Pubdate: Tue, 06 Mar 2007
Source: Carthage Press, The (MO)
Contact:  2007 The Carthage Press
Website: http://www.carthagepress.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1731
Author: Dallie Howerton, Press Columnist
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n260/a03.html?322519

THE WONDER DRUG

As a person who has diabetes and arthritis for which I am prescribed 
pain killers, an article in the Boston Globe this week peaked my 
interest. Written by Lester Grinspoon, a professor at Harvard Medical 
School, it's titled "Marijuana As Wonder Drug."

The article focused on a new study in the Journal of Neurology being 
hailed as unassailable proof that marijuana is a valuable medicine 
saying, "It is a sad commentary on the state of modern medicine--and 
US drug policy--that we still need 'proof' of something that medicine 
has known for 5,000 years."

The recorded use of this medicine goes back to ancient times and 
became a well established Western medicine whose versatility and 
safety were unquestioned--safer than most medicines prescribed every 
day. If marijuana were a new discovery rather than carrying so much 
cultural and political baggage, it would be hailed as a wonder drug. *

In the study, marijuana was found to be effective at relieving 
extreme pain. Neuropathic pain is notoriously resistant to treatment 
with conventional pain drugs. Even powerful and addictive narcotics 
like morphine often provide little relief. This study leaves no doubt 
that marijuana can safely ease the pain of millions of Americans 
suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and arthritis. 
It is also very effective at relieving nausea and vomiting, as well 
as other debilitating illnesses.

Because all marijuana research in the US must be done using 
government-supplied marijuana of very poor quality, the potential 
benefits are probably underestimated.

This got me to thinking--What's behind the U.S. drug policy anyway? 
So I decided to do a little research on the history of this "wonder 
plant" and wouldn't you know...like most everything else today, all 
you have to do is "Follow the Money."

But before I delve into the history of marijuana saga, I have to 
mention a tragedy that occurred last week. A very sad commentary on 
the state of healthcare in this country, or the lack thereof. If this 
is not the best argument in favor of universal healthcare, I don't 
know what is.

Last week a 12-year-old boy in Maryland died of a toothache. A 
routine, $80 tooth extraction would have saved him. That is if his 
family could have afforded it, or if his family had been insured, or 
if his family had not lost Medicaid coverage due to budget cuts.

By the time he got any attention, in the emergency room, the bacteria 
from the abscess had spread to his brain. After two operations and 
six weeks in the hospital the boy died. The cost of his care exceeds $250,000.

Unfortunately, those without any insurance coverage are forced to use 
the emergency room as their primary source of medical care. If 
society is going to end up paying the tab anyway, what makes more 
sense, preventive care, or crisis care? You do the math.

Now back to the wonder drug known worldwide as "cannabis or hemp," 
until the 1930s when it became known as marijuana.

Between 1850 and 1937, cannabis (marijuana) was widely used 
throughout United States as a medicinal drug and could easily be 
purchased in pharmacies and general stores.

Powerful Cannabis Extractum (hash oil) was widely known as a 
non-toxic, non-addicting medicine. It had been the second most 
commonly prescribed medication between the 1820s and the 1890s for 
everything from baby's teething pains to Gramma's hot flashes without 
a single documented case of addiction or fatal overdose.

The American Medical Association opposed the prohibition of cannabis 
as a medicine, but in 1936, just before they enacted marijuana 
prohibition, the US Congress was lied to and was told that the AMA 
backed the prohibition. Most Americans had no idea that marijuana and 
cannabis were the same drug. Through its association with minorities 
in the newspapers, cannabis, a perfectly acceptable drug, was renamed 
"marijuana," taken from the Mexican-Spanish word "marihuana." A 
previously unheard of drug being used by evil, violent non-whites to 
lure our women and children.

In opposition to the "Marijuana Tax Act of 1937," the American 
Medical Association wrote, "There is no evidence that the medicinal 
use of cannabis and its derivatives has caused or is causing cannabis 
addiction. The prevention of the use for medicinal purposes can 
accomplish no good end whatsoever. The obvious purpose of this bill 
is to impose so many restrictions on their use as to prevent such use 
altogether."

The pharmaceutical industry is scrambling to create a synthetic 
version that could be produced in pill or serum form. Any rational 
person would simply ask, "Why bother when it already exists in plant 
form? Of course the answer is...medical marijuana is a threat to 
pharmaceutical profiteering. Big Pharma pumps millions of dollars 
into campaign coffers to ensure marijuana remains illegal and demonized.

The USDA approved a new drug called "Tysabri" for the treatment of 
multiple sclerosis that affects 350,000 Americans. The cost of the 
drug is guesstimated to cost between $20,000 and $30,000 per year. 
Hmmm...300 million more reasons to keep medical marijuana illegal.

Many researchers agree that marijuana's illegal status has a direct 
connection to the "gateway theory." Not because of the drug itself, 
but because, in order to acquire it they are more likely to become 
acquainted with people who sell other, more dangerous drugs. Some 
contend that legalization would substantially reduce the use of more 
dangerous drugs by taking the distribution of marijuana out of the 
hands of criminals, and regulating it in a similar manner to alcohol 
or tobacco.

As Paul Harvey says, stay tuned next week for "the rest of the story."

Just some food for thought
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom