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DISPELLING THE DIS-INFORMATION
CREATED BY
(OKLAHOMA’S BUREAU OR NARCOTICS)
ADDRESSING THE CONCERN’S OF A STATE SENATOR
At the beginning of each election period, the Oklahoma Voters League is in the habit of sending out various inquiry letters to those running for elected office asking about their views on the issue of Medicinal Cannabis (Medical Marihuana). Usually it is a simple one or two sentence email that runs something as follows:
“We are a pro-Medical Marihuana organization and we would like to know where you stand on the issue of Medical Marihuana? “This inquire is short, simple and to the point. Yet the responses we have received have been anything but. Below is one such response from an elected State Senator. Note that it appears that her concerns appear to be real. It’s as if she really believes her statements to be accurate.
Which brings up the obvious question: -- Where are these people getting their facts? And the answer is also obvious; From the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics -- which as we have shown in these webpages, is (ah) less than truthful and honest when it comes to the subject of Medical Marihuana.
NOTE: In keeping with our Museum policy of self-censorship, no names are given. (Oklahoma is enough of a laughing stock on the subject as it is without us adding fuel to the fire.) In addition some changes/deletions have been made (as needed) to preserve anonymity.
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Oklahoma State Senate
2300 N. Lincoln Bld.
Oklahoma city, Ok. 73105
Oct 30, 2010
Senator . . . . ;
First, I wish to thank you for replying to my original email regarding your position on the issue of Medical Marihuana. Needless to say, very few of the Oklahoma candidates that I sent emails to bothered to reply ---- And for what its worth, even though we do not share the same view on all the issues you have my vote in the upcoming election.
With regards to your letter however, I am a bit dismayed and bewildered over its contents --- to which I will now address: In your reply letter you stated as follows:
“In a report released by the Institute of Medicine in 1999, the Institute did not recommend the use of smoked marijuana. You may access the full report at IOM.edu/Reports.”Senator . . . : I have gone to that website and could only obtain a small summery [as well as an opportunity to buy a book], based on the report. However, after some searching, I was able to look at a copy of the report at the following website:
[ http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6376&page=R4 ]
The study itself specifically DOES recommend the use of smoked Medical Marihuana for selected patients AND DOES recommend much more further study on the subject.
From a historical viewpoint the report itself was originally ordered to be put together by the then Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey. This was in 1996, shortly after the passage of California’s Pro-215 also known as the Compassionate Use Act.” Originally it was supposed to be an actual medial study, however (no doubt fearful that such results could be used to obtain FDA approval), was quickly changed solely to a Medical Safety report. One to look into the dangers of Medical Cannabis. However, what came back was anything but. In fact the report (leaving out smokablity factors) is quite favorable to its medical use. However, it should be noted that its “Introduction Summery” is a bit misleading as it speaks mostly about the negative effects of any smokable substance. [A subject that is addressed further down in this letter] We can only speculate that this was done at the behest of the Drug Czar’s office as a way of distorting what the report actually had to say on the subject. So why has this report come to be so “MISQUOTED?” I myself have now come to believe that the following is happening:
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And while the report has numerous negative things to say [some of them, many of us would technically disagree with], they are for the most part negative things to say about smoke-able substances in general.
But, be that as it may, as you can see from one of our own museum websites – [www.AntiqueCannabisBook.com] , our museum has documented well over 2,000 pre-World War II [meaning legal] Cannabis [the scientific term for Marihuana] based medicines. All of which sold legally and openly [on a brand or trade name basis], in this country before the passage of the anti-Marihuana laws. The website contains numerous pictures of these medicines, but please note that of all the thousands of these medicines located so far, ONLY TWO of them were smoke-able. That’s it, only two --- the rest of them were essentially oral medications that one bought in a drugstore and came in pill form [note Medical Marihuana was also used in external lotions, but they constitute only a specific sub set of uses]
POINT BEING MADE – once medical marihuana is legalized it most assuredly will make its way back onto drugstore shelves --- and NOT as a smoke-able product either.
Your letter goes on to say:
“However, the active ingredient in marijuana can be isolated and developed into a variety of pharmaceuticals, such as Marinol. Marinol has been studied and approved by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] and been made available by prescription since 1985.”Senator . . . : These two statements contradict themselves. On one hand you are saying that Medical Cannabis (Medical Marihuana) has over 400 different chemicals, but on the other, that because one (and only one) of these chemicals has now been isolated; -- In effect that we should ignore and forget all the medical benefits due to all the others, etc. etc. . .
