull the plug on a six-month
old law granting medical marijuana users an affirmative defense against
marijuana possession charges. Currently, Ohio NORML activists are
mobilizing against this legislation.
For more information on pending state medical marijuana legislation,
please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of NORML @ (202)
483-5500.
-END-
MORE THAN 10 MILLION MARIJUANA ARRESTS SINCE 1965 . . . ANOTHER EVERY 54
SECONDS!
===
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR THE REFORM OF MARIJUANA LAWS
1001 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW * WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036 * T 202-483-5500
State Laws That Recognize
Marijuana's Medical Value
States that allow for the establishment of therapeutic
cannabis research programs:
Alabama; Georgia; Illinois; Massachusetts; Minnesota;
New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; Rhode Island; South
Carolina; Texas; Washington; West Virginia
States that allow physicians to prescribe manjuana:
Arizona; Connecticut; Illinois; Louisiana; New
Hampshire; Vermont; Virginia; Wisconsin
States that have rescheduled marijuana when it is used
medicinally:
Iowa; New Mexico; Tennessee; Washington, D.C.
State laws recognizng an "affirmative defense" for
medical marluana users:
Arizona; California; Massachusetts; Ohio; Florida*
*Florida's state supreme court recognizes the defense of
medical necessity in marijuana cases.
Current state laws as of January 30, 1997.
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* Origin: Who's Askin'? (1:17/75)
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