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Pro-marijuana policy bloc swings Oregon attorney general primary election

Posted on 20. May, 2012 by Admin.

“The rational and peaceable instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people.”
~ Thomas Jefferson

Last night, the people of Oregon took to the ballot and utilized that rational instrument of reform, electing Ellen Rosenblum – champion of marijuana policy reform – to be the Democratic nominee for attorney general of the State of Oregon. With no Republican challenger in the field, Ms. Rosenblum’s victory means she will be Oregon’s next AG.

Ellen Rosenblum defeated Dwight Holton in the Democratic primary, 63% – 37%, in what many characterized as not only a primary election for attorney general, but also a referendum on marijuana policy. The candidates had similar stances on many issues, including environmental issues, consumer protection issues, and civil rights. Where they differed greatly, however, was on the issue of marijuana policy in the state of Oregon.

Ellen Rosenblum has taken a good long look at the problems facing Oregonians and has carefully considered how the attorney general can address those problems. Weighing the pros and cons, Ms. Rosenblum has decided that it makes little sense to divert precious state resources – both in time and money – enforcing outdated, illogical, and draconian marijuana policies. As attorney general, Ms. Rosenblum has also committed to protecting the rights of Oregon’s medical marijuana patients.

Contrast her reasonable approach with that of her challenger: Holton, in his capacity as the interim United States attorney for the District of Oregon, threatened state legal medical marijuana providers with federal criminal charges. His hostilities toward reasonable marijuana policy seeped into the election when he called the medical marijuana program – enacted by the people in 1998 – a “train wreck” and attacked Ms. Rosenblum for putting marijuana law enforcement low on her priority list.

This is a not only a major victory for Oregonians, but for all individuals who yearn to see our state and federal governments finally listen to logic, science, and their constituents and reform our country’s failed marijuana policies. Research comes out daily verifying the efficacy of medical marijuana on many aliments, yet President Obama’s Justice Department continues to interfere with state medical marijuana programs. Polling shows that 74% of the American public wants the federal government to respect state medical marijuana laws. It’s about time the politicians realize that honesty, compassion, and listening to logic and science play well among the American electorate. It’s about time we get more politicians like Ellen Rosenblum.

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7 Marijuana (THC) Home Use Urine Drug Test Strips Free shipping- Made in Canada

Posted on 18. May, 2012 by Admin.

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Breaking: Clinical Trial Data Yet Again Affirms Cannabis’ Efficacy

Posted on 18. May, 2012 by Admin.

Is it any wonder that the US government fights tooth-and-nail to hinder researchers’ attempts to conduct clinical trials assessing the therapeutic utility of cannabis as a medicine? After all, each and every time the federal government begrudgingly allows for such studies they’re faced with credibility-shattering results like this:

Marijuana relieves muscles tightness, pain of multiple sclerosis: Study
via the Toronto Star

Smoking marijuana can relieve muscle tightness, spasticity (contractions) and pain often experienced by those with multiple sclerosis, says research out of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

The findings, just published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, included a controlled trial with 30 participants to understand whether inhaled cannabis would help complicated cases where existing pharmaceuticals are ineffective or trigger adverse side effects.

MS is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain and spinal cord.

The disease attacks the myelin, the protective covering wrapped around the nerves of the central nervous system, and — among other symptoms — can cause loss of balance, impaired speech, extreme fatigue, double vision and paralysis.

The average age of the research participants was 50 years with 63 per cent of the study population female.

More than half the participants needed walking aids and 20 per cent used wheelchairs.

Rather than rely on self-reporting by patients regarding their muscle spasticity — a subjective measure — health professionals rated each patient’s joints on the modified Ashworth scale, a common objective tool to evaluate intensity of muscle tone.

The researchers found that the individuals in the group that smoked cannabis experienced an almost one-third decrease on the Ashworth scale — 2.74 points from a baseline score of 9.3 — meaning spasticity improved, compared to the placebo group.

As well, pain scores decreased by about 50 per cent.

“We saw a beneficial effect of smoked cannabis on treatment-resistant spasticity and pain associated with multiple sclerosis among our participants,” says Dr. Jody Corey-Bloom of the university’s department of neuroscience.

To those familiar with medicinal cannabis research, the results are hardly surprising. After all, Sativex — an oral spray containing plant cannabis extracts — is already legal by prescription to treat MS-related symptoms in over a dozen countries, including Canada, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, and Spain. Further, long-term assessments of the drug indicate that in addition to symptom management, cannabinoids may also play a role in halting the course of the disease.

Nevertheless, the National MS Society — like the US government — shares little enthusiasm for cannabis medicine, stating, “Studies completed thus far have not provided convincing evidence that marijuana or its derivatives provide substantiated benefits for symptoms of MS.”

Patient advocacy organizations, like the MS Society, have a responsibility to represent the interests of their constituents and to advise practitioners regarding best treatment practices. Why then does this responsibility not extend to patients who use cannabis as an alternative treatment therapy or to those that might one day potentially benefit from its use?