Pubdate: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 Source: Argosy, The (CN NK Edu) Copyright: 2010 Argosy Publications, Inc. Contact: http://argosy.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2655 Author: Vivi Reich Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal - Canada) WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE SAYING 'YES, I CAN-NABIS' Marijuana (cannabis) has been a point of contention for decades. It was not actually made illegal in the United States until 1970, and was added to the Confidential Restricted List in 1923 in Canada. It is still federally illegal in the United States, causing a convoluted and shaky basis for medicinal marijuana in that country. In Canada, it is federally illegal to possess or sell marijuana for recreational use, but it is controlled by the government for medicinal uses. Patients utilizing the drug for medicinal reasons have a considerable amount of legal protection compared to those in the United States. This is the first article in a series about this issue, and the pros and cons of medicinal marijuana will be highlighted in this first instalment. In Canada, there are two categories in which patients must fall under in order to receive marijuana for medicinal uses, according to Health Canada. The first category is "comprised of any symptoms treated within the context of providing compassionate end-of-life care; or the symptoms associated with the specified medical conditions listed in the schedule to the Regulations," which include: multiple sclerosis, a spinal cord injury, spinal cord disease, cachexia (loss of weight, muscle atrophy, significant loss of appetite), nausea due to cancer or HIV/AIDS infection, pain from severe forms of arthritis, and seizures from epilepsy. The second category "is for applicants who have debilitating symptom(s) of medical condition(s), other than those described in Category 1" (from Health Canada). A specialist must confirm the diagnosis and that conventional treatments have failed or are inappropriate to address the problem. Health Canada has contracted Prairie Plant Systems Inc. to cultivate a standardized, homogenous supply of marijuana. Some patients can be authorized by Health Canada to grow their own. In the United States, fourteen states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington) approve and regulate the use of medicinal marijuana. In 2009, the U.S. Attorney General under president Barack Obama declared that "It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana, but we will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal." The number of medicinal marijuana dispensaries in the U.S. skyrocketed thereafter. However, the regulation of the drug is not cohesive, as every state has its own regulations. Colorado and Nevada are the only states so far to have changed their actual state constitutions to allow the medical use of marijuana. The regulations for obtaining a medicinal marijuana card vary from state to state, as do the rules for providing and obtaining the drug. It is commonly accepted, however, that it can be used to relieve the symptoms of the same conditions listed above by Health Canada. There is also a drug in existence in the United States called Marinol, a pill approved by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It contains synthetic THC, which, according to the DEA's article on their website, "has been found to relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients and to assist with loss of appetite with AIDS patients." THC is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the major psychoactive substance found in marijuana. Of course, there are those who do not believe marijuana is a solution to certain health problems. In particular, smoked marijuana is a worry of many doctors, as it can damage the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system, according to John Walters, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The British Lung Foundation also claims that "3-4 cannabis cigarettes a day are associated with the same evidence of acute and chronic bronchitis and the same degree of damage to the bronchial mucosa as twenty or more tobacco cigarettes a day." The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, based in Santa Cruz, California, sponsors a website of testimonials from those who have benefited from medical marijuana. Medical marijuana has helped these patients deal with symptoms of gastro-intestinal problems, aging, reduced movement, arthritis, HIV/AIDS, chronic pain, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. One patient of breast cancer, Judith Cushner, states on this website that she tried Marinol, which gave no relief from the nausea she experienced during chemotherapy. Medical marijuana, however, was of benefit to her. Keith Vines, an AIDS patient, states that he tried Marinol to regain his appetite. The drug, however, made him feel "stoned" for several hours, which was unacceptable for his line of work as an Assistant District Attorney. "Marinol deprived me of something I have always valued deeply: a sense of control over my mind and body," he writes. But medical marijuana caused his appetite to return. Using medical marijuana is a self-medication program, from which these patients obviously benefited. The next article in this series will provide an overview of the various means for medical marijuana intake.