--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5L00012 Date: 05/15/97 From: RICH WOODS Time: 3:34 am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: More Stuff Doreen's Medical History and Her Medical Marijuana Usage {description: I have found marijuana to be the most effective medication for the multitude of symptoms caused by the maladies I suffer from.} {keywords: medical marijuana, cannibis, hemp, Doreen Bishop, Denver, Colorado, legalize, war on drugs, jury nullification, FIJA, cancer, militia, trial, activist} {GENERATOR: Microsoft FrontPage 1.1} My Medical History and Fight for the Freedom to Smoke Marijuana I am a victim of both birth defects due to prenatal medication, chemical, and biological diseases, that were released over a long period of years. I have worked with many doctors through my 47 years, trying everything from hypnosis to strong narcotics for pain management. I have found marijuana to be the most effective medication for the multitude of symptoms caused by the maladies I suffer from. In my personal fight to gain my right to have a supply of legal marijuana I sued the State of Colorado for my rights under State law C.R.S. 25-5-901 Dangerous Drugs Therapeutic Act, and got stepped on big time. During my pursuit of personal rights I have sifted through hundreds of medical documents which I hope to be sharing with you in the future. In my search I've come together with other patients suffering diseases ranging from Parkinson's, distonia, AIDS, M.S., epilepsy, cancers, gastrual intestinal disorders, etc. all agreeing marijuana has improved their quality of life. Since Roe vs. Wade women have not had to run into back alleys for coat hanger abortions. But the AIDS, cancer and gastrointestinal patients, still have to go into back alleys and deal with sleazy criminals and D.E.A. plants to get needed medical marijuana. It is not the government that is good or bad, because the government is the people. It is individuals working within the bureaucracy and leadership of governments, as well as the apathetic and passive individuals, who choose to be victims, by not taking responsibility and supervision of political representatives and leaders. it is because of lobbyists, for the drug companies, Congress will not permit the less expensive and more effective marijuana, which has less side effects than many of the prescription medications, one of these, which gave me my birth defects, and later my cancer, that made the use of marijuana necessary in my life. What I stand for is someone who has continued to fight, for the right f terminally ill and diseased patients, to receive what they were promised by the government. Individuals have the right to treat themselves in a reasonable manner, that s neither destructive to self, or another individual without Government interference. Even more important is the right of the individual to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and health and without government interference. ROLLED UP CIGARETTES by Doreen 1/1/89 I'm smokin' rolled up cigarettes, beginning to feel high Hopin' no one smells the smoke as they go walking by. Kickin' back, talkin' 'bout how time use to be, Remembering the moments, when we were all still free. Simply free to be ourselves while sliding thru this time Smoking rolled up cigarettes should never be a crime. Do you have a drink or two, around dinner time? Did you know that once your drinking was a crime like Smokin' rolled up cigarettes, tryin' to feel fine? Smokin' them rolled up cigarettes like a finely aged red wine..... artwork by Doreen Bishop My Medical Fight Court Case 93 CV6093 MMNews What You Can Do The War in Denver, Colorado Hypocritical Hemp-O-Phobes Other Important Sites FAQs Home | Top < Converted by HTMLess v2.5 by Troglobyte/Darkness. Only Amiga... > --- DLG Pro v1.16/DLGMail v2.63 * Origin: I Didn't Inhale - Honest! - Clinton - White House, Washington, DC (1:209/245) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5L00013 Date: 05/15/97 From: RICH WOODS Time: 3:39 am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: More {Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1} {description: Medical Marijuana news -- reports, articles, pictures.} {keywords: drug czar, The Daily Show, Clea Lewis, medical marijuana, cannibis, hemp, Doreen Bishop, Denver, Colorado, legalize, war on drugs, jury nullification, FIJA, cancer, militia, trial, activist} {GENERATOR: Microsoft FrontPage 2.0} Medical Marijuana News Medical Marijuana News News Clips From the Past December 21, 1996 C-SPAN - Drug Czar Gen. Barry McCaffrey - discusses pcoming escalation of US Drug War While voters in America just say no to the US Drug War, the undemocratic government drug war apparatusprepares new draconian methods to defy the electorate in America.The drug czar is preparing to announce a new aggressive zero-tolerance campaign to "win the drug war". On a morning call-in interview show on C-SPAN President Clinton's Drug Czar Gen. McCaffrey began to reveal the federal government's new military, national guard, and law enforcement policy changes to undo Prop 215 and Prop 200 medical marijuana initiatives recently approved by large majorities of voters. Gen.McCaffrey stated that "in any war, you mobilize against the enemy. In the Drug War, the enemy is our children." The general went on to state that "science and statistics show that if a child does not use drugs between the ages of 7 and 21 then they will not use drugs as adults." The "key to final victory" in the drug war as defined by the President's new policy is targeting the next generation of American children. The onstruction of new juvenile jail facilities and prisons is being accelerated, new laws making it easier to prosecute children as adults are also being proposed. If single generation of drug users can be effectively isolated from the general population then victory can be achieved. Before being appointed drug czar, Gen. McCaffrey served as [http://www.us.net/cip/0701cau.htm] commander of US Military forces in entral America. During his tenure the [http://myhouse.com/pub/bigjohn/Slvador2.html] Central American "death squads" were organized consisting of former and ctive duty law enforcement and military personnel.These private-for-hire death squads are paid to seek out children living in the sewers and streets and eliminate" them.A general who is silent about death squads in his area of operations is good choice for leading a domestic program of cultural cleansing. Gen Barry McCaffery cannot be trusted by the American public to speak out against the abuses that his forces are inflicting on innocent Americans. The "cultural cleansing" aspects of the US War on Drugs are now being revealed by recent EA publicationsthat call for drug legalizers to be treated as criminals and advocating the use of other "extra-constitutional"methods. The drug czar is personally leading a new attack on doctors who advise patients in California and Arizona to use legal natural medicine from the cannabis plant. It will be interesting to see the drug warriors target affluent doctors, a segment of US society that actually has the funds to defend themselves in court and in the political arena. One would assume this foolish effort by the drug czar will soon be abandoned when he reminded that it is better to stick with targeting the poor and the helpless instead. November 4, 1996 - Business Week - Pg. 199 A Brain Shield From--Well, Marijuana The first drug to curtail the spread of brain damage resulting from strokes and head or spinal cord injuries has entered clinical tests at six hospitals in Israel. Its key ingredient is dexanabinol, a synthetic molecule based on the active agent in marijuana. Dexanabinol was discovered six years ago by aphael Mechoullam, a researcher at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and developed by the Rehovot (Israel) research arm of Pharmos Corp.in Alachua, Fla. Dexanabinol has two novel properties: It can cross the so-called blood-brain barrier that prevents foreign molecules from entering the brain. And once in, the drug appears to halt the brain-cell deterioration that follows a blow to the head or a stroke. In four years of animal testing, the drug produced "outstanding" results, says Michael Schickler, vice-president of Pharmos' Israel operations. Pharmos expects clinical tests to be completed by the end of 997. If it works, dexanabinol could hit the market by 2000. September 25, 1996 - The Daily Show - Actress Clea Lewis stated - "Marijuana should be legal one day a month, especially when you have bad cramps." September 16, 1996 - More Medical Marijuana Raids in California After Drug Czar's Visit! L.A. SHERIFF CRACKS DOWN ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA "CRIME" West Hollywood Cannabis Buyers' Club Raided Epileptic Faces Charges in Santa Rosa Sept. 16 -West Hollywood, Cal: County sheriffs raided the Los Angeles annabis Buyers' Club for medical marijuana patients today. Four club employees, including two cancer patients and an AIDS patient, were arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell. The raid is thought to have been planned by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and Attorney General Dan Lungren behind the backs of West Hollywood city officials, who were reportedly outraged by the raid. West Hollywood is one of several California communities to have adopted a resolution urging police to refrain from medical marijuana arrests. Meanwhile, in Sonoma County, epileptic Alan Martinez was scheduled to go to court tomorrow on charges of felony marijuana cultivation (Santa Rosa uperior Court, Room 13, Sept. 17, 8:30 A.M.). Martinez, 42, who uses marijuana to control severe epileptic seizures, was arrested for growing 6 marijuana seedlings following a complaint from a neighbor. Martinez is expected to pursue a medical marijuana defense. "This marks a new low in the war on pot," commented California NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer, "Our marijuana laws are clearly bankrupt when they let law enforcement authorities run amok arresting people for providing medicine to the sick. The time has come to change the laws to protect Californians' right to medicine." Dale Gieringer (415) 563-5858 // canorml@igc.apc.org 2215-R Market St. #278, San Francisco CA 94114 August 4, 1996 - Cannabis Buyers' Club" (CBC) in San Francisco Raided by Police The San Francisco Cannabis Buyers' Club, which provides medical marijuana to about 10,000 patients, and five other smaller clubs in San Francisco, were raided at 7:30 this morning (Sunday August 4). Reportedly, sixteen people ere taken into custody. This raid comes as the campaign for Prop. 215, the California Medical Marijuana Initiative, and the opposition to Prop. 215, ave begun to move into gear. We have just learned that protests in San Francisco in support of the Buyers' Club are planned for: 1) this evening (Sunday 8/4), at 5:00pm, meeting at 18th & Castro, and walking to Market St. (the whole street is blocked off, and the media is there in force); 2) tomorrow (Monday 8/5) at noon, at the State Building on McAllister & Van Ness; and 3) tomorrow at the State Courthouse at 850 Bryant St. at 1:30pm. If you are in the Bay Area, or can get there, lease go to protest this human rights violation and misuse of the criminal justice system for political purposes. And please call Gov. Pete Wilson at (916) 445-2841 and Attorney General Dan Lungren at (916) 448-3853 (campaign office) or (916) 445-9555 (Justice Dept.) to express your outrage. August 4, 1996 - Californians for Medical Rights - Yes on 215 Buyers' Club Bust Underscores Need for Prop. 215 SANTA MONICA, August 4 -- Reacting to news this morning that the "Cannabis Buyers' Club" (CBC) in San Francisco has been raided by police, Californians for Medical Rights, the Yeson Prop. 215 campaign, issued the following statement:"The Cannabis Buyers' Club, one of the many groups in California supporting Prop. 215, has suffered a serious blow this morning.For some, the San Francisco CBC was a beacon of hope." "Our hearts go out to the 10,000 seriously and terminally ill people served y the CBC. These patients were willing to risk arrest to use a medicine that reduced their pain and suffering.Many of them will now be deprived of that medicine, which their doctors agreed was beneficial." "The arrests this morning underscore the need for passage of Prop. 215 this November. The seriously and terminally ill people of California who find medical benefits from marijuana are not criminals. Prop. 215 will make that fact explicit under state law." "Surely