I can’t resist commenting on what is otherwise a decent front page Washington Post article. In particular, the ridiculous quote offered by Leonard C. Collins Jr., a prosecutor in Charles County, Maryland.

First, had Mr. Collins conducted a simple internet search, he would have learned that studies in the United States, backed up by countless studies around the world, have clearly demonstrated that marijuana is efficacious for a number of serious and chronic illnesses.  In fact, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, reported on the research that clearly demonstrates the efficacy of cannabis to relieve hard to treat nueropathic pain.  Moreover, safe access to cannabis for patients and research has been endorsed by a growing number of professional health care organizations, including the American Public Health Association, the American Nurses Association, the American College of Physicians, and most recently, the Medical Student Section of the American Medical Association.

Apparently, Charles County’s top prosecutor is abandoning any sense of a rational (or compassionate) approach to the issue, in favor of nonsense reminiscent of “reefer madness” days.

Second, I would invite Mr. Collins to do a little bit more research to understand the specific and unnecessary barriers that block the normal FDA-approval process for cannabis.  For starters, he might consider reading ASA’s report on the matter.

And, finally, I invite all Charles County medical cannabis advocates to get involved with the Maryland chapters of Americans for Safe Access. The only way to beat the law (and guys like Mr. Collins) is to  change the law!

The National MS Society is “in the process of gathering information that will help us understand what needs to happen and what needs to  change to help people affected by MS keep moving their lives forward. This data will help guide the Society’s direction for the next five years.”

Do you or someone you know use cannabis to control the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis? If so, we invite you to complete the National MS Society survey and use the opportunity to highlight your experiences with medical cannabis.

Last year, the National MS Society issued an opinion paper concerning the Society’s Recommendations regarding the use of cannabis in MS. The report suggests that cannabis may have the potential to treat the symptoms of MS and limit the progression of the disease, but stopped short of recommending that MS patients use the drug.

The MS Society wants to hear from you. Be sure to make your voices heard! It’s important for our readers living with MS to participate in the NMSS survey, and, when possible, please share your knowledge of or experiences with the therapeutic use of cannabis.

Recent Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) activity in Lake County, Los Angeles, and Colorado is cause for concern for medical cannabis patients and advocates. We hoped that federal raids were over when the White House and US Attorney General Eric Holder signaled a willingness to develop a new policy on medical cannabis earlier this year. The circumstances for each of the recent raids differ, but each illustrates a need for the Administration to move more quickly in crafting and implementing that new policy.

This week, the California Senate approved Senate Joint Resolution 14 (SJR 14), a resolution authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Americans for Safe Access (ASA) that calls for specific changes in federal law. SJR 14 calls for an end to federal interference and intimidation, an affirmative defense for medical cannabis defendants in federal court, and an end to barriers to scientific research. The resolution also calls on the President and Congress to develop a comprehensive federal policy to protect every patient in the United States who uses cannabis to treat HIV/AIDS, cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, chronic pain, or other serious illness.

SJR 14 is part of a strategic plan at ASA to coordinate state and federal advocacy at an historic moment in history. We are far from finished with this work, and we can expect more DEA raids and other federal intimidation before we succeed in harmonizing federal law with state law. But we should not be discouraged that the promise of the new federal policy is still unfulfilled. We are making progress. DEA raids have diminished dramatically from the dark days of the Bush Administration, federal threats against property owners in California have stopped altogether, and we are even seeing movement in Congress.

After the California Assembly approves SJR 14, ASA staff and members will work hard to be sure that Democratic leaders in the US Congress have the California legislature’s instruction in mind when they consider new legislation like US Representative Barney Frank’s HR 2835. That bill will would provide federal legal protections for all qualified patients and caregivers in states that have legalized the use of medical cannabis, as well as any entity authorized under local or state law to distribute medical cannabis.

SJR 14 is one example of how ASA’s strategic coordination can make a difference nationwide. Do not be discouraged when medical cannabis opponents push back. Our persistent work is paying off, and you are helping to make a difference.

Last month, Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske came under fire for his statement, reported in the Fresno Bee, that marijuana “has no medicinal value.” Giving him the chance to clear up any confusion on the matter, KOMO TV aired a follow-up interview today with Kerlikowske. The Drug Czar had this to say:

Sometimes you make a mistake and you work very hard to correct it. That happens. I should’ve clearly said ’smoked’ marijuana and then gone on to say that this is clearly a question that should be answered by the medical community.

Kerlikowske also said:

[T]he FDA has not determined that smoked marijuana has a (medical) value…

Although it’s nice to see a correction to his previous statement, and leaving it to the medical community is favorable to harmful and unnecessary law enforcement actions, the Drug Czar’s position is still problematic. (more…)

A Request for Proposals issued yesterday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the “Production, Analysis, & Distribution of Cannabis & Marijuana Cigarettes” begged the question of whether the federal government was getting into the business of cultivating and distributing medical cannabis. The answer is both “yes” and “no.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is soliciting proposals from qualified organizations having the capability to (1) grow, harvest, analyze, store and distribute GMP grade cannabis (marijuana) on large and small scales; (2) extract cannabis to obtain purified phytocannabinoids including delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC), analyze, and store; (3) prepare marijuana cigarettes and related products; and (4) distribute marijuana, marijuana cigarettes and cannabinoids, and other related products for research and other Government programs upon NIDA authorization.

The truth is the federal government has a schizophrenic position on the issue. (more…)

Gil Kerlikowske, the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the country’s new Drug Czar was in Fresno, California this week for Operation S.O.S. (Save Our Sierras). The multi-agency effort to eradicate marijuana in eastern Fresno County has nothing to do with medical marijuana. However, that did not stop Kerlikowske from declaring (erroneously) to the Fresno Bee that marijuana “has no medicinal benefit.”

Certainly, Kerlikowske should have limited his public comments to the (non-medical) marijuana being pursued by local and federal agents under Operation S.O.S. But, if he really felt compelled to stray from the issues of recreational marijuana enforcement to comment on the medicinal use of marijuana he should have at least done his homework. (more…)

When ASA learned that CNN’s Anderson Cooper was going to conduct a 5-part series on marijuana, which was to include some discussion regarding the medical and therapeutic use, ASA reached out.  My lengthy call with the medical producer covered all the usual topics – addiction, potency, toxicity – but my primary goal was to make certain that the CNN producers would accurately report the latest research.

In this AC360 video segment, Dr. Sanjay Gupa provides a fair and balanced review of how cannabis affects the human body, including a brief review of the endocannabinoid system:

[Note: Gupta was Pres. Obama's initial pick to serve as U.S. Surgeon General.]  While other networks seem infected with reefer madness, it’s good to know that CNN is keeping it real! You can read the full transcript, too!

I hope CNN will maintain this standard when reporting on medical cannabis in the future.  To ensure that happens, I invite our readers to thank CNN for their balanced reporting on this matter.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) recently introduced an amendment aimed at obstructing the effective implementation of state medical cannabis laws.  Fortunately, ASA helped to kill the amendment.

However, during debate on the measure, Sen. Coburn issued an open challenge to produce even a single research article to demonstrate that smoked cannabis may be effective treatment for any condition.  Apparently, Sen. Coburn hasn’t read these medical journal articles, which clearly demonstrate that smoking cannabis (even in low doses) can effectively reduce the pain associated with HIV/AIDS.

Sen. Coburn:  Ask and you shall recieve!

ASA invites our readers to take Sen. Coburn up on his challenge! Please visit www.SafeAccessNow.org/SpankCoburn to send links of this research to Senator Coburn’s office.  Or, better yet, take a minute to print out the studies and mail them directly to his office at:

The Honorable Senator Tom Coburn
172 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510.

Since beginning my tenure with ASA, the question I am most frequently asked is, “So, what does the research really say about the benefits of smoking marijuana?”

It’s understandable that Members of Congress, their staff, and even advocates who support medical marijuana don’t know or can’t find all the research. The results of these research trials are rarely reported by media. And, much of what is reported concerns the exaggerated harms that may be associated with smoking large amounts of marijuana by the non-medical user — which is often not the case for individuals who smoke cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

It can be difficult – but not impossible – to locate information about the safety and therapeutic value of cannabis. The unfortunate result of the federal prohibition of cannabis is limited clinical research to investigate the safety and efficacy of cannabis to control symptoms of serious and chronic illness. As noted by the American College of Physicians cannabis research is “hindered by a complicated federal approval process, limited availability of research grade marijuana, and the debate over legalization.”

So, what does the research really say?

Since 2007, the Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR) has sponsored four double-blind, placebo-controlled, FDA-approved clinical trials which demonstrate that smoking cannabis (marijuana), even in low doses, effectively alleviates the neuropathy pain associated with HIV/AIDS. So there is no mistake, let me repeat that: smoking marijuana, even in low doses, effectively controls the neuropathy pain associated with HIV/AIDS. The results of these clinical trials have been reviewed and published by reputable medical journals.

• In February 2007, Neurology published the results of a Phase I clinical trial which concluded smoked cannabis was well tolerated and effectively relieved chronic neuropathic pain from HIV-associated sensory neuropathy. The findings are comparable to oral drugs used for chronic neuropathic pain.

• In November 2007, Anesthesiology published results of a clinical trial conducted by researchers at UCSDCenter for Pain Medicine which concluded that normal volunteers subjected to chemically induced pain which mimics neuropathy also responded to medium doses of smoked cannabis.

• In June 2008, the Journal of Pain, published the results of a clinical trial conducted by researchers at UC Davis which also concluded that even low doses of smoked cannabis can be effective in managing hard-to-treat neuropathic pain. In fact, investigators found that low- and high-dose cannabis produced similar levels of pain relief, reducing the intensity of the severe nerve pain. The researchers specifically noted that cannabis not only fights pain itself but also interacts with opiate-based painkillers to increase their effectiveness, particularly in neuropathic pain. They also note that using isolated synthetic cannabinoids such as THC (dronabinol) did not provide the same degree of efficacy as a whole-plant preparation of cannabis.

• In August 2008, Neuropsychopharmacology, published the results of a Phase II clinical trial conducted by researchers at UCSD School of Medicine which concluded, once again, that smoked cannabis was generally well tolerated and effective when added to concomitant analgesic therapy in patients with HIV-related neuropathy pain not adequately controlled by other pain-relievers.

Now, go spread the word!

I am blogging with good news from Washington, DC.  Today, ASA helped to kill an amendment aimed at obstructing the effective implementation of duly enacted state medical cannabis laws!

Earlier this week, ASA’s National Office was notified that Sen. Coburn (R-OK) intended to add a medical marijuana amendment to S. 982, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Frustrated by the Obama Administration’s continued pledge to not interfere with state medical marijuana laws, Sen. Coburn (R-OK) attempted to slip in legislation designed to undermine these programs.

The text of Sen. Coburn’s amendment is as follows:

SEC._. MEDICAL MARIJUANA. The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall- (1) require that State-legalized medical marijuana shall be subject to the full regulatory requirements of the Food and Drug Administration, including a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy and all other requirements and penalties of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 USC 301 et seq.) regarding safe and effective reviews, approval, sale, marketing, and use of pharmaceuticals; and (2) require that any State-legalized marijuana likely to be offered to, or purchase by, consumers as marijuana intended to be consumed as a cigarette or through the oral cavity will be subject to section 900 of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (as amended by section 101).”

At present, the ONLY way for medical marijuana to be properly evaluated by the FDA is for privately-funded sponsors to conduct FDA-approved clinical trials (like any other drug evaluation).   If Senator Coburn’s intentions with regard to the medical efficacy of marijuana were genuine, he would consider first removing the monopoly imposed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on licenses for the cultivation of medical-grade cannabis for research purposes. Currently, the DEA exclusively licenses the cultivation of medical-grade cannabis to the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA), which primarily investigates only the negative effects of cannabis. This monopoly obstructs any investigation and research in the U.S. into the medical properties of cannabis and thwarts the normal drug approval process.

This isn’t the first time Sen. Coburn has attempted to add this amendment to unrelated legislation. Recall, he made a similar attempt in 2007 when he tried to append the amendment to an unrelated FDA prescription drug bill.  In fact, then-Senators Obama and Clinton voted against the measure. While Sen Coburn managed to slip it in at committee level, ASA managed to get it removed during conference committee.

Today, in a 10-13 party-line vote, we managed to kill the amendment in Committee!  Senators Dodd (D-CT) and Reed (D-RI) were key opponents to the amendment.

SEND YOUR THANKS and PRAISE to the each of the following offices:

Senator Bingaman (D, NM)
Phone: (202) 224-5521
Email: senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov

Senator Brown (D, OH)
Phone: (202) 224-2315
Email: http://brown.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Casey (D, PA)
Phone: (202) 224-6324
Email: http://casey.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Dodd (D, CT)
Phone: (202) 224-2823
Email: http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3128

Senator Hagan (D, NC)
Phone: (202) 224-6342
Email: http://hagan.senate.gov/?p=contact

Senator Harkin (D, IA)
Phone: (202) 224-3254
Email: http://harkin.senate.gov/c/

Senator Kennedy (D, MA)
Phone: (202) 224-4543
Email: http://kennedy.senate.gov/senator/contact.cfm

Senator Merkley (D, OR)
Phone: (202) 224-3753
Email: http://merkley.senate.gov/contact/

Senator Mikulski (D, MD)
Phone: (202) 224-4654
Email: http://mikulski.senate.gov/Contact/contact.cfm

Senator Murray (D, WA)
Phone: (202) 224-2621
Email: http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Senator Reed (D, RI)
Phone: (202) 224-4642
Email: http://reed.senate.gov/contact/contact-share.cfm

Senator Sanders (I, VT)
Phone: (202) 224-5141
Email: http://sanders.senate.gov/comments/

Senator Whitehouse (D, RI)
Phone: (202) 224-2921
Email: http://whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/