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A RESPONSE LETTER TO AN OKLAHOMA LEGISLATOR:
Senator [name withheld],*
Below is an open letter, in response to your own written-letter that you sent out to the various members of the Oklahoma State legislature, regarding the issue of Medical Cannabis (or Medical Marihuana). And while (due to the subject matter), some of our responses are quite obviously opinions. Still for the most part, our response consists of pointing out and correcting some of technical and statistical errors that were found in your original.
Oklahoma State Senate |
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THE OKLAHOMA VOTERS LEAGUE REPLIES:
Your Letter starts off as follows:
“Oklahoma State SenateSenator, I believe it was Mahatma Gandhi who once said:
Senator [name withheld]
Health and Human Services [committee]
Senate District [withheld]
February 8, 2013
Dear Senate Colleagues:
As I receive many emails urging our legislature to consider legalizing Marijuana, I feel compelled to share just some brief information about Medical Marijuana. I know everyone is very busy with many issues, but please forgive me as I share a [. . . . . ] perspective . . . “
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.”Thus, I am thankful for this brief moment of candor on your part. It shows that you understand that the issue Medical Cannabis, is nether ignore-able nor is ridicule any longer an acceptable practice. It also shows that the right of our citizens to be allowed to seek out proper medical treatment; ---WITHOUT the fear of legal harassment from governmental officials, is something that can no longer be taken lightly. Granted at the present time, you do not share our views on the matter. Still it is good that you acknowledge the very fact that the issue exists and is simply not going to go away.
The letter goes on to say:
“. . .I know everyone is very busy with many issues, but please forgive me as I share a [. . . . . ] perspective as well as a short paragraph from the law enforcement perspective from the Director of the BNDD, (Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drug) Darrell Weaver. “Senator, one can almost see --- who knows how many 'umpteen people' already rolling their eyes upward. Please you must be aware that Oklahoma’s State ‘Bureau of Narcotics (and Dangerous Drugs),’ is not exactly the kind of group you would want to be associating with let alone be quoting.
Simply put, they are NOT exactly the most TRUTHFUL bunch of people out there. In fact they are notoriously, but rightfully blamed for much of the dis-information that is being circulated out there. A quick look at the following website (dealing with their own ‘Marihuana Factsheet’) can attest to that:
http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap04/Oklahoma/Wolf_MythStart.htmPlease, it is understood that they are (technically) police officers and as such have the badge of authority etc. But be that as it may, due to their numerous misrepresentations of the facts, they are proving to be quite an embarrassment to our State as a whole.
The letter goes on to say:
“When prescribing any substance for the treatment of disease symptoms, pharmacists and all medical practitioners know that it is vitally important that the drug has been shown to be safe, . . “Here we are in full agreement, and as you (Senator) must be fully aware, Medical Cannabis is one of the safest medicines out there. After centuries of Medical use by Western physicians, unlike so many other prescription drugs on the market today, there has not even been one known death that has resulted.
The letter also continued on by stating:
“. . . and that it is known exactly what dose is appropriate for what is being treated, and that the prescriber and pharmacist know that exactly this dose is contained in the drug dispensed. In the case of Marijuana this is NOT KNOWN. . . “While few of us have any problems with the first part of your statement, almost everyone should have some problems with the second part. Granted you yourself have some professional training in this area (I personally have none), still you seem to be misinformed on this given subject. This (one presumes) may be due to the illegality of Medical Cannabis, which of-and-by-itself limits and hinders what can be and is being taught in our training schools. HOWEVER, this does not mean that the information is unknown, a quick look at any number of historical textbooks clearly shows that the exact dosages of Medical Cannabis (in oral form) have been extremely well documented. Our own websites well document the history of how these dosages came to be:
http://antiquecannabisbook.com/Appendix/AppendixC.htmIt is safe to state that by the early part of the 20th Century, the medical profession already had the exact dosages (per patients body weight) down to a “Tee”. And while I myself make no presumption of having any medical training (again, I have none), still the following table (put together by the late Dr. Tod Mikuriya) I’m sure will answer your questions as to dosages.
Dealing with the history of Cannabis within the U.S. Pharmacopoeia:
And
http://antiquecannabisbook.com/Appendix/AppendixD.htm
Dealing with the history of Cannabis within the NATIONAL FORMULARY:
(as per unit of bodyweight)
| Drug (as fluid extract) | 0.1g/kg |
|---|---|
| Fluid extract | 0.1cc/kg |
| Tincture | 1.0cc/kg |
| Solid extract | 4.0mg/kilo |
| Powdered extract | 40.0mg/kilo |
Unfortunately the letter goes on to say:
“. . In the case of Marijuana this is NOT known, as the concentration of the active ingredient, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), varies greatly from one variety to the next, one harvest to the next and even by where the crop originates.“OH, NO, here go the eyes rolling upward in disbelief again. One presumes that it was our very own ‘Bureau of Narcotics’ that handed this bit of golden wisdom to you. But don’t blame yourself too much, your experience does not include farming and the Bureau is real good at creating, bumper sticker slogans, that sound real good, but are essential Gibberish.
All right, let’s go through this slowly. First the statement of-and-by-itself is (technically at least) true. YES, the amount of ‘thc’ does indeed vary from one plant to the next, etc., HOWEVER, the way it is presented here is MISLEADING to the point of inaccuracy.
Perhaps it would be best to explain by example. It is a fact that the amount of vitamin C varies from one Orange to the next, EVEN IF they came from the same tree. And the same can be said about just about every other herb, plant and food product out there. By definition their nutritional value will change with soil and weather conditions from harvest to the next . . . ----- So, should this be used as an excuse to prevent us from drinking orange juice or eating grains, fruits and vegetables etc?
The answer should be quite obvious, however (because we are talking about a medicine) to set everyone as ease; -- let us continue with our example: Orange Juice (the kind you buy in a package in the store) is obviously NOT made from just one orange but from various oranges and probably from different trees. Now one can say that this would make the content of certain Vitamins per package very unpredictable. But given today’s industrial processes, the fact is that it is very predictable. It’s simply a matter of blending the batches, not per a fixed formula, but per a fixed amount of Vitamin value etc.
Thus, if there is an issue here, it is not an issue of plant strength or growth, but one dealing with our present day legal system, which is preventing large-scale manufacturing and distribution.
The letter also goes on to state:
“In this regard alone, prescribing Marijuana for medical treatment would be akin to prescribing raw opium poppy powder for pain relief without knowing the morphine-equivalent strength.”This statement is inaccurate. As has been shown, (knowledgeable) doctors DO INDEED know the proper starting dosages for their patients. All the present day problems associated with Medical Cannabis today are totally related to our present day legal system, not our medical one.
Your letter then goes on to state:
“This is especially important considering all the potential side effects of Marijuana and that Marijuana is designated as a Schedule I drug (drugs which have a high potential for abuse and no medical application or proven therapeutic value).”Senator [ . . . ], you are correct. At the present time, Medical Cannabis, despite being used safely and efficiently, for centuries by doctors, is indeed classified by our Federal Government as a Control 'Schedule I' drug. A classification reserved for substances that:
[A]- Have a HIGH POTENTIAL for addiction and drug abuse (an example being something like Heroin), and
[B]- Have absolutely NO MEDICAL value.
All of which begs the obvious question – WHY?
As you must be well aware, Medical Cannabis IS NON ADDICTIVE and thus has NO HIGH POTENTIAL for abuse. Proof of this lies in the government’s own statistics. It seems that between 1/4 to 1/2 (depending on your sources) of all Americans have had some past experience with marihuana use (predominantly in their teens). However, only a very small fraction of those are still using it past a certain age. And of that number it would be interesting to note how many of them are using it solely because of medical need? [A]
AND as for “NO MEDICAL VALUE”, such a statement (at best) is laughable. Even the United States Federal Government itself acknowledges its medical uses – Need proof; just look up this patent via Goolge patents and note not only that it is a Medical patent, but also exactly who the owner is: [United States Patent -- No. 6,630,507]. The following list (again, put together by the late Dr. Mikuriya, et. Al.,) provides much food for thought on this matter.
Link = Chronic Conditions Treated With CannabisAnd may I remind you that just one country up from us (Canada), Medical Cannabis is not only legal by prescription, but the Canadian Government even provides it to their citizens via their socialized health care system.
http://www.letfreedomgrow.com/cmu/DrTodHMikuriya_list.htm
Your letter goes on to state:
“The use of smoked or orally ingested raw Marijuana plant material, without knowledge of the dose being received, follows none of the safe use practices of our science based study of medicines that is the standard used for all other drugs approved for use in the US. “Senator, first I (and I’m sure many others), am glad to hear that you acknowledge the fact the Medical Cannabis is an oral medicine. At least from a historical prospectus this has usually been the case. Our own museum has documented well over 2,000 Cannabis medicines (all of which sold legally at one time in drugstores under their own unique brand or trade names), and of all these medicines ONLY TWO (that’s all, just two) of them were smokable. All the others being either external lotions or oral medications.
This, to your credit, must have taken quite a bit of courage on your part to state. As you know Oklahoma’s ‘Bureau of Narcotics’ (a.k.a., the dreaded OBNDD) wishes to maintain the illusion that ALL Medical Cannabis must be administered via smokable cigarettes etc. Probably for the purpose of associating it with tobacco use and thus maintain its negative stereotype. So I thank you for this acknowledgement as it is very helpful to our cause and again, must have taken some courage on your part to have stated.
HOWEVER, as I trust the subject of oral administration has already been covered, let us now turn to the subject of Cannabis as a inhaleable (or smokable) medicine.
BUT FIRST, let me state that as an individual I am morally opposed to the use of cigarettes (tobacco or not) in general. To quote a politician, “I’m an old guy and to me, medicines come in pills and you buy them in drugstores”, etc. Which makes it more important then ever that Medical Cannabis be legalized, which in turn will lead to its return as an oral medicine. HOWEVER, with that said, and due to our present day legal situation, it is obvious that Medical Cannabis in its smokable forms will be around for a few more years yet to come.
Thus addressing your concerns, a quick check on the internet reveals that there are already some scientific standards out there, however the long and the short of it all is that (medically speaking) they are NOT NEEDED. As you are aware, the problem with ALL oral medicines is that it takes between 20 minutes to as long as 4 hours before they take effect. But if taken in their inhale-able form, the effects are almost instantaneous. Meaning a patient can just inhale small quantities until the medicine takes effect and then stops. Thus knowledge of exact dosages is (medically speaking) unneeded.
The letter also states:
“Here is a comment from the Director of the BNDD, R. Darrell Weaver:”Senator [. . . .], I can see you quoting Oklahoma’s Bureau of Narcotics AS A JOKE, and only as a sick one at that. But it appears that you are sincere and actually believe what you are saying. To put it mildly, there’re not the most enlightened nor truthful bunch of people out there. Need proof, just look at what they themselves have stated on their own website and the (incredibly vast) number of corrections that we’ve had to point out to them:
http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap04/Oklahoma/Wolf_MythStart.htmCommon on, even you Senator, if you just skim read our reply to their “Marihuana Factsheet” statements, must admit that someone, somewhere is out of touch with reality. -- Oh, by the way Senator (as an aside) we have been asking them to remove that ‘Marihuana Factsheet’ from the Bureau’s website for some time now and would greatly appreciate your efforts in doing so.
The actual quote is as follows:
“Having been in drug enforcement in our great state for over 25 years, no issue troubles me more than the legalization of or medicinal use of marijuana in our state.”OK, lets stop right here, everyone including Mr. Weaver (who I have never met) has a right to his opinion and to expressing his viewpoint on the matter. However what is troubling to me and-all-so-many-others, is the fact that Mr. Weaver is making use of his position (within) the Bureau of Narcotics as a “Bully Pulpit”, to obtain support (meaning $$$ from taxpayers) for their own personal viewpoints. ------- Some would say that he is trying to keep his job, or worse (assuming you believe it is a human rights violation to deny cancer patients the right to seek out proper medical care), trying to stay out of jail.
Mr. Weaver, goes on to say:
“In my career, I never interviewed a defendant or confidential source that did not say that their drug experience did not start with marijuana use. Undoubtedly, it is a gate-way drug.”This is not true; --- MARIHUANA IS NOT A “GATE-WAY DRUG”, no more than Novocaine the stuff we got in the Dentist chair (a.k.a., Cocaine by a nicer sounding name), is a Gate-Way drug to Marihuana. If Mr. Weaver has any proof of this, please let him produce it. In fact, note his own wording containing the word, “UNDOUBTEDLY”, meaning HE HAS NO PROOF to back up his statement.
However, here in lies the problem that was brought out earlier. Mr. Weaver, for good or for bad, is a public servant (with a shinny badge) and as such has what is termed, “the Badge of Authority”. Which translates as follows; if they claim something is true and we claim something is false, it’s up to us to provide the proof; ---Which we do throughout our Oklahoma Voters League website. Here however, (due to the length that would be necessary to do the subject justice), let me just provide you with one example related to the falseness of this statement. In reply to another letter from the Bureau of Narcotics in which they made the following claim: [B]
“As many as 84-percent of the children in the Oklahoma Foster Care system today (March 29, 2011) come from homes where one or both parents are drug addicts. And all admit they started on marijuana when they were teenagers.”Our rely was as follows: Ms. . ., the above statements (while having a great bumper sticker shock effect) are nonsensical and are a good example of why we here in Oklahoma are now being seen as such a laughing stock elsewhere. As stated earlier, many of us have been mislead (ok, lied to) by the narcotics police so many times that we have now learned to be a bit skeptical about anything said by them --- especially of their statistics. Mind you, I am not saying that they are not true, simply that (after a good faith effort) they simply cannot be confirmed. However, for the sake of argument, let us pretend that they are accurate and examine the math behind your figures. On June 2012 there were a total of 9,131 children in Oklahoma’s foster care system. [B] Of which you claim that 84% come from drug bingeing parents. NOTE: Here for the sake of argument we will assume Illegal Drugs, thus taking “ALCOHOL the DRUG” etc., out of the equation. Thus we are talking about 6,893 (84%) children effected. A very high (and very tragic) number, HOWEVER, one that breaks down quickly [there] after. According to US census (Jan 2011) there are a grand total of 918,849 children under the age of 18 living in the state of Oklahoma. Or a total of 434,793 family [units] each having an average of 1.8 children each. [B] Thus your statistic (again while tragic) constitutes less than even 1% of the totals. Now assuming that “National Institute on Drug Abuse”, is correct and 33% of all Americans over the age of 12 have used marijuana somewhere in the past. A statistic that (realistically speaking) many of us find VERY LOW, but in any case; What does that do to your bumper sticker statistic? [Ms. . . ], I can assure you that whatever reasons those individuals had for getting themselves into that situation, --- their past use of Marihuana (for whatever reason) simply wasn’t one of them. |
And frankly, I myself have not seen any other statistics (handed out by the Narc’s) that can’t also be disproved when analyzed in its true prospectus. As I see it, if the Bureau of Narcotics, has any proof of their statements, shouldn’t they be kind enough to provide this evidence? Note that they do not; -- WHY? Because such evidence simply DOES NOT EXIST.
The quotation goes on . . .:
“As [Name withheld] mentions the THC level in marijuana varies greatly, and has risen from a national average of 3.77% in 1995 to a national average of 11.15% in 2012. “First, I think all of us would love to know where these people are getting their statistics. So far at least one Federal Drug Czar (John P. Walters) has been caught fabricating incredibly inflated statistics on this matter. He did this by comparing Industrial Hemp (the stuff you make rope out of and has a 'thc' content of less than 0.5%) to Medical Cannabis being specifically grown for its medical value. And even then he was caught lying. ---- Note; to the best of my knowledge the actual figure, assuming the hemp plants are being specifically grown for high 'thc' content is somewhere around 4.5% on average. Now granted (like that fish that got away), there are (claims made) that some isolated strains can go as high as 20% but realistically speaking, 4.5% is correct figure.
But in any case this whole argument, while making for a great bumper sticker slogan, is utterly meaningless and in fact is already backfiring on them. As the medical effects of inhaled Cannabis are almost instantaneous, medical patients simply inhale until the medicine takes effect and then stop. The specific strength of the medicine thus becomes irrelevant -- if the substance is of low strength you simply use more, etc. Thus (assuming you are opposed to smoking on principle), it is even a BIG PLUS to having the highest content possible.
The quotation goes on to say:
“Marijuana decriminalization leads to easier access, and higher use among youth, and in Colorado where marijuana has been greatly decriminalized teen use is twice the national average.”This statement provides a good example of how the Oklahoma's Bureau of Narcotics (through verbal slight of hand), is able to distort the truth in favor of its own nefarious agenda. Note the exact wording used; --- “In Colorado where marijuana has been greatly decriminalized teen use is twice the national average.”
The wording makes it sound to the average person as if --- TEEN use of marihuana in Colorado is TWICE as high as Teen use throughout the U.S. And if this was so; --- IT WOULD BE A LIE! As “Teen Use in Colorado” is NOT TWICE the national teen-use average and is no where near it. In fact according to the Huffington Post: [C]
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The CDC report shows:
- Youth marijuana use in Colorado went down 2.8 percent from 2009 (24.8 percent) to 2011 (22 percent).
- In 2011, youth marijuana usage in Colorado fell below the national average -- 22 percent in Colorado, 23.1 percent in the U.S.
Again, yet another example of how our Bureau of Narcotics can take figures and twist them to their own advantage --- and as for the truth, . . . well they are trying to keep their jobs aren’t they?
The quotation goes on to say:
“Marijuana decriminalization and legalization sends the wrong message to youth that getting high is acceptable, undoing all the strides to teach our kids to stay drug-free and make positive, healthy choices. “Boy, one has to really hand it to them. They are really good at those bumper sticker slogans. And while once more, everyone has a right to an opinion, still one can only wonder at exactly how much damage those slogans (paid for at the taxpayers expense) are causing?
Here please allow me to enter some of my own thoughts on the matter:
Senator, after much time with young people I have found them to (somewhere around junior high) to have the same amount of common horse sense as any adult. They lack solely experience and a technical knowledge base of skills from which to draw from. Thus the reason why many of us express major concerns with the Mr. Weaver’s of this world.The quotation ends by saying:
Senator simply put; --- What do you think happens to them WHEN THEY FIND OUT that we adults (especially those in position of authority) have been lying to them? Specifically, when they find out the truth about Medical Cannabis, that it is not at all dangerous and isn’t that great evil that they were told it was. What do you think goes through their intelligent but inexperience minds? Will they think that we (adults) have also been lying to them about Heroin? --- Senator, you just have no idea how much damage is done when one of these narc’s goes and speaks about Medical Cannabis before a group of high-school students.
In conclusion, I have observed in my career the devastation and consequences of drug abuse. I have witnessed crime, child abuse, health-related issues, deplorable living conditions and the lack of steady jobs for the addict. Nothing good comes out of substance abuse and its destructive properties. “Senator, (if true) this is very heart wrenching, however one must wonder, what on earth do these kind of statements have to do with the right of Cancer patients to seek out proper medical treatment? To me this makes as much sense as saying that because people are jaywalking somewhere in New Jersey, that we then MUST then deny others the right to . . . .
The main part of the letter then goes on to say:
“I know this all sounds like bad news to those that have been told that Medical Marijuana could possibly provide the relief they truly need and for all my colleagues that have friends and constituents that have compelling stories. . . “Here, (as a personal comment), I am glad to hear that unlike so many others, you’re not going around (doing the ostrich with its head in the sand routine), claiming that Medical Cannabis is NOT Medicine and has no Medical uses, etc. If only you knew just how many (here in Oklahoma) are doing just that.
Your Letter then goes on to say:
“. . . but fortunately there is great news. Medical Marijuana is absolutely available, and can be prescribed by a physician, and can be dispensed by a pharmacy here in Oklahoma. The brand name for Medical Marijuana is Marinol (THC), and it comes in 2.5mg and 5mg capsules. “Senator, this is greatly debatable, but first, please could you please refer to Marinol® by its Generic Name of ‘Dronabinol’. As you must be aware the cost difference between the two is absolutely appalling. But then so is the costs difference between either one of these two synthetic drugs when compared to natural Medical Cannabis. The link below (click on the image) talks about this cost difference. And while the part about Governor Mary Fallin (supporting Obama care) was only meant as a sort of facetious joke. The financial figures are all too real.
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In addition to the costs, there are even greater problems facing Medical Patients trying to use ‘Marinol / Dronabinol’, such as the fact that Doctors (in general) are afraid to even write a prescription for it. For example (this is an out of State one): The narc’s told the late Dr. Tod Mykuria that one of his patients was on probation and thus undergoing mandatory drug testing. AND as Marinol acts as a masking agent for Medical Marihuana, he was TOLD NOT TO PRESCRIBE IT OR ELSE. He (being a doctor) did so anyway, and true to their word, they launched a complaint with the States medical board. He almost lost his license to practice medicine.
A situation that is not at all funny as I’m sure you know. Just a few months ago, I personally forwarded a letter to your office asking for your help. --- It seems that a patient (legally and medically in need of painkillers) had had her purse (containing her medicines) stolen. Her doctor however it seems simply wouldn’t write her up a new prescription to cover the loss (as I understand it) because of fear of losing his/her medical license. And as I understand it, even your office was not able to help her out. Thus you can see one of the big problems facing medical patients at this time. One that can only be resolved by changing our present day legal situation.
Your letter states:
“The brand name for Medical Marijuana is Marinol (THC), and it comes in 2.5mg and 5mg capsules. . . . . The THC content of Marinol is a known fact, and the symptom relief which will be provided has been proven through repeatable studies. “Here, yet again, I wish to thank you for personally not going off into mindless bumper sticker slogans such as, “There are over 500 different and complex chemicals found in the Medical Marihuana plant”, etc. --- And Oh, Senator, if you ever want to have some fun with these narc’s; --- Just ask them to name those chemicals, etc. Like a cross before a vampire, that question is guaranteed to drive them away. Or better yet, just remind them that Tomato’s have over 600 chemicals in them, that also does the job.
However, going back to the subject, you use the wording, “has been proven though repeatable studies”; If you could please be so kind as to show me those studies? All the ones that I’ve been able to obtain show a sort of hopscotch effect on the matter and certainly I would not use the word “repeatable” in any way shape or form.
Referencing the 1970’s studies [E] in which the participants (all undergoing chemotherapy for Cancer at the time) were allowed free choice of various anti nausea agents, (included both Dronabinol and natural Cannabis). Most patients chose Natural Cannabis over Dronabinol by far.
And referencing the studies done to obtain FDA approval for Marinol (Dronabinol) in which there was no free choice. Well I don’t think I need to tell you that one of the biggest problems they had was keeping the participants in the study as many within the placebo group (no fools them) began showing signs of street marihuana within their urine. In fact some of the studies almost had to be canceled because of this one factor. And (as I see it), as Marinol acts as a masking agent for natural Cannabis; --- Only the devil knows exactly what really was going on within the group selected for actual Marinol usage during those tests.
In addition, you are making it sound as if the medical profession has the exact dosages down to a “Tee,” THIS IS NOT THE CASE. And while I have no smoking gun or proof to provide, my own investigations into the matter indicate that the dosages are being set for political NOT medical concerns. A subject that (due to its length) I will reserve for another day.
Your letter also states:
“Before Marniol was approved by the FDA for use in the United States, extensive testing and multiple double blind studies were completed to determine an effective dose that achieved symptomatic relief while avoiding most of the unwanted side effects. The THC content of Marinol is a known fact, and the symptom relief which will be provided has been proven through repeatable studies. “Here it would be best to go over each sentence/phrase used individually:
“Before Marniol was approved by the FDA”Senator, here I must bring out an ugly subject, one I am sure you are familiar with and that being the exact reason of WHY MEDICAL CANNABIS IS NOT FDA APPROVED at this time. After all isn’t Marinol nothing more than a synthetic form of the natural substance? So if Marinol has FDA approval, shouldn’t natural Medical Cannabis ALSO have it? ----- I believe we both know the answer; Simply put, it’s EFFECTIVELY AGAINST THE LAW to do Medical Research on Medical Marihuana in our country. No medical research, no FDA approval, it’s as simple as that. [F]
IN the words of Dr. Sanjay Gupta [G]
“To do studies on marijuana in the United States today, you need two important things.Stuck in the middle are the legitimate patients who depend on marijuana as a medicine, oftentimes as their only good option.”
- First of all, you need marijuana. And marijuana is illegal. You see the problem. Scientists can get research marijuana from a special farm in Mississippi, which is astonishingly located in the middle of the Ole Miss campus, but it is challenging. When I visited this year, there was no marijuana being grown.
- The second thing you need is approval, and the scientists I interviewed kept reminding me how tedious that can be. While a cancer study may first be evaluated by the National Cancer Institute, or a pain study may go through the National Institute for Neurological Disorders, there is one more approval required for marijuana: NIDA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is an organization that has a core mission of studying drug abuse, as opposed to benefit.
“Before Marniol was approved by the FDA for use in the United States, extensive testing and multiple double blind studies”Yes this is true but note (I assume you have access to the studies) how hard it was to even find participants (who had to agree not to use street Marihuana) during the studies. And even then many of within the placebo group had to be disqualified because of street usage anyway. Maybe enough said on the subject.
“Studies were completed to determine an effective dose that achieved symptomatic relief while avoiding most of the unwanted side effects.”Here you bring out two issues, the first being that of ‘Effective Dose” and the second that of “Unwanted Side Effects.”
EFFECTIVE DOSAGE:
First of all, I repeat (without proof other than common horse sense) that the recommended dosages are being set (artificially low) for political NOT medical needs. However leaving this issue aside, let us just look at the fact that (according to the manufacturers of Marinol), due to the means of oral absorption it appears that between 80 to 90% of the drug is (medically speaking) wasted or useless. Meaning that only 10 to 20% of Marinol is actually of any (medical) use.
This in effect amounts to a 100% variance in the amount of medicine being prescribed. NOTE 100% means a factor of times two or the same as physician telling a patient to take either 8 or 16 pills a day.
Now to be fair, I believe that oral (which I am in favor of) as opposed to inhaled Cannabis may also have this same problem, but still at the present time, I don’t think the above statement is correct. Common horse sense dictates that with something like Marinol, doctors can at best take guesses.
UNWANTED SIDE EFFECTS:
This last part of the statement is not technically correct. The dangerous side effects of Marinol FAR OUTWEIGH those of natural Cannabis. Need proof, (in the words of one narc), just read the warning label attached to it usage by the manufacturer.
Once more, due to the human digestive system, it appears that only 10 to 20% of the active ingredient in Marinol is actually of any (medical) use. HOWEVER, the problem (as I understand it) is that 100% of it is still effecting (let us say) your ability to drive a car, etc. Remember, inhaled Cannabis gets into your system almost immediately AND almost all absorbed; --- Meaning you need to intake a lot less, which in turn greatly decreases those “unwanted side effects” .
The letter goes on to say:
“I would be more than happy to visit with anyone about this topic, but I felt compelled to send out this memo in case it might be helpful to any of my legislative colleagues.Senator, I presume that by, “I would be more than happy to visit with anyone about this topic,” you meant solely other State Elected Officials,” of which I am not. However, if you ever want the invitation is likewise on my end, and should you ever wish, I myself will be more than happy to meet with you and intelligently discuss this matter.
Thank You,
[senders name withheld] “
However, I trust you will not pull another (State Senator) Cliff Aldridge on anyone. You might remember, he also invited someone to come and discuss the matter with him. (Ha, Ha, ha and Ho, Ho, Ho) Naively thinking she was actually going to talk intelligently about the subject, she came prepared with some charts and various papers, but instead of meeting with him, was instead pounced upon by our very own beloved Bureau of Narcotics. ----- I heard that it was NOT a very pleasant experience. As one writer (not I) would later on write of the incident:
“If you’re wondering why some people are reluctant to get involved in lobbying their elected officials, this is a perfect example. Don’t let these intimidation tactics stop you. We have truth, logic, compassion, and justice on our side. Their need to flank themselves with armed authority figures testifies to the untenable position the prohibitionists are saddled with.”
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
Medical Cannabis is nothing new, it is a standard, not an alternative medicine and it has been used safely and efficiently for centuries by Western physicians. In fact it is one of the great mystifying wonders that its medical use is not legal today. However, as you must know, back in the 1930’s the Narcotics police created a hysteria campaign against the use of Medical Cannabis, claiming that it’s use lead to violent crimes such as murder, rapes, robberies, etc. And Oklahoma was right in the middle of this campaign. Our website documents some of the worst case examples.
http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap04/Oklahoma/RMOklahoma.htmAnd while the narc’s no longer go around saying that Marihuana causes one to go out and kill, still organized censorship and dis-information about the subject still prevail. Need proof:
Senator, ask yourself the following question: Why is it that old Cannabis Medical prescriptions can readily be found in Antique Stores, in private collections, etc. YET not one prescription could be located in any governmental library or museum. The answer is obvious, do I need to use the word CENSORSHIP.
I myself was kicked out of the School of Pharmacy (located less than ten blocks away from the Capital building); Why? Because I was snapping pictures of an old Medical Cannabis Jar they had on exhibition. A rather intimidating situation actually for what is supposed to be an open public location. [As an aside and as a direct result of what happened, I now understand their website no longer says “everyone welcome”].
But if you really want to see dis-information at work, you need go no further than (Oklahoma’s own) Bureau of Narcotics
http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap04/Oklahoma/Wolf_MythStart.htmJust some food for thought here. But, I don’t believe that a quick 10-minute rah-rah speech is going to be able to undo the years and years of lies you must have heard with regards to the subject. However, (if possible, in your mind), I do hope that you get a chance to think over the following:
- Our museum has documented well over 2,000 Cannabis medicines that at one time sold legally in drugstores throughout our country. ---- QUESTION: If Medical Cannabis HAS NO MEDICAL USES, as the narc’s still claim, then what was it doing in so many medicines?
- We have documented hundreds of major pharmaceutical manufactures which made use of Medical Cannabis in their medicines. Pharmaceutical Manufacturers such as Eli Lilly, Johnson and Johnson, Abbott Lab’s, Roxane Lab’s, Merck, . . . . and many more. ---- QUESTION: If Medical Cannabis HAS NO MEDICAL USES, then why were so many manufacturers making use of it?
- Here in Oklahoma (before the coming of the Reefer Madness era), Medical Cannabis was widely prescribed by physicians. Our website:
http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap04/Oklahoma/OK_MedP1-Index.htm
provides documentation to this effect. . ---- QUESTION: If Medical Cannabis HAS NO MEDICAL USES, then why were physicians prescribing it?
- If Dronabinol (Marinol) is so great then why is it that the vast number of patients (when given a choice) prefer the natural substance over the synthetic?
* In keeping with our policy of NOT mentioning names without permission, all ID info has been self-censored.
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FOOTNOTES:
[A]- You might be interested in some fun and games that I played with these kinds of statistics at:
http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap04/Oklahoma/OK_InAnswerA.htm
[B]- See original write up for figure documentation’s:
http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap04/Oklahoma/OK_InAnswerA.htm
[C]- Marijuana Usage Down Among Colorado Teens, Up Nationally: Study Shows – Posted: 09/07/2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/07/marijuana-usage-down-in-t_n_1865095.html
[D]- http://antiquecannabisbook.com/Dedication/Marinol.htm
[E]- Summaries on many of these studies can be located via:
http://reefermadnessmuseum.org/chap04/Oklahoma/OK_Addendum_B.htm
[F]- Note the Drug Czar’s office DOES give out permits to do safety research from time to time, but none have ever been issued for actual Medical Research on Cannabis in this country since the passage of the Control substances act back in the 1970’s.
[G]- Why I changed my mind on weed By Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent August 9, 2013
WANT TO KNOW MORE:
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Due to space / download time considerations, only selected materials are displayed. If you would like to obtain more information, feel free to contact the museum. All our material is available (at cost) on CD-Rom format.
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