the dozens of police officers who participated in this morning's arrests can be better employed chasing hard criminals, even on a Sunday morning." ### Californians for Medical Rights (CMR) -- YES ON 215 is a non-partisan, non-affiliated committee formed in 1996. CMR's focus is on protecting the legal rights of doctors and patients who find marijuana useful in medical reatment. CMR was instrumental in gathering sufficient signatures to place Prop.215 on the ballot -- over 775,000 were turned over to county registrars on April 24. CONTACT: Dave Fratello at (310) 394-2952 125 Sixth Street #202, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) 394-2952 Fax: (310) 451-7494 July 20, 1996 - MARY'S BROWNIES 'MAGIC' - Carey Goldberg, The New York Times San Francisco -- If marijuana is legalized and "magic brownie" mixes ever appear on the shelves of America's supermarkets, there will be one obvious candidate to become the Betty Crocker, the Mrs. Field, the Sara Lee, of cannabis baking. Her name, as almost any San Franciscan can tell you, is rownie Mary. Her real names is Mary Rathbun. But her famous brownies, her great kindness to AIDS patients and her repeated arrests have made her such public figure in San Francisco that no last names were needed when the city officially declared Aug. 25, 1992, to be Brownie Mary Day. Brownie Mary phote by G.Daurer For about 15 years, Rathbun, who now is almost 74, has been donating 'magic brownies' and unadulterated cookies to dying patients and volunteering in the AIDS ward of San Francisco General Hospital, winning acclaim in the city that has suffered intensely from the epidemic. But these days, the battle she has waged -- to legalize the use of marijuana for patients suffering from AIDS, cancer and other ailments such glaucoma, whose symptoms are said to be alleviated by the drug -- has taken on special urgency. Two processes have converged. In a statewide referendum in November, voters appear likely to approve a measure legalizing the "compassionate use" of marijuana. And Brownie Mary's own health has been failing. "I say to her every day, I say, Mary, you've got to live," said Dennis Peron, probably San Francisco's most prominent marijuana advocate and Rathbun's longtime comrade-in-arms. "She had given up three months ago -- she said she was going to Michigan to see Dr. Kevorkian, because she was just in so much pain, and I said, 'Mary, you can't go see Kevorkian until November.'" That argument carries weight with Rathbun, who suffers from arthritis and other ailments that kept her laid up and unable to bake at all this year. Although the ailments she admits to are not terminal, she is in constant pain and her failing health has melted away the comfortable grandmotherly lumpness she used to have. Rathbun, whose source of income is Social Security checks -- the marijuana is donated by growers -- says she indeed does want to see the medical use of marijuana legalized before she dies, for those she calls her "kids," the hundreds, if not thousands, of AIDS patients she has helped. "I think I might live to see it, I really do," she said, adding that if California does approve the ballot measure as pollsters predict, Gov. Pete Wilson, who has vetoed similar proposals by the legislature, "will wet his pants, he really will." If being ornery helps, Rathbun will surely make it. Although much of her fame stems from the outrageous picture of the police arresting a sweet little old lady for baking brownies to help sick people, no one could be further from a milquetoast. When she was 13 and growing up in Minneapolis, Rathbun said, she turned on a nun who caned her and got in a few good licks herself. That was the end of Catholic school and of living at home; she took an apartment and went to work in the afternoons, beginning a waitressing career of more than 50 years. She remains an atheist to this day. She came out to San Francisco during World War II with some friends, was married for a while and had a daughter who died in an automobile accident at 22. Friends say the loss of her daughter may have helped spur Rathbun later on to take on so many AIDS patients, adopting dozens of "kids" to replace the one she lost. Rathbun says, however, that she always has volunteered, that it comes naturally. A pot smoker for decades, she samples her own wares, typically eating half a brownie in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. Without her own sweet medicine, she says, she never could do so much walking on her two artificial knees. She began baking large quantities of pot brownies in the 1970s, offering them for sale, long before she started her charitable baking. Her first arrest came in 1980, when police raided the little home bakery that was turning out as many as 50 dozen brownies a day, she said, and the second couple of years later when she was walking down the street with some brownies meant for a friend with cancer. After the third arrest in 1992, her fame really took off, and she still, to her own bemusement, is asked to do interviews for European TV and photo shoots. The demand among AIDS patients for her free brownies grew so great she pulled names from a cookie jar to see who would get them. Rathbun is willing, though not eager, to talk. What she will not do under any circumstances is reveal the secret recipe for her brownies, except to say hat the trick is to figure out your recipe and follow it precisely. She and Peron put out a cookbook in 1993. "Brownie Mary's Marijuana Cookbook and Dennis Peron's Recipe for Social Change" that includes potlaced recipes for black bean soup, chip dip, spaghetti sauce and chestnut stuffing -- but no brownies. "When and if they legalize it, I'll sell my brownie recipe to Betty Crocker r Duncan Hines," she said, "and take the profits and buy an old Victorian for y kids with AIDS." My Medical Fight Court Case 93 CV6093 MMNews What You Can Do The War in Denver, Colorado Hypocritical Hemp-O-Phobes Other Important Sites FAQs Home | Top < Converted by HTMLess v2.5 by Troglobyte/Darkness. Only Amiga... > --- DLG Pro v1.16/DLGMail v2.63 * Origin: I Didn't Inhale - Honest! - Clinton - White House, Washington, DC (1:209/245) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5L00014 Date: 05/16/97 From: RICH WOODS Time: 12:1 am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: More Stuff Marijuana War in Denver, Colorado {description: Doreen Bishop demonstrating For Medical Marijuana, James Conner's speech, and more.} {keywords: medical marijuana, cannibis, hemp, Doreen Bishop, Denver, Colorado, legalize, war on drugs, jury nullification, FIJA, cancer, militia, trial, activist} {description: Doreen Bishop demonstrating For Medical Marijuana, James Conner's speech, and more.} {keywords: medical marijuana, cannibis, hemp, Doreen Bishop, Denver, Colorado, legalize, war on drugs, jury nullification, FIJA, cancer, militia, trial, activist} {GENERATOR: Microsoft FrontPage 1.1} The Marijuana War in Denver, Colorado Stuart Wong/Gazette Telegraph Doreen Bishop Demonstrating For Medical Marijuana Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph August 11, 1994 Backing marijuana for medical purposes Colorado Springs police Sgt. Phillip LeBeau points to where Connie Barr-Rowe, left, and Doreen Bishop can conduct their demonstration for the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes during a meeting of police chiefs at the Sheraton Colorado Springs Hotel. Gov. Roy Romer spoke to the chiefs Tuesday. Bishop, a cancer patient, said, "We're good citizens. We're here to support the police." Colorado's Forbidden Medicine July 23, 1993, 7-10p.m. Radisson Hotel Denver 1550 Court Place Majestic Ballroom The Denver Medical Marijuana Initiative cordially invites you to attend our free conference "Colorado's Forbidden Medicine?"on the evening of July 23. Dr. Lester Grinspoon, author of "Marihuana, The Forbidden Medicine", will be our guest speaker followed by a panel discussion. Our panel will include Dr. William Robinson and former State Representative Miller Hudson among others. The Denver Medical Marijuana Conference was held on July 23, 1993 in downtown Denver. More information about this conference will put on this page in the future. Former State Representative Miller Hudson was the original sponsor of the, now repealed, Colorado medical marijuana law, (CRS) 25-5-901. A female medical marijuana patient from his district in Capitol Hill asked him to pass legislation to provide medical marijuana so that she did not have to purchase it from criminals on the street. That was in 1979. Miller won his seat and introduced his act to provide legal access to medicinal marijuana. He kept his promise to his constituents, and is a hero to medical marijuana patients in Colorado. Despite his efforts, in the fourteen years that the act was on the books, not one ounce of marijuana was ever provided to any patient. In America there are so many laws on the books that every American is a criminal. The government cannot arrest everyone, instead they decide which groups to arrest. Marijuana users are only one of many "groups" of Americans currently targeted for routine and systematic malicious prosecution of the laws. James Conner's Speech Sept. 29, 1991 Colorado State Capitol, Denver Good afternoon people, I'm a person with AIDS. I got it through an acquaintance rape. No matter if you're a man or a woman, you've got to be careful these days. There's a syndrome with AIDS, that affects thousands of people across America called "wasting syndrome." I used to weigh 155 pounds; I went down to 115 pounds, a 40 pound loss. I was vomiting up my food in the morning, noon and night sometimes. Now Cannabis, we all know, gives you not only the "munchies" and replaces your appetite, it prevents nausea...it prevents that vomiting. Thousands of AIDS patients could benefit from smoking marijuana. photo by G. Daurer There's a pill out now called Marinol. I am finally being cleared after months of effort through my doctor and my pharmacist to fill this prescription of Marinol, which is a dronabinol. It takes him about a week to fill it each time. What do I do during that week, but sit there, sick and ill. That is wrong. People with AIDS, people with cancer, glaucoma, and other illnesses need this medicine. This is not a recreational matter, but a matter of medical humanitarian efforts. I'm just here to inform you of the Hell people go through, who are ill, who are denied proper access to medicine through our government, because of their lies on this drug war. Now I respect my doctors' wishes. I did not take today's dosage of Marinol to drive up here today. He has advised me strictly, do not drive on this substance and I say please do not smoke pot and drive too. But if you need Cannabis to live, I was told by clinical trial research nurses ...two of them...to grow marijuana in my apartment. These were people giving me DDC to stymie the AIDS virus. They told me when they saw me losing more weight, not eating...they told me to grow marijuana in my apartment and that gave me stress. I told them each time that's a felony in this state. I cannot afford incarceration. I told them that. They told me twice to grow marijuana. The third time, they gave me a sheet on how to grow medicinal plants and herbs in my closet. I broke down and called a counseling center for a second opinion. They went and broke my confidence and went to the clinical trial research nurses and they implicated the ill in this. They said it was my idea and they didn't tell me that. I called up, since this was the clinical trial research associated with the Denver County. I called up the Denver Police Department and asked them, "What do I do?" The left hand is telling me to grow it and the right hand is saying they'll throw me in jail if I do. So, well the officer was a good officer, one of Denver's finest, he said, "If I were you I would grow it." Now what type of message is that sending to the people? We have a "rigmarole," merry-go-round system where people are dying from terminal illnesses, are going blind from incurable blindness. What are we going to do? I've written Schroeder, I've talked to Tim Wirth's office. I have called the president five times. What good does it do when they are deaf? They cannot smoke a joint and get their ears open. All I'm asking from you is to become active to free your friends. Remember this commercial on TV - you can get AIDS from smoking marijuana or drinking - is a lie. You cannot catch AIDS from passing a joint around with a person infected with HIV. People have to know the truth. The children, the adults, everybody