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Politics : THE WHITE HOUSE -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DuckTapeSunroof who wrote (19171)	4/9/2008 8:29:21 PM
From: Gersh Avery	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 25737

An open letter to the medical community. My name is Gersh Avery. I’m a resident of Dexter. I’m also a member of Michigan NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) I’m a medical marijuana activist. Perhaps we can bring our two worlds together for good. I believe that I have information that may be of value to the medical community. There are many anecdotal cases of people claiming to have been cured of cancer with marijuana extracts. A common theme with these cases is that the extract is eaten rather than smoked. The theory is that combustion destroys most of the anti-cancer effect. The anti-cancer properties of THC, I believe, have been well documented. THC seems to target cancer cells without harming other cells. The first study documenting this effect was reported in the Washington Post in 1974. THC, as I’m sure you know, has been approved by the FDA for treating the side effects of chemotherapy. It’s called Marinol. There are some side effects of THC that I’m concerned about for cancer patients. Nervous agitation, paranoia, depression are some of these. These can be partially avoided by ramping up dosage rather than hitting a patient with a maximum dose from the start. For instance starting with 5mg 2x per day for the first couple of days. Then shifting to 7.5mg then 10mg. At some point the anti-cancer properties of the THC may enhance ongoing chemotherapy. Marijuana, in it’s natural form, contains 76 cannabinoids that have been identified so far. Most of these are non-psychoactive. Yet they temper the side effects of THC. The most well known of these is CBD. CBD has also been shown to have strong anti-cancer properties. Perhaps stronger than THC. Recently a BBC reporter subjected herself to an experiment where she was injected first with a combination of CBD and THC. Then the next day with just THC. She then took a test which looked for psychosis. This test had a level of four as a threshold to be concerned about. The first day she giggled and reported she felt peaceful. She scored a one on the test. This was with the THC+CBD. The next day she was injected with just the THC. She scored 14 on the psychosis test. Strains of marijuana that are likely to contain high content of CBD can be identified by the duration of effects when smoked. Typically these strains are called “creeper.” CBD moderates the rate that THC is metabolized in the body. This results in slower uptake and longer duration. I can’t deliver marijuana. But I can convey a lot of information.

To: DuckTapeSunroof who wrote (19171)	4/9/2008 9:24:20 PM
From: Gersh Avery	Respond to of 25737

startribune.com Medical marijuana bill on its way to House vote The bill would not legalize the drug, but would allow certain patients to possess it. By MARK BRUNSWICK, Star Tribune Last update: April 9, 2008 - 3:56 PM A bill that would allow some patients in Minnesota to use medical marijuana was resurrected on Wednesday. The bill, which passed the House Ways and Means Committee easily on Wednesday, would not legalize marijuana. But it would allow patients who qualify to possess up to 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and to receive similar amounts on a regular basis from groups set up to dispense the drug. The measure passed the Minnesota Senate last year but did not receive a vote in the House. The effort at getting medical marijuana approved in Minnesota has been more than 10 years in the making and most recently has seen growing support among Republicans who previously might have been expected to oppose to it. Rep. Chris DeLaForest, R-Anodver, is a cosponsor of the House bill and predicted bipartisan support for its passage. "To me, this is the ultimate conservative issue," DeLaForest said following the vote. "It's about keeping the government out of the doctor/patient relationship." The vote in the House committee occurred without debate or questions being asked, but it can be expected to generate controversy during debate on the House floor, which is expected within the next few weeks. The measure requires patients to register and have a card issued by the Minnesota Department of Health. Non-profits can be established to grow and distribute the medical marijuana with up to 12 plants per patient. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has sympathized with objections to the proposal from law-enforcement groups, and a spokesman reiterated on Wednesday that he would veto a bill establishing medical marijuana if it does not contain provisions that are palatable to the law-enforcement community. "Governor Pawlenty stands with law enforcement in opposition to this bill," said spokesman Brian McClung. The state statute would be in conflict with federal law, which makes the possession of marijuana illegal. Doctors would recommend medical marijuana to patients but would not actually prescribe it under the bill. Twelve other states have medical-marijuana laws. Such bills are now under consideration in Illinois and New York, and an initiative is expected to appear on Michigan's November ballot. Mark Brunswick • 651-222-1636