“Furthermore, I understand smoked marijuana may contain more than 400 different chemicals, including most of the hazardous chemicals found in tobacco smoke.”
THERE ARE OVER 500 CHEMICALS IN TOMATOES. And for that matter the same can be said of Apples, Grapes, Broccoli and just about every other piece of plant matter out there. Just ask anyone who has taken a basic chemistry class and they can tell you that there are only about 80 natural elements (the basic building blocks of matter), but depending upon how you hook up their outer shells, you can create (literally) millions of complex chemical compounds. So the very concept is nonsensical, anyone can play the shell game with just about anything out there. Again, great bumper sticker slogan BUT totally nonsensical. If you need any proof, just ask your friends at the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics for a list of the “400 chemicals,” and watch the stupid expressions on their faces. |
“Furthermore, I understand smoked marijuana may contain more than 400 different chemicals, including most of the hazardous chemicals found in tobacco smoke.”
http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap04/Oklahoma/Wolf_MythStart.htm In which we reply to essentially the same claim: "New data has shown that marijuana smoke has a higher concentration of carcinogenic substances than tobacco smoke. "The implication being that Medical Cannabis (Medical Marihuana) patients are at higher risk of Cancer. . . [and while at one time this was reported to be the case, new research has long ago disproven this theory] . . . Just recently (2012) according to Fox news; “We know that there are as many or more carcinogens and co-carcinogens in marijuana smoke as in cigarettes,” researcher Donald Tashkin, MD, of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine tells WebMD. “But we did not find any evidence for an increase in cancer risk for even heavy marijuana smoking.” Carcinogens are substances that cause cancer.”And while no one is saying that Medical Cannabis is a cure for Cancer. Additional medical studies have found that Cannabis, of and by itself, has ANTI-CANCER properties that actually seem to shrink certain forms of Cancerous tumors . . . . . [Go to the above mentioned website for more details] |
But getting back to the subject, your letter goes on to say:
“I know of no peer reviewed medical research which indicates smoking marijuana is more effective or less dangerous than Marinol. However, if you know of any peer reviewed studies to the contrary, I would appreciate if you would provide me with the information. “Odd, I know of many -- but first let me get off a little steam: [. . . ], you must be aware of the fact that it is EFFECTIVELY against the law in this country to do medical research on Marihuana. Yes it is possible to do SAFETY research on the substance, but NO Medical research, nothing that might lead to FDA approval etc., etc. Thus your question is a bit odd given the legal circumstances. However, there are various studies on medical marihuana done by the Europeans etc.
For those interested in more on the subject, the following web-site contains a listing of over 200 peer-reviewed published studies demonstrating marihuana’s efficacy for various medical uses. http://www.cannabis-med.org/index.php?tpl=page&id=39&lng=en Should their website ever go down, feel free to contact the museum for a copy, it can be emailed to you. |
However, to answer your question, my favorite American studies are those that were conducted during the FDA approval process for Marinol. The following is taken directly from our website on the subject.
Now, let's look at what the manufacturers of Marinol themselves have to say on the matter.
- The Mfg.'s of Marinol openly admit (in literature they themselves hand out) that unlike actual Medical Marihuana [the plant] between 80% to 90% of their drug is useless within the human body. [Something about the body's digestive juices etc.]
- Additionally, their literature states, that for some percentage of the population their drug won't even work, while actual marihuana (the plant) will.
OK, maybe they are laughable to us today, but what is not laughable is their after effect. I myself became interested in Medical Marihuana after a friend of mine died of Cancer and I saw what Medical Marihuana could do in such a case. At the time I just couldn’t understand how our laws could be so cruel – why did she have to suffer so needlessly, and also worry about being arrested?
Yes Marinol was there, but as I understand it, it didn’t work as well. Let me put it to you this way, ---- If there are other drugs that are better than Marihuana, we do not know of them.
Sincerely
Antique_Andy@catholic.org
A SPECIAL SECTION ON MARINOL VERSES NATURAL CANNABIS (THE PLANT) IS BEING PLANED TO ADDRESS THE VAST AMOUNT OF DIS-INFORMATION BEING CIRCULATED ON THE SUBJECT.
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