DR. JOYCELYN ELDERS DESTROYS MEDICAL MARIJUANA MYTHS PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE DrugSense FOCUS Alert #286 Sunday, 28 Mar 2004 There is little doubt that the printing of the OPED by Dr. Elders, below, in Rhode Island's largest newspaper will further the efforts to pass a medical cannabis bill there. Rhode Island residents should consider sending a LTE to The Providence Journal thanking them for printing the OPED, and adding an additional fact or two supporting medical cannabis. LTEs may be sent to Sending a message with a copy of the OPED and your supporting opinions to your legislators is also a good idea. If you are not sure who your legislators are, you can obtain the info and modify a pre-written letter from the Take Action link on the Alert page at http://www.mpp.org/RI/alerts_395.html So you don't live in Rhode Island? Here are actions you can consider taking: Let your Rhode Island friends know about this alert, and ask them to take the actions suggested above. Email your local and state newspapers asking that they either reprint the OPED - or at least the myths and facts section, or contact Dr. Elders to ask if she will write one for their paper (newspapers know how to find the contacts for Dr. Elders). Tell your newspapers they can obtain reprint permission by emailing Pat Welker, managing editor/administration for The Providence Journal at It is probably best to simply send the link to the OPED on the Journal's website, so your newspaper(s) can see it for themselves: http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/projo_20040326_26ctelder.22fed4.html To find your state/local newspapers, go to MAP's media links page at: http://www.mapinc.org/media.htm Using the 'List by Area" dropdown find and bring up the list of newspapers in your state. Note those with the higher numbers of Clippings or Excerpts as this tends to indicate a higher interest by the paper in our issues, and thus should be your first targets. Using the email address or webform found by clicking the Contact link will reach editorial page folks who would consider reprinting the OPED or asking Dr. Elders to write one for them. And, finally, of course, let your elected officials at all levels know that you support making medical cannabis available to patients. Send a copy of the OPED along with additional facts and your message of support for the issue. Need more medical cannabis facts? Click these links: http://www.mpp.org/med_mj.html http://www.drugwarfacts.org/medicalm.htm Thanks for your effort and support. It's not what others do it's what YOU do PLEASE SEND US A COPY OF YOUR LETTER OR TELL US WHAT YOU DID (Letter, email messages, etc.) Please post a copy of your letter or report your action to the sent letter list () if you are subscribed, or by E-mailing a copy directly to if you are not subscribed. Your letter will then be forwarded to the list so others can learn from your efforts and be motivated to follow suit. This is _Very_ Important as it is one very effective way of gauging our impact and effectiveness. Subscribing to the Sent LTE list () will help you to review other sent LTEs and perhaps come up with new ideas or approaches as well as keeping others aware of your important writing efforts. To subscribe to the Sent LTE mailing list see http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm and/or http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form Source: Providence Journal, The (RI) Copyright: 2004 The Providence Journal Company Contact: Website: http://www.projo.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/352 Author: Joycelyn Elders MYTHS ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA THE RHODE ISLAND General Assembly is now considering legislation to permit the medical use of marijuana by seriously ill patients whose physicians have recommended it. This sensible, humane bill deserves swift passage. The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS -- or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day. But right now, Rhode Island law subjects seriously ill patients to the threat of arrest and jail for simply trying to relieve some of their misery. There is no good reason that sick people should face such treatment. Still, foes of the medical-marijuana bill keep raising objections. So let's look at their arguments, one by one: "There is no evidence that marijuana is a medicine." The truth: The medical literature on marijuana goes back 5,000 years. In a 1999 study commissioned by the White House, the Institute of Medicine reported, "nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety . . . all can be mitigated by marijuana." In its April 2003 issue, the British medical journal The Lancet reported that marijuana relieves pain in virtually every test that scientists use to measure pain relief. "The medical community doesn't support this; just a bunch of drug legalizers do." The truth: Numerous medical and public-health organizations support legal access to medical marijuana. National groups include the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association and the American Nurses Association. Regional groups include the New York State Association of County Health Officials, the California Medical Association and the Rhode Island Medical Society. I know of no medical group that believes that jailing sick and dying people is good for them. "Marijuana is too dangerous to be medicine; it's bad for the immune system, endangering AIDS and cancer patients." The truth: Unlike many of the drugs we prescribe every day, marijuana has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose. Research on AIDS patients has debunked the claim of harm to the immune system: In a study at San Francisco General Hospital, AIDS patients using medical marijuana gained immune-system cells and kept their virus under control as well as patients who received a placebo. They also gained more needed weight. "There are other drugs that work as well as marijuana, including Marinol, the pill containing THC (the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana)." The truth: These other drugs don't work for everyone. The Institute of Medicine noted: "It is well recognized that Marinol's oral route of administration hampers its effectiveness, because of slow absorption and patients' desire for more control over dosing." Inhalation gives a more rapid response and better results. For some very sick people, marijuana simply works better. "Smoke is not medicine; no real medicine is smoked." The truth: Marijuana does not need to be smoked. Some patients prefer to eat it, while those who need the fast action and dose control provided by inhalation can avoid the hazards of smoke through simple devices called vaporizers. For many who need only a small amount -- such as cancer patients trying to get through a few months of chemotherapy -- the risks of smoking are minor. "Medical-marijuana laws send the wrong message to kids, encouraging teen marijuana use." The truth: That fear, raised in 1996, when California passed the first effective medical-marijuana law, has not come true. According to the official California Student Survey, teen marijuana use in California rose steadily from 1990 to 1996, but began falling immediately after the medical-marijuana law was passed. Among ninth graders, marijuana use in the last six months fell by more than 40 percent from 1995-96 to 2001-02 (the most recent available figures). It is simply wrong for the sick and suffering to be casualties in the war on drugs. Let's get rid of the myths and institute sound public-health policy. The Rhode Island General Assembly should pass the medical-marijuana bill immediately. Dr. Joycelyn Elders was U.S. surgeon general in 1993-94 and is Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts, Please See: Writer's Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/ TO SUBSCRIBE, UNSUBSCRIBE, OR UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS: Please utilize the following URLs http://www.drugsense.org/hurry.htm http://www.drugsense.org/unsub.htm We wish to thank all our contributors, editors, Newshawks and letter writing activists. Prepared by: Richard Lake, Focus Alert Specialist

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