has to know the truth about marijuana. Marijuana saved my life when I was "wasting away." I sing the Elton John song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," and it was a Mexican farmer and I thank him today. James C. Conner, surreal artist and musician, died July 4, 1993 of AIDS at age 37. Other stories about the struggle in Denver and Colorado. * The People of the State of Colorado vs. Laura Kriho Case# 96CR91 August 24 - Gilpin County, Colo. --- In a case that threatens to destroy trial by jury, a Gilpin County judge has charged a juror with contempt of court for deliberating "improperly" in a jury room. The prosecution of this juror threatens the very foundations of American justice by inquiring into confidential jury deliberations and forcing jurors to testify against each other. * Please read the latest on the Laura Kriho Case. My Medical Fight Court Case 93 CV6093 MMNews What You Can Do The War in Denver, Colorado Hypocritical Hemp-O-Phobes Other Important Sites FAQs Home | Top < Converted by HTMLess v2.5 by Troglobyte/Darkness. Only Amiga... > --- DLG Pro v1.16/DLGMail v2.63 * Origin: I Didn't Inhale - Honest! - Clinton - White House, Washington, DC (1:209/245) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5P00000 Date: 05/16/97 From: L P Time: 06:50am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Norml News 05/15/97 NORML News - May 15, 1997 A NON PROFIT LEGAL, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION The NORML Foundation 1001 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW SUITE 1010 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036 T 202-483-5500 • F 202-483-0057 • E-MAIL NORMLFNDTN@AOL.COM . . . a weekly service for the media on news items related to Marijuana Prohibition. May 15, 1997 Regular Marijuana Users Have No Higher Rates Of Mortality, Long-Term Study Concludes May 15, 1997, Oakland, CA: Conclusions from a comprehensive, long-term study by Kaiser Permanente show no substantial link between regular marijuana smoking and death, but suggested that marijuana prohibition may itself pose a health hazard to the user. The study looked at 10 years of mortality statistics for more than 65,000 men and women who received health check-ups at Kaiser's Oakland and San Francisco facilities between 1979 and 1985. Patients were divided into groups ranging from those who had never tried marijuana to those who use it currently or regularly. Mortality statistics for all patients were followed until 1991 and analyzed for any association between marijuana and death. The study's statistical methodology controlled for the use of tobacco and alcohol so that deaths from marijuana smoking could be clearly defined. Researchers found no increase in deaths among the more than 14,000 patients who reported they were marijuana users as compared to those who had never used marijuana. They further noted that the total mortality risks associated with marijuana use were lower than those for tobacco-cigarette smoking for both men and women. Women who used marijuana also had a lower risk of total mortality as compared to those who consumed alcohol regularly. The study noted that marijuana smokers with AIDS did have a significantly higher death rate than non-smokers, but said that their mortality was virtually the same as it was for AIDS patients who didn't smoke marijuana. Researchers stressed that the links they found between marijuana use and death were associations and not an indication that marijuana was a cause of death. In additions to reporting their findings on mortality, researchers also criticized the federal government's current War on Drugs and stated that marijuana has medical value. The following excerpt is taken from the "Discussion" section of the Kaiser Permanente report: "... Relatively few adverse clinical health effects from the chronic use of marijuana have been documented in humans. [However,] _the criminalization of marijuana use may itself be a health hazard, since it may expose the consumer to violence and criminal activity._ [Emphasis added. -ed.] While reducing the prevalence of drug abuse is a laudable goal, we must recognize that marijuana use is widespread despite the long-term, multibillion dollar War on Drugs. Therefore, medical guidelines regarding its prudent use should be established, akin to the commonsense guidelines that apply to alcohol use. Unfortunately, clinical research on potential therapeutic uses for marijuana has been difficult to accomplish in the United States, _despite reasonable evidence for the efficacy of ... THC and marijuana as antiemetic and antglaucoma agents and the suggestive evidence for their efficacy in the treatment of other medical conditions, including AIDS._ [Emphasis added. -ed.]" The Kaiser Permanente report is the third study published this year demonstrating that long-term, regular marijuana use poses few serious risks to health. The study, entitled "Marijuana Use and Mortality," appears in the April 1997 issue of the _American Journal of Public Health_. For more information or a copy of the Kaiser Permanente study, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8571. (Meanwhile) New "Study" Rejecting Medical Marijuana Not Really A Study At All May 15, 1997, Philadelphia, PA: An article by longtime medical marijuana opponents Drs. Eric Voth and Dr. Richard H. Schwartz of the International Drug Strategy Institute -- an anti-drug think tank based in Topeka, Kansas -- rejecting the use of marijuana as a medicine should not be interpreted as a new research study, cautioned Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of The NORML Foundation. The article, published Wednesday in the _Annals of Internal Medicine_, is based on the assumptions of the authors after reviewing a portion of the hundreds of existing studies published in the 1970s and 1980s pertaining to marijuana's medical potential. The authors admit that they failed to consider anecdotal accounts of marijuana's medicinal effectiveness when drawing their conclusions. The findings of Drs. Voth and Schwartz differ dramatically from similar efforts conducted by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Institute of Medicine (1982), the Australian Government's National Task Force on Cannabis (1994), and the National Institute's of Health's (NIH) own findings this past February. After reviewing the scientific evidence, all three entities concluded that there exists ample evidence demonstrating marijuana's medical potential in the treatment of various illnesses such as AIDS wasting syndrome, glaucoma, spasticity disorders, and the nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy. "Drs. Voth and Schwartz represent the most strident wing of America's anti-medical marijuana crusade," explained St. Pierre. "Their 'review' of the modern scientific literature hardly qualifies as research and represents little more than their preconceived opinion." For more information or for a copy of NORML's position paper: _Review Of Human Studies On Medical Use Of Mariiuana_, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8571. Arizona Tax Stamp Repealed By Legislators, May Be Challenged By Referendum May 15, 1997, Phoenix, AZ: Fourteen year old legislation requiring individuals who possess marijuana to obtain both a dealer's license and tax stamps from the State Department of Revenue was repealed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Fife Symington on April 28. The law had fallen under scrutiny after a North Phoenix judge dismissed marijuana charges against NORML activist Peter Wilson because of taxes he had previously paid to the state to possess and sell cannabis. Judge John Barclay wrote that, "The facts in this case prohibit prosecution for the possession of marijuana because the tax imposed prior to the prosecution served a punitive purpose." Constitutional protections forbid an individual from being punished criminally twice for the same offense. Since Barclay's ruling was handed down, hundreds of activists and residents have applied and received tax stamps from the state of Arizona. "Most cannabis dealers don't even know their licenses are in jeopardy," said Arizona NORML founder Bill Green, who noted that there was no media coverage regarding the tax stamp repeal. Green announced that he will form a new political organization called Let the People Decide and intends to ask the Secretary of State for a referendum to bring the issue to a public vote. Activists could block the legislature's recent change if they collect the necessary number of signatures by July to place the referendum on the November 1998 general election ballot. "I have been a licensed cannabis dealer for three years and have been helping sick and dying patients obtain medical cannabis," announced Green. "Whether legal or not, I plan on continuing. The legislature should justify their actions --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5P00001 Date: 05/16/97 From: L P Time: 06:50am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: 2 Norml News 05/15/97 and cannabis should remain legal and taxed in Arizona." For more information, please contact either Bill Green of Arizona NORML @ (602) 831-7003 or Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. Copies of Judge Barclay's November 1, 1996 decision are available upon request from The NORML Foundation. Further information regarding tax stamps may be found on the Arizona NORML website at: http://www.amug.org/~az4norml -END- MORE THAN 10 MILLION MARIJUANA ARRESTS SINCE 1965 . . . ANOTHER EVERY 54 SECONDS! --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5P00002 Date: 05/16/97 From: L P Time: 06:51am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Milwaukee decriminalization From: tornado@best.com Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 21:54:24 -0700 To: carl@commonlink.net Subject: Milwaukee Decriminalizes Cannabis The following is taken from the May 14, 1997 edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The text of this article has come from: http://www.onwis.com/news/0514council.html Milwaukee aldermen cite fairness in easing marijuana punishment Norquist OKs making pot possession a municipal matter, as it is in suburbs By Mike Nichols of the Journal Sentinel staff May 14, 1997 At a time when politicians of all stripes preach punishment and take a hard line against drug offenders, the Common Council voted 9-8 Tuesday essentially to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Mayor John Norquist immediately signed the legislation into law, and a spokesman for him called it "reasonable." "It is fair to the citizens of Milwaukee," said Norquist aide Jeff Fleming, "and with the penalty provisions in the ordinance, this new law maintains firm consequences for anyone convicted of marijuana possession." Council members were split as to whether the move was a foolish retreat from the war on drugs or a gutsy stand against excessive penalties. Proponents of decriminalization argue that, like it or not, many people in society have used marijuana and gone on to successful and productive lives. Until now, that's been easier in the suburbs, where first-time offenders -- often wealthier, white youths -- are usually given municipal tickets and a second chance. In Milwaukee, offenders who often are African-American have been subject to criminal penalties and records that can bear a lifelong stain. Ald. Michael Murphy, sponsor of the decriminalization, said his position "is not politically popular, but quite honestly it is an issue of fundamental fairness." Opponents countered that decriminalization is not an issue of color, but of right and wrong. They worry about the message being sent to children, but also cite more tangible concerns such as the use of marijuana as a gateway drug and the effects on healthy bodies of what some argue is increasingly potent pot. Ald. James Witkowiak said he is not opposed to giving someone a break for a first offense, but he questioned whether those who are labeled first-time offenders are really novices. Most start using marijuana, he suggested, long before they are caught by police. "If anything," he said, "we should lobby the suburbs to change their laws to match ours." The ordinance passed Tuesday allows prosecutors to charge 25 grams or less of marijuana as a municipal ordinance violation rather than a crime. Fines will range from $250 to $500 or imprisonment of up to 20 days. Offenders would also have the option of performing community service or getting substance abuse education. Prosecutors still could bring more serious charges under state law, so technically Murphy's proposal is not outright decriminalization. District Attorney E. Michael McCann supports the ordinance, however, and has indicated he would prefer that charges be brought in municipal court. McCann was a key topic of discussion Tuesday. Aldermen said they were unable to get clear statistics regarding prosecutions, but Ald. Thomas Nardelli suggested McCann might be "dumping" some of his workload on the municipal courts. Ald. Daniel Schramm said he thought aldermen were being "snookered" by the district attorney's office. Ald. Fred Gordon took exception to the remarks, defended McCann and said the issue is one of fairness and equality. McCann could not be reached Tuesday evening, but he has said he supports the ordinance because of inequities between how similar cases are handled in the suburbs and the city. His office also has denied that the issue has anything to do with workload. Tuesday was not the first time the Common Council has voted in favor of decriminalization. In 1985, aldermen did the same thing, but Mayor Henry Maier vetoed it. Thanks to Tom at http://www.best.com/~tornado for the article. --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5S00000 Date: 05/21/97 From: BILL BARRETT Time: 10:54pm \/To: NORML (Read 0 times) Subj: Senate Bill from Barnie Frank Could you post the Senate Bill that Barnie Frank just submitted? --- * Origin: Easy Goin' BBS Lincoln Park, MI (313)388-0119 (1:2410/335) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5S00001 Date: 05/21/97 From: MODERATOR AUTOPOST OF RULES Time: 12:82am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: NORML Echo Guidelines ECHO AREA: NORML MODERATOR: Rich Woods, 1:209/245.0 CoMODERATOR: L P, 1:17/75.0 DISTRIBUTION: Fidonet Backbone TITLE: Electronic Media Venture Marijuana Information DESCRIPTION: This echo is for the discussion and exchange of: information regarding the rescheduling of HEMP MEDS for affordable health care & maintenance, and as an effective medicine that is a non toxic, "Nature's Remedy", self-administrable medication with remarkably few side effects, which can be useful for AIDS with wasting syndrome and AIDS therapy, AZT, AMOVATIONAL SYNDROME, ALCOHOLISM, ANOREXIA NERVOSA, ANTIBACTERIAL CBD DISINFECTION, ANXIETY, APPETITE STIMULATION, ARTHRITIS, ASTHMA, CANCER THERAPY, CHRONIC PAIN, CORN PLASTERS & POULTICES, DRUG DEPENDENCE TREATMENT, DYSMENORRHEA, EMPHYSEMA, EPILEPSY, an EXPECTORANT, EYE DISEASES, GLAUCOMA, HEAD INJURIES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, INSOMNIA, MIGRAINE HEADACHES, MOOD DISORDERS, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS & SPASMS, NAUSEA, NEURALGIA, NEUROLOGIC DISEASES, MUSCLE SPASMS, PMS, RHEUMATISM, SICKLE-CELL ANEMIA, a SALIVA REDUCER, SLEEP & RELAXATION, SPASM DISORDERS, STRESS DISORDERS, TUMORS, and other therapeutic uses and disabling and/or degenerative medical and emotional conditions; information regarding HEMP as a renewable, natural resource, for the manufacture of products such as fiber, fiberboard, food, fuel, oil, paints, paper, pulp, rope and sealants; and news regarding HEMP and HEMP-related progress, and newsletters and views on HEMP & Marijuana and their uses. Patient specific questions are encouraged. (see rules). Rules: No messages encouraging piracy or any illegal activities. Keep what you're going to do or who with to yourself. Aliases are encouraged, but allowed at each SysOp's discretion. If at all possible, patients should be referred to by and use an alias to maintain patient anonymity and privacy. Importing or copying of related messages and newsletters from other conference areas or forums is encouraged. No off-topic or commercial BBS advertisements. No flames or personal messages. General Echo Etiquette is expected. Message text should match message 'SUBJ:ect'. 'RE:plies' should be within the scope of the previous subject (otherwise start a new message thread). No ANSI graphics. Other rules as the moderators deem necessary. The rules in effect are posted monthly in the echo and FidoNet's Elist. --- DLG Pro v1.16/DLGMail v2.63 * Origin: I Didn't Inhale - Honest! - Clinton - White House, Washington, DC (1:209/245) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5V00000 Date: 05/24/97 From: L P Time: 07:57am \/To: BILL BARRETT (Read 0 times) Subj: Senate Bill from Barnie Frank Bill Barrett wrote in a message to Norml: BB> Could you post the Senate Bill that Barnie Frank just submitted? According to Congress's WWW server, Barney Frank is a Representative and not a Senator. The last bill he submitted regarding marijuana was H.R. 2618 during the 104th Congress, which ended with the new year. This bill got as far as having 17 co-sponsors join with Rep. Frank. H.R. 2618 was not available on Norml's web page, and it is not available on the Congress's server either. Do you have some more info on the bill you are thinking about? --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 173 NORML Ref: E5V00001 Date: 05/24/97 From: L P Time: 08:27am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Norml News 05/22/97 A NON PROFIT LEGAL, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION The NORML Foundation 1001 CONNECTICUT AVENUE NW SUITE 1010 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036 T 202-483-5500 F 202-483-0057 E-MAIL NORMLFNDTN@AOL.COM Internet http://www.norml.org . . . a weekly service for the media on news items related to Marijuana Prohibition. May 22, 1997 Medical Marijuana Proponents Growing Anxious Over Delay In Release Of NIH Report May 22, 1997, Washington, D.C.: A major delay in the release of a promised report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding the medical potential of marijuana and recommendations for future research has proponents crying foul and demanding answers. Following a two day NIH workshop on medical marijuana held this past February, a panel of researchers assembled by the agency estimated that there exists sufficient evidence that marijuana has medical potential in the treatment of serious illnesses such as spasticity disorders, AIDS wasting syndrome, glaucoma, and the nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy. Many experts, such as panel chairman William T. Beaver of Georgetown University School of Medicine, called on the federal government to approve future clinical trials to better determine marijuana's therapeutic value when compared to conventional medicines. NIH officials announced that a detailed report recommending a course of action would be completed within four weeks. That report remains delayed indefinitely, according to comments made on May 20 by a NIH spokesperson. "Footdragging is the rule of the day at the federal level," said Dave Fratello, spokesman for Americans for Medical Rights. "Had the NIH report come out roughly on time, researchers could begin designing studies now because they would know what NIH wants to see. Instead, we're talking about months before anyone hears anything useful. Then how long is it until someone can design a protocol, then apply to NIH, then begin the study?" "Although Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) director Alan Leshner, and others have stated publicly that the federal government is open to medical marijuana research, the unacceptable delay in the release of this report demonstrates otherwise," announced Allen St. Pierre, executive director of The NORML Foundation. "When you have thousands of seriously ill Americans already using medical marijuana, and thousands more who could benefit from its use, it is unforgivable for the federal government to stonewall this issue." For more information, please contact either Dave Fratello of Americans for Medical Rights @ (310) 394-2952 or Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. Milwaukee Moves To Decriminalize Marijuana May 22, 1997, Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist signed a measure into law decriminalizing the first time possession of small amounts of marijuana after the proposal squeaked by the city council. The legislation, which passed on May 13, allows prosecutors to charge 25 grams or less of marijuana as a municipal ordinance violation rather than a crime. Fines will range from $250 to $500 or imprisonment of up to 20 days. Offenders would also have the option of performing community service or receiving substance abuse education. Under state law, any first offense possession is a criminal charge punishable by a $1,000 minimum fine and up to six months in jail. Prosecutors in Milwaukee still have the option to bring more serious charges under state law. Alderman Michael Murphy, who sponsored the measure, said that this bill may not be "politically popular," but was about "fundamental fairness." Murphy noted that most suburban towns surrounding Milwaukee punish first time marijuana offenders with municipal tickets, not criminal sanctions. "Nobody wants to be soft on crime, but we want uniformity in prosecution of these cases." An aide to the mayor called the ordinance "fair to the citizens of Milwaukee." For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751. Maine Legislature Kills Medical Marijuana Defense Bill May 22, 1997, Portland, ME: The state legislature defeated a proposed measure to provide legal protections for seriously ill patients who use medical marijuana by more than two-to-one on May 16. The legislation, introduced by Sen. Anne Rand (D-Cumberland), created an "affirmative defense [of medical necessity] to a charge of possession of marijuana provided a licensed physician ha[d] recommended in writing the use of the drug to alleviate negative medical symptoms." The law also allowed a patient to legally possess up to one and a quarter ounces of usable marijuana. The measure previously passed the Maine Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services with amendments on April 29 by a vote of 11-1. Sally Sutton of the Maine Civil Liberties Union, who lobbied in support of the legislation, expressed disappointment at the Legislature's sharp change in opinion. "Even some legislators on the Committee who originally supported the bill changed their votes," she said. "I guess the concept of medical marijuana runs contrary to all they've heard from the War on Drugs." "Despite having majority support among the American public, medical marijuana remains a hard sell in the state legislatures," explained NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. He said that NORML will remain focused upon educating legislators of the efficacy of medical marijuana. For more information, please contact either Sally Sutton of the Maine Civil Liberties Union @ (207) 774-5444 or R. Keith Stroup of NORML @ (202) 483-5500. (Meanwhile) California Medical Association Backs Medical Marijuana Research Bill May 22, 1997, Sacramento, CA: California's largest medical association announced its support for a proposed bill to establish a $6 million, three-year research program at the University of California to study the safety and efficacy of medical marijuana. The goal of Senate Bill 535, sponsored by Sen. John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara) is to determine a "safe and affordable" way to distribute marijuana to doctors and patients whose physicians approve it. Backers of the bill hope that the support of the California Medical Association (CMA) will improve the measure's chances of passing through the state legislature and winning the approval of Gov. Pete Wilson. "I welcome the CMA's support," said Vasconcellos, noting that the association presently represents more than 38,000 physicians in the state. "CMA has long recognized the need for legitimate comprehensive clinical research on the medical efficacy of medicinal marijuana. [Their support] is a testament to our focus on rigorous scientific research in S.B. 535." Both the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and the Public Safety Committee have already approved S.B. 535. The measure now stands before the Senate Appropriations Committee. A spokesman for Gov. Wilson told the Los Angeles Times that it remains doubtful the governor will be persuaded to support the Vasconcellos measure, even with the endorsement from the CMA. The governor has twice in recent years vetoed legislation that would permit the medical use of marijuana. For more information, please contact either Dave Fratello of Americans for Medical Rights @ (310) 394-2952 or the office of Sen. John Vasconcellos @ (916) 445-9740. -END- MORE THAN 10 MILLION MARIJUANA ARRESTS SINCE 1965 . . . ANOTHER EVERY 54 SECONDS! copyright 1996, 1997 NORML --- * Origin: 61 deg. 25' N / 149 deg. 40' W (1:17/75)