US - Medical marijuana in the post-Raich climate

[Pinch]

Washington, DC - There have been several significant developments in medical marijuana news since the Supreme Court decision earlier this month that the federal government has the right to prosecute medical marijuana patients.

Just yesterday, federal agents raided three medical marijuana dispensaries in San Francisco, along with several homes and businesses. The agents stated that the raids were part of an investigation into a large scale drug trafficking ring. Medical marijuana advocates are waiting to find out more, given that the raids came so close on the heels of the Raich decision.

In better news, Oregon and Hawaii, the two medical marijuana states whose resolve appeared to waver after the Supreme Court decision, have renewed their commitment to patients' rights.

Oregon suspended its patient registration program after the Supreme Court decision in order to assess the ruling's impact. After reaching the conclusion that the ruling does not invalidate the state's program, the Oregon Department of Human Services has resumed issuing medical marijuana cards, and expects to be caught up from a backlog of applications this week.

The Attorney General of Hawai'i, Ed Kubo, has retracted an alarmist assertion that the state's medical marijuana program was "dead" because doctors could now be prosecuted for recommending medical marijuana. Under intense pressure from groups including the Drug Policy Forum of Hawai'i, whose president is Alliance board member Pam Lichty, and the ACLU of Hawai'i, Kubo recently said that he would not prosecute doctors for certifying patients to use marijuana. Doctors can recommend marijuana not only under Hawai'i law but under federal law, thanks a 2002 9th Circuit Court ruling upholding the right of doctors to give such a recommendation and of patients to receive it.

There is positive medical marijuana news north of the border as well. GW Pharmaceuticals, the company that makes the marijuana-derived medicine Sativex, has announced that its product is now available by prescription in Canada. The drug is approved for use by multiple sclerosis patients, and will be marketed by Bayer AG.





Source: Drug Policy Alliance
Copyright: Copyright ©2005 Drug Policy Alliance.
Contact: webmaster@drugpolicy.org
Website: https://www.drugpolicy.org/news/062305mmjupdate.cfm

 

[Kalotermes]

Are we going to be happy when we have to spray shit in our nose to medicate?
I am somewhat paranoid to the fact they may be puttting something "extra" in it.
I don't trust drug formularies.
I want to have the raw product and use it how we see fit.
I hope they don't say "here yeah go, now put away your vapes"

 

[Thepurplem0nkey]

Kalotermes, I agree with you....yet, the creation of this spray is positive for us in the esnes that marijuana is being used in a medicine. If this medicine becomes "big", then it lends legitimacy to medical marijuauna users, and shows further evidence that these morons who claim marijuana has "no medical benefit" are liars, fools, and inhumane bastards.
-PM

 

[Pinch]

Kalotermes, I agree with you....yet, the creation of this spray is positive for us in the esnes that marijuana is being used in a medicine. If this medicine becomes "big", then it lends legitimacy to medical marijuauna users, and shows further evidence that these morons who claim marijuana has "no medical benefit" are liars, fools, and inhumane bastards.
-PM

Mr. K, the spray is old news.. that Canada had the balls to accept it as a pharmaceutical is a world's first! GW has been working on it for years and what Mr. PM says is correct, it adds legitimacy to the Medical Marijuana cause.. this is some thing that is sorely lacking in our cause.

 

[Kalotermes]

Mr. K, the spray is old news.. that Canada had the balls to accept it as a pharmaceutical is a world's first! GW has been working on it for years and what Mr. PM says is correct, it adds legitimacy to the Medical Marijuana cause.. this is some thing that is sorely lacking in our cause.

I see it as one more move to eradicate the smoking.
They could put out 20 different sprays that would cover most Indica/Sativa--CBD/THC medicinal effects from smoking it.
A cannabis based anti-inflamation drug already exists for AIDS patients.
They know it works.
They want to extract the anti-establishment affect it has on people.

 

[Thepurplem0nkey]

They know it works.
They want to extract the anti-establishment affect it has on people.

You are EXACTLY right my friend. The only problem is, most of the populace DOESNT know, and are brainwashed by the establishment. WHen other countries begin aloowing marijuana, including a marijuana spray, it becomes harder and harder for the establishment to mantain their rediculus stance on this issue.
-PM

 

[lizzzard]

For every step further WE make towards letting others know of the good medicine that MOTHER has provided for the PEOPLE there will be steps taken to erase the steps. It has been that way all along. This just means that WE need to work harder. Our job is to inform those that are ignorant. There has been many decades that have gone by by our government spreading lies. It will be hard for US to write our own chapter that tells the truth. They are still telling lies. There are no patents that a drug company can make for something that is naturally grown plant medicine. Eli Lilly DOES NOT want to give up their monoply. They are making too much $ (much more than the Yellow House can dream of) off of the patent for Marinol.

 

[Pinch]

Clubs will never go away in California.

The government will continue loosing their war on drugs.

The people will smoke pot till they fart dust.

Amen.

 

[Pinch]

"They want to extract the anti-establishment affect it has on people."

A little confusion here.. they have extracted the anti-establishment affect from GW's new sativex.. I think we can look at this new pharmacutical as another chinck in the US's wall of insanity. Simple as that.

A long journey begins with one step.. be patient.