Pubdate: Sat, 14 Jul 2012 Source: Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ) Copyright: 2012 The Arizona Republic Contact: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html Website: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/24 Author: Lindsey Erdody Medical Marijuana ARIZONA MULLS ADDING QUALIFYING CONDITIONS Arizona health officials are considering adding post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and migraines as qualifying conditions to use medical marijuana. Department of Health Services Director Will Humble is expected to decide this week. Voters approved Proposition 203 in November 2010, and it went in effect in April 2011. Under the law, individuals can use marijuana to treat debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, Lou Gehrig's disease, Crohn's disease or Alzheimer's disease. The measure also gave the Department of Health Services the ability to expand conditions. As of May 8, about 28,000 patients have participated in the program. If the state expands qualifying conditions to include PTSD, Humble estimates the program will add 15,000 to 20,000 patients. Activists square off over expansion of pot program The Republic turned to two Arizona activists to discuss whether the state should add post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and migraines as qualifying conditions to use medical marijuana. Ingrid Joya oversees Elements Caregivers Collective, a medical-marijuana caregiver collective in northeast Phoenix. Carolyn Short is chairwoman of Keep Arizona Drug Free, an organization that opposed Proposition 203. PRO: Ingrid Joya Question: Do you think the state should expand the medical-marijuana program to include PTSD, depression, anxiety and migraines? Answer: I absolutely think the program should be expanded. We were one of the co-sponsors of the PTSD application. The state didn't touch on any mental-health issues. And I think with PTSD, there's enough data and research that suggests marijuana can work very effectively on it. When you think of how marijuana works as a blocker in the brain, it makes sense that it would work with PTSD because most people suffering from it are reliving those memories. Q: If the state adds these conditions, how will it impact the program? A: I think it will expand the program with all of the veterans that are coming back with PTSD and the rape victims and other people that need it. You're going to have quite a few more patients on board, and you should. Q: What conditions should be covered or not covered with the expansion? Are there any conditions you would add? A: PTSD is the one we're most focused on. I know there was a testimony on migraines, but I don't know to add them or not. I don't know as much about them. Q: What will happen if the state adds more than 15,000 people to the program? A: I think they will seek the legal methods of being able to get medical marijuana. I think these people that want to go through the time and effort to get these cards, they deserve it. I think these people want to follow the law. I think the system can handle it, and I think the dispensaries can handle it. I think what you might see is 15,000-20,000 people added to the program and that many less being prescribed other pain medicines. And that would be a good thing. CON: Carolyn Short Question: Do you think the state should expand the medical-marijuana program? Answer: I think they should voluntarily get rid of it before the federal government comes into the state and shuts it down. It's illegal. It's an unconstitutional law that is going to get struck down, and I think we're wasting a whole lot of time. Under federal law, marijuana is illegal to use, grow or sell. There is no exception for marijuana sold for so-called medical marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. Q: If the state adds these conditions, how will it impact the program? A: The only other state that has PTSD as a qualifying condition is New Mexico, and the health director there has already said they want to get rid of that condition and the severe-pain condition because these are the two conditions that are most frequently abused. I think we're totally off-base moving forward. Adding to it just makes it more abusive. Q: What conditions do you believe should be covered or not covered with the expansion? Are there any conditions you would add? A: I wouldn't add anything to it because I believe we need to get rid of the program. This whole hoax was started by people who wanted to legalize marijuana through the back door. It's a strategy to try and get marijuana legalized in this country. Q: What will happen if the state adds more than 15,000 people to the program? A: We have more than enough conditions, and anyone who really wants to smoke it can say, "I've got horrible pain," and there are plenty of doctors that will prescribe it. There is no research that would support adding PTSD as a condition. I don't know why we would add that. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom