Medical

Browsing: Medical

Worth Repeating: Marijuana Reduces Risk of Head & Neck Cancer

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 3, 2011 Medical

Photo: WebMD

Smoking marijuana from 10 to 20 years reduces your risk of head and neck cancer, according to a 2009 study.

By Ron Marczyk, R.N.

Health Education Teacher (Retired)

Welcome to all you “Tokies.” Class is now in session! And yes, this info will be on the test!

I am humbled by the large numbers of viewers who have shared “Worth Repeating,” my positive marijuana medical reports.

These are the studies that have been unreported or under-reported in the media. We will now control the real story on marijuana, Love will be our weapon, and Truth will be our Shield!

The U.S. government has had a monopoly for 75 years on the information that is reported on and broadcasted to the all of us regarding marijuana. They lied, and hid the truth to place profits over people. I believe we are at a tipping point to fix this and undo the damage done to millions of people by the criminalization of our peaceful herb.

Medical Marijuana Repeal Bill Faces Heavy Opposition In MT

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Eliza Wiley/Independent Record

Kathy Moore of Three Forks, Montana waits at the Capitol in Helena to voice her opposition to House Bill 161, which would repeal the Medical Marijuana Act.

Opponents of a bill that would repeal a 2004 voter-passed medical marijuana law outnumbered supporters by 3-to-1 among those signed up to speak to the Montana House on Wednesday.

House Bill 161, sponsored by House Speaker Mike Milburn (R-Cascade) was at issue before the House Human Services Committee, reports Charles S. Johnson at The Billings Gazette. The preliminary count of people signed up to speak showed 86 opponents and 28 supporters of repealing the state’s medical marijuana law.

The committee took no immediate action on the bill.

Milburn complained about the huge increase in numbers of people obtaining medical marijuana cards, with more than 28,000 patients now in Montana. He bemoaned “what it has done to Montana” and its schools, cities and towns with “the increased use of marijuana by teens.”

“So it’s no longer an issue of medical marijuana,” Milburn claimed. “It’s an issue of marijuana. We’ve opened the floodgate. It’s like Hurricane Katrina. We’re not talking about the dikes holding back the water anymore. We’re talking about how do you rebuild the city.”

Med Marijuana Advocates: Records Disclosure Will Hurt Patients

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 2, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: Fox 2

First, the state of Michigan said “Trust us, the medical marijuana patient records will be confidential!” But now the Attorney General says he’ll turn ’em over the the Feds with a court order.

The federal government’s request for patient records from Michigan’s medical marijuana registry will discourage legal use of cannabis, according to Jamie Lowell, founder of the Michigan Association of Compassion Clubs.

Lowell knows of a teacher who could use marijuana medicinally, but she is scared of being identified, reports John Agar at The Grand Rapids Press.

“When you get the application, you are under the impression all of the information will remain confidential,” Lowell said Tuesday, outside of U.S. District Court. “People aren’t going to have that peace of mind, and they’ll think twice.”

Experts: Medical Marijuana Patient Registry Working In Oregon

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Graphic: Potspot 411

Washington state has no medical marijuana patient registry, but the Legislature is considering following Oregon’s lead as part of a sweeping overhaul bill pending in Olympia.

Patients in Washington are anxious about the proposed registry, seeing it as an invasion of privacy and a tempting tool for police, who strongly favor it, reports Jonathan Martin at The Seattle Times. Reflecting those fears, the current proposal in Washington calls for a voluntary registry.

But Oregon’s 11-year experience with a mandatory registry has resulted in patient advocates, police, attorneys and health-care professionals describing it as the least controversial part of the Beaver State’s medical marijuana law.

Charges Dropped; Sleazy Deputy Stole Medical Marijuana Card

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 1, 2011 Dispensaries, Medical, News

Photo: Calaveras County Sheriff

Deputy Steve Avila admitted he stole a medical marijuana patient’s I.D., falsified the birthdate, then bought pot with it — and arrested the man who sold it to him!

Prosecutors have dropped drug dealing, cultivation and possession charges against a medical marijuana dispensary owner in which a Calaveras County sheriff’s deputy used a legitimate — but stolen — medical marijuana card to induce the man to sell him cannabis.

Jay R. Smith, 37, pleaded no contest Friday to a single charge of aiding and abetting another person to commit a felony, according to court records, reports Dana M. Nichols at the Stockton Record.

Smith was sentenced to pay a $160 fine and serve 90 days in jail, but will not be subject to probation. The plea deal means he will be able to continue work as a medical marijuana patient advocate, Smith said.

His arrest on January 4, 2010, prompted protests by medical marijuana patients and providers. At the time, Smith was operating K Care Collective, a medicinal cannabis dispensary.

Calaveras County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Avila, also known as “that sleazy piece of shit,” posed as a legitimate medical marijuana patient named Robert Shaffer of Ione, California, and contacted Smith seeking to buy cannabis.

Deputy Avila had “gained possession” (I guess that’s what they call stealing when a deputy does it?) of Shaffer’s medical marijuana card in late 2009 during an earlier drug case against Shaffer. Deputy Avila then proceeded to falsify the birthdate on the card to persuade Smith to sell him marijuana.

Worth Repeating: Marijuana Halves Lung Cancer Tumor Growth

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 31, 2011 Medical

Graphic: NORML Stash Blog

By Ron Marczyk

A 2007 study, performed at Harvard University (yes, that Harvard) by Anju Preet, PhD and the Division of Experimental Medicine, is further evidence that supports the study performed by Donald Tashkin, M.D. (reported in Toke January 27) originally published in 2005, indicating that THC appears not to start or promote lung cancer, and if anything, appears to slow or stop lung cancer.

In other words, THC, marijuana’s main active ingredient, appears to have anti-tumor effects!

Dr. Preet’s conclusion is that the THC is the main player in stopping cancer. Tetrahyrocannabinol appears to stop epidermal growth factor (EGF) released by lung tumors. EGF is used for angiogenesis (it’s a growth factor released by a tumor to encourage new blood vessel growth to feed it; this also allows the growth of the tumor and allows it to spread).

When mice (whose biological functions are identical to humans’ in many ways) were implanted surgically with human lung cancer cells which were allowed to start growing and then treated with THC for three weeks, the cancer tumors shrunk by 50 percent in weight, and there was a 60 percent reduction in the number of tumors in their lungs.

Enforcement Of Colorado Marijuana Rules Begins March 1

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 31, 2011 Legislation, Medical

Photo: Cannabis Therapy Institute

The MMED’s new badge and logo. Whoever thought they’d see a law enforcement badge with the words “medical marijuana” on it? Just in case we forget how they look at medical marijuana patients and providers, it has ‘CRIMINAL’ right up at the top and center.

The Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division (MMED) of the Colorado Department of Revenue said on Friday that “serious enforcement” of its 99 pages of new rules will begin on March 1. Public comment on the rules will be accepted until February 11.

The rule-making was necessary to implement HB 10-1284, a bill passed by the Colorado Legislature in 2010 which created Medical Marijuana Centers (MMCs), which is what legislators there call dispensaries.

The MMED concluded two days of rule-making hearings on January 28, taking testimony on the new dispensary rules. Even though the new rules will affect hundreds of dispensary applicants, fewer than 10 MMC applicants testified at the hearings.

Medical Marijuana Employment Rights Intro’d In CA Legislature

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 31, 2011 Legislation, Medical, News

Graphic: Rose Law Group

California employers would be prevented from discriminating against medical marijuana patients under a bill introduced to the California Legislature on Thursday.

Senate Bill 129, introduced by State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), would not change the current law which prohibits employees from using medical marijuana at the workplace. “This bill is not about being under the influence while at work,” Sen. Leno said. “That’s against the law, and will remain so.”

According to Sen. Leno, his bill “simply establishes a medical cannabis patient’s right to work.”

Colorado Medical Grower Bartkowicz Gets 5 Years In Prison

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 28, 2011 Growing, Medical, News

Photo: Chris Bartkowicz

Happier Times: In 2009 when he uploaded this photo to Facebook, Chris Bartkowicz wrote in the caption: “it’s legal so I started growing it outta my ears. Love this LAW!! LEGAL WEED!!!” He was sentenced to five years in federal prison on Friday.

Chris Bartkowicz, a Colorado man who ran a medical marijuana growing operation from the basement of his home, was sentenced Friday morning to five years in federal prison.

Bartkowicz pleaded guilty in October to federal drug charges, which vengeful Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided within hours after Chris showed the grow operation to a TV news team.

Under his plea agreement, Bartkowicz and federal prosecutors settled on a prison term of five years, and federal District Court Judge Philip Brimmer chose to accept that deal, reports John Ingold at The Denver Post. His release will be followed by eight years of supervised probation. Under federal sentencing rules, Chris must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence, which means, like the case of Marc Emery, a minimum of 51 months in prison.

“Five years is a long time,” Assistant U.S. Attorney M.J. Menendez said during the hearing. “It’s going to allow him time to get treatment and it’s going to give him time to reflect on what brought him here today.”

Worth Repeating: Smoking Cannabis Does Not Cause Lung Cancer

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on January 27, 2011 Medical, News

Photo: YouTube

Dr. Donald Tashkin of UCLA conducted the largest-ever study of marijuana’s effect on the lungs. His team found that not only was cannabis not associated with lung cancer, but that it possibly even exerts a protective effect against it.

Fellow Tokers, meet Ron Marczyk, who’ll be bringing to your attention stories from the cannabis archives that are “Worth Repeating.”

Often, as stories are churned through the media’s 24-hour news cycle, good information flashes by and is lost. We aim to help correct that with “Worth Repeating,” which will cover important cannabis stories that you may have missed.

Ron is a retired health education teacher who taught health ed and psych (drug/sex ed) to high school students for 20 years. He is an R.N. (emergency room) M.S. in cardiac rehab, and worked as a New York City Police officer for two years.

Previous 1 … 149 150 151 152 153 … 203 Next