OKLAHOMA DURING THE REEFER MADNESS ERA

[Claim]
“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 . . . .”
[Museum Reply]
The study (you are making reference too), specifically DOES recommend the use of smoked Medical Marihuana for selected patients AND DOES recommend much more, further study on the subject.     And while the report has numerous negative references, 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 our own museum website - [www.AntiqueCannabisMuseum.com] , our museum has documented well over 2,000 pre-1937 [meaning legal] medical marihuana medicines, all of which sold legally and openly [on a unique brand or trade name basis], in this country before the misguided passage of the anti-Medical 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 this constitutes only a specific sub set of uses] --- POINT BEING MADE - once medical marihuana is legalized it most assuredly well make its way back into drugstore shelves --- and NOT as a smoke-able product either.

[Claim]
“I understand smoked marijuana may contain more than 400 different chemicals, including most of the hazardous chemicals found in tobacco smoke.”
[Museum Reply]
Can you please tell me what these 400 different chemicals are?   I fear that if you start looking, you will find out that some Narc made that up out of the top of his or her head.     However, be that as it may, did you know that tomatoes have over 500 different chemicals? Or if you want we can make it 600 or more . . . just ask anyone who has taken a basic chemistry class.     They will tell you that it’s possible to simply rearrange the way the molecules are grouped together, etc., etc.     And one can play the shell game with just about any plant out there, --- Note, even the narcotics police no longer use that expression for fear of making fools out of themselves.

[Claim]
“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.” . . . . . “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.“
[Museum Reply]
Odd, I know of many -- but first let me get off a little steam: [name withheld], 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.

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.
1- 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.]
2-- Additionally, their literature states, that for some percentage of the population their drug won't even work, while actual marihuana (the plant) will.   Yes Marinol is 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.

[Claim]
“Marijuana users are at increased risk for auto crashes . . . “
[Museum Reply]
Just not true, or at least that’s what scientific studies conducted by the US Department of Transportation (and numerous other National Governments] have shown.   Just look over DOT HS 808 078 (which actually gave marihuana to drivers under test) has to say on the matter -- Their conclusion, --- while marijuana does have some negative effect (so does just about everything else), it simply doesn’t impair your ability to SAFELY drive a car, period.     A second study (again by the DOT) did a background check for the year 1994 and found that Cannabis drivers were not involved in any more auto accidents than the general population.     And the same study in England found that Cannabis drivers (in England) were actually safer driver’s etc., because they adjusted their driving habits to compensate.

[Claim]
“That two-third’s (2/3’s) of all Cocaine users started out on Medical Marihuana” . .
[Museum Reply]
“Senator, like so many others, we hear this one a lot, but can’t seem to find the source, can you please tell us where you got this statistic?   I fear that like so many others, it will turn out to have come from the top of someone’s head.     However, let’s just for now pretend that it is true and run some quick math.     According to NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) ^[2] ‘The percentage of Cocaine users in this country is around 0.7 percent and thus (by your statistic, 47 percent of 1 percent) of them started out on Medical Marihuana.     Ok, the problem with that statistic is that (figures vary on this one) between 25 and 50% of the total general population in America have actually (at one time or another), used Marihuana.     This translates into a Less then 1% chance of a Medical Marihuana user ever even trying Cocaine -- meaning that whatever the reasons for Cocaine use, Marihuana just isn’t one of them.     Also, here’s another statistic you might be interested in, assume we classify Novocain (the stuff you got in the dentist chair) as nothing more than another form of cocaine than then 100% of all marihuana users, first started out on cocaine.

[Claim]
“That Marihuana is a starter Drug, -- That Marijuana users are more than 104 times more likely to use cocaine”
[Museum Reply]
This argument seems to go against every statistic that I’ve been able to see (except of course, those from the DEA who seem to be masters of manipulating statistics).     Here just use your head, between one-forth to one-half of all Americans admit to having used Marihuana in their teens, YET only roughly 20% of those are still using it as adults - meaning that 80% stopped.     And of those who are using Marihuana as adults, how many of them are using it for Medical purposes?   In my opinion, given the number of medical uses that it has been shown effective in treating, ---- just about all of them, is my guess.

[Claim]
“That Marihuana leads users into contact with the drug subculture (aka criminal elements). “
[Museum Reply]
Senator . . . these are not my words, but someone else put it this way, in nazi German, being a jew was against the law, thus being a jew led to criminal activity, thus proof that Jews were the cause of crime.   ---- I think we all get the point, --- what would happen to your argument if Cancer victims were allowed doctor prescribed Cannabis, and thus didn’t have to go to the criminal subculture to fill their prescriptions there?   And while our museum seeks only legal medical use, still the argument, I feel, holds true for our teens as well.     Legal Cannabis puts an end to the underworld and related crime.

[Claim]
“Users are more likely to experience psychosis, and they are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts. “
[Museum Reply]
Now again, I have not seen the actual study to this affect, but I have seen billboards put up by NORML (a pro-Medical Cannabis group) which read; “With over 700,000 Marihuana arrests last year, users have a right to feel paranoid”.     Amen to that, and in fact, given the present day situation, I would wonder about the mental status of any medical patient WHO wasn’t paranoid.     My point, take away the anti-medical marihuana laws and fear of arrest will also go away.


Norml Poster


[Claim]
“That there are safety Issues related to the use of Medical Cannabis”
[Museum Reply]
This museum has documented thousands of Cannabis Medicines that were legally used [right here in America], up until the passage of the anti-Medical Marihuana laws.     - WITH NO KNOWN DEATHS.     Quite a track record if I might say, in fact, a few years ago the Lancet (maybe the most respected medical journal in the English language) published an article, detailing ALL known medical safety issues associated with the use of Cannabis.     And just for clarification also run an editorial basically stating:   That medical Cannabis was safe, and that if any government, for whatever reason chose to outlaw its use, DON’T USE SAFETY as one of those reasons.

"Oh what fools these mortal man be" -- Shakespeare
[One can only wonder how many jobs this law killed]

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