Pubdate: Sat, 11 Jan 2014
Source: Saratogian, The (NY)
Copyright: The Saratogian 2014
Contact:  http://www.saratogian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2100
Author: Jennie Grey

REACTION MIXED ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

SARATOGA SPRINGS - In Wednesday's State of the State address, Gov. 
Andrew Cuomo, long a hard-line opponent of any form of marijuana 
legalization, announced his plan to bring medical marijuana to New 
York patients suffering from serious illnesses. Locally, some are 
pleased with this step forward, and others are concerned as to where 
the path may lead.

"I'm delighted to see Gov. Cuomo take this step toward making medical 
cannabis available to state citizens, but I worry that the proposed 
arrangement will leave the vast majority of patients without any of 
the medicine," wrote Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D., professor of psychology 
and director of clinical training at the state University of New York 
at Albany, in an email to the Saratogian. "Relying on a mere 20 
hospitals to provide for everyone in need seems unrealistic. Roughly 
one in four deaths in the state are related to cancer. Over 120,000 
New Yorkers are living with HIV."

Earleywine has written more than 100 publications on addiction, 
including the book "Understanding Marijuana."

Cuomo is using a 35-year-old existing statute, the Antonio G. 
Olivieri Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Program - PHL 
Art. 33A, to bypass the state legislature. He will launch a pilot 
medical marijuana research program that lets up to 20 hospitals 
statewide provide the drug to patients being treated for such 
diseases as cancer and glaucoma. This program will let qualified 
eligible participants seek relief for their symptoms legally and 
safely, while administrators evaluate the effectiveness and 
feasibility of a medical marijuana system. Findings will be used to 
inform future policy.

"This process the governor has undertaken is not a huge step," said 
Kevin Jones, executive director of the National Organization for the 
Reform of Marijuana Laws, a group that lobbies political leaders for 
marijuana law reform. "It's a political move, using a law that's been 
on the books since 1980."

Jones said the earlier research program was cumbersome and difficult 
to get into. Still, he was hopeful that a new implementation of the 
law would further open up the national discussion about marijuana.

"I also hope personally that this will further the legitimization 
conversation," said Phil Sundling, owner of Prism Glassworks, an art 
gallery in Troy. "Prohibition isn't working."

He calls marijuana a wonder plant with a million uses, such as in 
agriculture, food and medicine.

Research shows that medical marijuana may help manage the pain and 
treatment of cancer and other severe illnesses. Under state 
Department of Health regulations, the program's prescriptions would 
be limited to patients with such serious illnesses.

Other national and regional organizations argue that marijuana is not 
the best choice for medical purposes and can be easily misused. The 
Drug Free Schools Coalition of New York quotes statistics from a 
Colorado study that as of Dec. 31, 2012, 108,526 people received 
medical marijuana. Of those, 94 percent were treating pain, and 16 
percent were treating muscle spasms. Only 3 percent got marijuana for 
cancer, 1 percent for glaucoma and 1 percent for HIV+/AIDS.

Twenty states allow marijuana use for medical purposes: Alaska, 
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, 
Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New 
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and 
Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. Colorado and 
Washington state have gone on to legalize marijuana for recreational 
use, a more controversial legislation. Marijuana is still illegal in 
those states under federal laws.

Earleywine said New York would be better served by a more formal 
program comparable to those passed by the 20 other states. He trusts 
all licensed physicians to prescribe as they see fit. Several medical 
dispensaries per county could relieve some of the burden on these hospitals.

"Compelling data reveal that medical cannabis can be a superb 
treatment for AIDS-related wasting; and the weight loss, vomiting and 
nausea associated with chemotherapy, as well as pain, insomnia, 
migraine, muscle spasms, certain types of seizures and some movement 
disorders," Earleywine said.

Jones said, "Marijuana is less toxic than alcohol and aspirin. 
International studies have shown marijuana not only stops pain, but 
may actually deter some kinds of cancer."

His findings come from the National Cancer Institute, which cites 
several studies with rats and mice online.

"Cannabinoids may cause antitumor effects by various ways, including 
cell death induction, cell growth inhibition and tumor angiogenesis 
invasion and metastasis inhibition," its website posts. "One review 
summarizes the molecular mechanisms of cannabinoid action as 
antitumor agents. Cannabinoids appear to kill tumor cells, but not 
affect their non-transformed counterparts and may protect them from 
cell death."

No clinical trials of cannabis as a treatment for cancer in humans 
have been found in the database maintained by the National Institutes 
of Health, Jones said. Cannabis and cannabinoids have been studied in 
clinical trials for ways to manage side effects of cancer and cancer therapies.

Edward Przydapek, 38, a musician from Saratoga Springs, has been 
using marijuana every day since age 17.

"I'd call it medicinal," he said. "I'm incredibly highstrung. I don't 
have attention deficit disorder, though, and I wouldn't want to take 
a manmade synthetic medication even if I did. Marijuana balances me 
out the best."

Przydapek said he's seen no ill affects from his use.

"Except financially," he said, smiling.

The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council of Saratoga 
County, a nonprofit that provides education, information and referral 
services on the subjects of alcohol, tobacco, other drug and violence 
prevention to individuals and local communities, addresses marijuana 
in its Too Good For Drugs program. Prevention Council Executive 
Director Janine Stuchin said such programs will continue to support 
young people in choosing a drug-free lifestyle.

Gov. Cuomo's proposal is a narrow regulation, she said. What roles 
hospitals and the Food and Drug Administration will play is yet to be seen.

"For our school programs, we'll meet with educators and address 
common questions about medical marijuana that will come up," she 
said. "We'll then integrate the information into our class 
discussions, using it as a teachable moment."

Earleywine said reviews suggest that medical cannabis states do not 
see spikes in teen use.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom