CLINTON - Local organizations hosted a town hall on marijuana Monday, hoping to educate the community about the negative effects of the most commonly used drug. The event, hosted by the Camanche-DeWitt Coalition, Gateway Impact Coalition and the Abbey Treatment Center, discussed the myths and facts relating to marijuana use in the community. Steve Cundiff, co-chairman of the Camanche-DeWitt Coalition, said while working on a drug task force for 10 years, the force often arrested the same people multiple times and even arrested children of the people they had previously arrested. [continues 430 words]
At least three inmates have died in the past two years due to drug overdoses, records show. [name1 redacted], 34, died in a hospital in March 2014 after Black Hawk County Jail officials found him unresponsive. It was later determined that [name1 redacted] had ingested drugs before his arrest, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. [name2 redacted], 25, of Council Bluffs, died in December. An investigation showed that she smuggled methamphetimine into the jail hidden in a body cavity, took the drugs, fell unconscious and died of an overdose at a hospital. Her death is listed as a suicide. [continues 476 words]
A legal challenge aimed at reclassifying marijuana in Iowa was shot down Wednesday by the state's appeals court, though the issue will be taken up again in a separate case that also seeks new guidance on the drug's use under state law. The Iowa Court of Appeals said the Iowa Board of Pharmacy had proper authority to deny Carl Olsen's request in 2013 to reclassify marijuana as a controlled substance that has medical use. The decision comes after the Iowa Legislature failed to pass legislation this session that would update the state's 2014 law on medical marijuana, which allows possession of cannabis oil. The court case is considered separate, though the legality of the drug under its current classification is tied to the debate over its accessibility to medical patients in Iowa. [continues 250 words]
Editor's note: This editorial is a part of our drug issue. Iowa, though it may not look like it, is predominantly an industrial wasteland. The state, according to the Natural History Museum at the University of Iowa, is nearly 99 percent terraformed; few pockets of untouched earth remain. According to Iowa State University, approximately 85 percent of this land alteration has been implemented throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries for industrial agriculture, specifically row crops such as soybeans and corn. [continues 488 words]
I completely agree with The Gazette's April 8 editorial "Don't delay expansion of medical cannabis" favoring the legalization of medical cannabis. As well as lessening the pains and suffering from cancers and epileptic seizures, I'm betting it will be found to also help with the discomfort of other diseases like Crohn's and IBS (which I have). I'd gladly be a volunteer to see if that's true if it would be legalized. Also, being what's commonly called a "recovering" alcoholic, I know alcohol gives temporary relief but also causes damage to the brain, liver and kidneys. I doubt cannabis oil, being from a natural plant, would cause any such damage. Tom Matthes Marion [end]
We applaud Gov. Terry Branstad for being open to the issue of medical cannabis [Branstad mulls medical cannabis expansion, April 5]. Over the past three years, thousands of Iowans have asked their lawmakers to pass this meaningful legislation to either get relief from a debilitating medical condition themselves or for a loved one. More than 90 of the state's most influential business leaders have signed a letter urging the Legislature to act. More than 4 of 5 Iowans support the passage of this legislation. And hundreds of local government leaders have lent their support to the cause. It is time for the Legislature to act. [continues 115 words]
Dear Editor: Another reason to allow sick citizens to use cannabis (marijuana / kaneh bosm) that doesn't get mentioned (letter: Mumbo Jumbo Blocking Medical Marijuana in Iowa, Feb. 29, 2016 Pilot-Tribune) is because it is Biblically correct since God indicates He created all the seed bearing plants saying they are all good on literally the very first page. Many people know of cannabis as the tree of life and the very last page says the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations. Whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? A sane or moral argument to cage sick citizens for using cannabis doesn't exist. Stan White Dillon, Colo [end]
I support medicinal marijuana as well as recreational marijuana, and have for years, one of which has been LEGAL in Illinois for two years. Just last month, the dispensary in Milan opened! I qualify for medicinal marijuana, according to the standards set up, and when I put that request to my doctors, and I have a cadre of them, they all ignored me. Later, I heard that Quad-Cities doctors, at least on the Illinois side, have gotten together and DECIDED they would not write prescriptions for pot! This from a group that writes prescriptions for opioid painkillers. How has that worked out? [continues 106 words]
Over the last two years I have learned a whole lot more than I ever expected or wanted to know about medical cannabis. I became involved in advocacy for this issue when I learned about the mothers of kids with epilepsy who were down at the statehouse every day talking to our representatives on behalf of their sick babies and children many of whom have up to 100 seizures a day. That was in 2014. The result of their blood, sweat and tears that year was a puny bill signed into totally ineffective and worthless law by Gov. Terry Branstad. [continues 499 words]
Some of Iowa's most influential business leaders are urging state legislators to pass a bill that would expand the state's medical cannabis laws. "Now is the time to help suffering Iowans and their families get legal access to this medicine, and we hereby call on Iowa lawmakers to debate and pass Comprehensive Medical Cannabis legislation this session," a letter signed by more than 90 business leaders and sent to lawmakers reads. Meredith Corp. CEO Steve Lacy, Principal Financial Group CEO Dan Houston, Bankers Trust CEO Suku Radia, Knapp Properties CEO Gerry Neugent, local real estate developer Bill Knapp and BelinMcCormick attorney Steve Zumbach are among the influential names attached to it. [continues 808 words]
Imagine having a child with a diagnosis so rare that genetic researchers in three states ask your family to participate in medical research because they are officially learning from your child. Imagine having a child with neurological storms that no one caught until permanent brain damage had already been done. Imagine having a child so sick that the doctors you trusted come to your child's hospital bed and tell you that they don't know how to help you and have to send you elsewhere for help. Imagine being pulled into a private room and being encouraged to try cannabidiol. Imagine being so desperate to help your child and worrying if doing what is best for your child will make you a "criminal." [continues 511 words]
The Iowa Legislature finally took action on medical cannabis this week, an issue which has had mothers literally crying down at the Capitol for years. But instead of granting relief to desperate patients of chronic illnesses, our leaders are demonstrating once again they're quite capable of ignoring the pain and suffering of the citizens they are elected to serve. Patient after patient testified before a House panel this week, choking out emotional pleas for relief as tears streamed down their faces. Many more crowded into the packed chambers, anxiously waiting for politicians to act. The heart-churning stories of pain and suffering could have lasted all afternoon, but the politicians budgeted less than an hour. [continues 372 words]
Since the stunning findings of the Shaffer Commission and Nixon's following attempts to disguise the truth from the American people, more than 16.5 million people have been arrested for crimes related to cannabis. Yet, more than 80 percent of those arrested were charged with minor misdemeanors related to the plant, costing tax payers in excess of $20 billion a year. The number arrested and the finical burden on American tax payers has done nothing to curb drug use in the United States. Furthermore, the legality of marijuana in several states has brought the reality of this failed drug policy to the attention of the American people. [continues 786 words]
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A federal judge ruled Friday that Iowa State University administrators violated the constitutional free speech rights of student members of a pro-marijuana group by barring them from using the university logos on T-shirts. U.S. District Judge James Gritzner issued an order granting members of the ISU chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws a permanent injunction which means university administrators cannot use a trademark policy to prevent the organization from printing shirts depicting a marijuana leaf. [continues 144 words]
Sen. Chuck Grassley is no fan of legalizing marijuana. He has criticized the Obama administration for not enforcing federal drug laws and opposed reclassifying marijuana, which could make it easier to use as a medicine. The Republican senator has repeatedly said studies suggest the drug may cause long-term brain damage in young people. But Grassley acknowledges an extract of the plant may help people with severe epilepsy and other illnesses. As chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Caucus on International Narcotics Control, he has been among the lawmakers pushing federal agencies to remove barriers to research exploring the risks and benefits of cannabidiol. Last week he announced that the Drug Enforcement Agency agreed to ease regulatory requirements for those conducting government-approved clinical trials. [continues 337 words]
As we read the front-page story Monday about some parents who are thinking of moving to Minnesota to get medical marijuana for their children, it left us with a sickening feeling. Not as sick as the kids they want to help, but angry and deeply disappointed that our legislators, mainly House Republicans, can't see what lawmakers in our neighbor to the north could - that medical marijuana can help better than prescription medicines. The story, by Christinia Crippes of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, a sister paper of the Globe Gazette, told of Cedar Falls parents considering moving to Minnesota where medical marijuana will be legal in limited form beginning July 1. [continues 529 words]
Medical-marijuana advocates expressed frustration and exhaustion Wednesday, as the Legislature prepares to leave for the year without acting on the issue. The activists held a Statehouse news conference to criticize Republican leaders of the Iowa House, who have not brought the proposal up for a debate. "They didn't want to visit this issue. They don't really care about suffering Iowans, and it's really unfortunate," activist Sally Gaer of West Des Moines said. "...It boggles my mind that there's no compassion. They say they have compassion, but their actions don't show that they have compassion." [continues 397 words]
If you live in Iowa, a doctor can write you prescriptions to treat numerous ailments. If you move to any other state, the same medications will be available. That is how things work in a country where the federal government, not state government, approves and regulates drugs. Then there is marijuana. Whether you can obtain that to treat a health problem depends on where you live. Many states have legalized marijuana or its derivatives for people seeking to treat symptoms caused by serious illnesses, including cancer. In Colorado, those aged 21 and older can buy it for personal use. Last year Iowa law was changed to allow only people with severe epilepsy to possess cannabidiol, an extract of the drug. Now some state lawmakers want to expand access to other sick Iowans. [continues 762 words]
Measure inspired by Cedar Rapids couple, local ordinance CEDAR RAPIDS - The city's action against the sale of synthetic drugs - which tackled the substances from a consumer fraud-and-protection approach rather than trying to keep pace with their ever-changing chemical make up - came just too late for Jerrald Meek. After struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and a two-year addiction to synthetic marijuana, the Army veteran took his life in his parent's Cedar Rapids home, on Aug. 26, 2014. [continues 1830 words]
LAKE PARK, Iowa - Over a year ago on New Year's Day, Jeri Goodell was caring for her grandson, Garrett, when the toddler started gagging. Soon his face turned blue. Goodell, a registered nurse, was terrified. She called 911. Garrett, now 3, was born with a congenital heart defect and a genetic condition that causes bones in his skull to fuse together. It took nearly a year for doctors at three different hospitals to also diagnose Garrett with intractable epilepsy, seizures that can't be controlled well or at all with medication. [continues 916 words]
CEDAR RAPIDS - In the world of synthetic drugs, sometimes it takes a chemistry lesson to get to the bottom of what's in the Mylar packet. Sometimes it takes rats. On Friday, a federal judge heard about both during the penalty phase for a former Cedar Falls man and his mother, an Evansdale resident, who were convicted of selling potpourri and bath salts that mimicked illegal drugs. Authorities said Mary Ann Ramos, 53, sold Alpha-PVP and XLR-11 as a manager at an I-Wireless store in Cedar Rapids. She was found guilty during a June trial. Her son, Earl "E.J." Ramos, 27, pleaded guilty to similar charges in connection with substances sold at Five Star Stacks in Waterloo. [continues 466 words]
DAVENPORT,IOWA (AP) - An eastern Iowa man who was convicted late last year of growing marijuana that he used to treat his rare form of cancer has died. Benton Mackenzie, 49, died Monday at his home in Long Grove, near Davenport, his mother Dottie Mackenzie confirmed Tuesday. He had been growing marijuana to create cannabis oil that he consumed and applied to tumors caused by his angiosarcoma, a rare cancer of the blood vessels that he was diagnosed with seven years ago. [continues 286 words]
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - An eastern Iowa man who was convicted late last year of growing marijuana that he used to treat his rare form of cancer has died. Benton Mackenzie, 49, died Monday at his home in Long Grove, near Davenport, his mother Dottie Mackenzie confirmed. He had been growing marijuana to create cannabis oil that he consumed and applied to tumors caused by his angiosarcoma, a rare cancer of the blood vessels that he was diagnosed with seven years ago. [continues 297 words]
Iowa Man Says Self- Treatment Prolonged Life. Long Grove, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa man who was convicted late last year of growing marijuana that he used to treat his rare form of cancer has died. Benton Mackenzie, 49, died Monday at his home near Davenport, his mother, Dottie, confirmed Tuesday. He had been growing marijuana to create cannabis oil that he consumed and applied to tumors caused by angiosarcoma, a rare cancer of the blood vessels that was diagnosed seven years ago. [continues 240 words]
Even as he faced his final moments, Benton Mackenzie's first thoughts were of his wife and son and their future. The 49-year-old terminal cancer patient who fought Scott County authorities over his efforts to grow marijuana for his own medicinal use died early Monday at home. "I've got a big empty pit right in the middle of my chest right now," Loretta Mackenzie told the Quad-City Times hours after her husband's death. She wants to have his remains cremated and his ashes spread in Arizona, where they met, as well as Oregon, where they made multiple trips last year seeking legal cannabis oil. [continues 838 words]
It was a tough fight getting the Iowa Legislature to pass a law prohibiting smoking in public places. By doing so the health of citizens has improved. Smoking is a large financial burden to Iowans. The terrible damage to the body has been reduced. Smoking has caused about 480,000 deaths each year. Secondhand smoke has chemicals that cause cancer and is even more dangerous. Iowa lawmakers should make casinos smoke-free. I wonder why legislatures in Iowa and other states are passing laws to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Smoke have legalized smoking pot for recreational purposes. How will the drug cartel in Mexico react to the new competition in the pot market? [continues 189 words]
WATERLOO | As lawmakers consider expanding medical marijuana laws and cities like Cedar Falls debate decriminalization of the drug, anti-drug advocates are urging Iowans to think of the children and proceed with caution. "When you say, 'I'm not going to enforce these sets of laws,' there's potential unintended consequences to that, and I just want people to think it all through and have a thorough debate on these issues and not make any decisions =C2=85 without being fully informed," said Steven Lukan, director of the Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy. [continues 488 words]
Throw away almost every preconceived notion about marijuana. In the past month... * Rock Island aldermen unanimously welcomed a $135,000 investment from a Chicago-based firm eager to win our region's medical marijuana growing rights. * A former chief of the Illinois State Police under Republican former Gov. Jim Edgar signed on as chief of security for this marijuana cultivation company. * The White House declared marijuana a state's rights issue, an endorsement that portends a dramatic shift in federal enforcement. [continues 394 words]
There are many reasons to be excited about the inevitable end of the War on Drugs, specifically the incredibly wasteful practice of marijuana prohibition. The end of wasting billions of dollars upholding an unenforceable law, the discontinuation of a system that intensifies the worst racial injustices of the American legal system through the disproportionate sentencing rates of African Americans and Latinos compared with whites, and boatloads of revenue should be reaped from taxation of the newly legalized drug. In a political environment that's up to its eyeballs in bad news, it's incredibly uplifting to find a public-policy issue in which our political representatives seem to be heading toward a sane solution. [continues 496 words]
From her perch as head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Nora Volkow watches anxiously as the country embarks on what she sees as a risky social experiment in legalizing marijuana. For those who argue that marijuana is no more dangerous than tobacco and alcohol, Volkow has two main answers: We don't entirely know, and, simultaneously, that is precisely the point. "Look at the evidence," Volkow said in an interview on the National Institutes of Health campus here, pointing to the harms already inflicted by tobacco and alcohol. "It's not subtle -- it's huge. Legal drugs are the main problem that we have in our country as it relates to morbidity and mortality. By far. Many more people die of tobacco than all of the drugs together. Many more people die of alcohol than all of the illicit drugs together. [continues 645 words]
On July 1, an oil extract of marijuana will be legal in Iowa. But Iowans must reject proposals to legalize pot on a broader scale. Legally sanctioned weed would thwart economic growth, destabilize families, cause more crime, overburden police and courts, and victimize law-abiding citizens and taxpayers. Lawmakers often ignore unintended consequences when considering legislation, but does Iowa need more Iowans to be stoned? That's the question, as the new law has incited demands for decriminalizing cannabis. Teenagers in states with legal marijuana have higher drug abuse than in states where it's illegal. The New York Times reported on Nov. 7, 2012, that 90 percent plus of so-called "medical marijuana" is used by those who claim "pain" and not serious illness. Addictive drugs corrupt even more so than money or power. [continues 493 words]
CEDAR RAPIDS | In the 18 months leading up to the 2013 Operation Synergy drug raids, a Cedar Rapids store sold more than $1 million worth of herbs that narcotic officers said was sprayed with mind-altering substances. After the raids, the real money started rolling in, according to court records. Officers from local and federal agencies raided the Puff N Stuff II shop in Cedar Rapids and other businesses last year as part of a nationwide crackdown on fake marijuana and cocaine marketed as potpourri and bath salts. [continues 449 words]
Just three weeks ago, a Rock Island County coalition named CAUSE organized a prescription drug take-back event. About 438 pounds of the drugs were collected on April 26 at three sites: Milan, Rock Island and Silvis, according to Tammy Muerhoff, superintendent of the Rock Island County Regional Office of Education in Moline. Muerhoff and her staff are in CAUSE, the Coalition Advocating for Underage Substance Elimination. She and other city and county officials involved in various prevention efforts gathered Wednesday at Centre Station in Moline for a media event organized by Prevention First. [continues 568 words]
Gov. Terry Branstad will give "serious consideration" to legislation passed by the Iowa Legislature last week allowing the use of marijuana-derived oil for the treatment of severe epilepsy. "We have to look at the public policy considerations of this, and that's the reason why I want to reserve judgment until I see it in its final form before making a final decision," Branstad said. Lawmakers came together early last Thursday morning to pass the bill, which will allow epilepsy patients and their caregivers to possess and use cannabidiol oil if they receive a recommendation from a doctor and a license from the state. [continues 103 words]
Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea for all states to legalize the use of marijuana. It might eliminate marijuana from being smuggled into the U.S., in turn, cutting down on other more deadly drugs from being smuggled into the U.S. from other countries. If U.S. citizens are allowed to grow, sell and use marijuana, maybe more people could get off welfare and have an income. Rachel Peterson Barnum [end]
Less than a year ago anyone proposing to legalize marijuana for any purpose would have been laughed out of the Iowa Legislature. In fact, when Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, introduced a bill in February to allow Iowans with cancer, spinal cord injuries and other medical conditions to obtain medical marijuana, he declared it dead the same day. He cited opposition from Republicans and others. But the Iowa Legislature has come a long way since then. Elected officials have worked through numerous versions of legislation, reached across party lines and -- most important -- listened to constituents, including Maria La France and Sally Gaer. [continues 443 words]
DES MOINES (AP) - The Iowa Senate has passed a bill legalizing the use of a form of marijuana to treat chronic epilepsy. The measure, which passed 36-12, goes to the House. It allows the medical use of oil derived from the cannabis plant as a last-resort treatment for seizures caused by a chronic form of epilepsy. The oil cannot be smoked and doesn't create a high. A written recommendation from a neurologist would be required. Patients and caregivers would have to obtain a registration card through Iowa's Department of Public Health. Opponents said the bill sends a signal that marijuana use is OK. [end]
The Iowa Senate voted Thursday to decriminalize medical cannabis oil for the treatment of epilepsy, responding to emotional pleas of Iowa parents with children stricken by seizures. Senate File 2360 was approved 36-12 after a lengthy debate that included several Republican lawmakers who warned that legalizing any form of marijuana would send the wrong message to young people in jeopardy of abusing drugs. The bill was sent to the Iowa House, where its path to passage remains uncertain despite vocal support from some Democrats and Republicans alike. [continues 808 words]
Paul Gray's final weeks were a blur of extreme drug abuse, which neither his doctor nor his bandmates would help his wife confront, she testified in Polk County District Court on Tuesday. Brenna Gray said her husband, the bassist and a founder of the internationally known band Slipknot, relapsed into drug addiction in about 2008. Gray testified that she raised concerns about why his Des Moines, Iowa, doctor, Daniel Baldi, continued prescribing the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, which her husband had a history of abusing. Paul Gray, 38, died of a drug overdose at an Urbandale motel in May 2010. [continues 618 words]
Gov. Branstad said he is against legalizing marijuana for medical use.The reason was that if marijuana became legal it would cause all kinds of administrative problems. It has been documented and confirmed that marijuana relieves people's pain and suffering. It is more effective doing this than any other medication for people with certain medical conditions. Branstad should be figuring out how marijuana can be legalized to help people reduce pain and suffering. This is a humanitarian issue, not a political issue. If Branstad really cares about people he should get the administrative problems resolved and work to legalize medical marijuana. Plymouth [end]
Hospitals Struggle To Keep Drugs From Addicts And Protect Environment IOWA CITY When a patient emerges from anesthesia after surgery, his nurse wants to make sure he doesn't feel pain. She gets a 1 milliliter syringe of hydromorphone, a generic form of Dilaudid, from a secure drug cabinet. She plans to give her patient .2 milliliter. Even patients with open hysterectomies some of the most painful procedures need just .4 milliliter. She squirts the rest of the drug down the drain, where it can't be abused by addicts but can pollute drinking water. [continues 1901 words]
The Iowans who told their medical marijuana stories to Quad-City Times readers in the Dec. 15 editions seem to come from a planet wholly unfamiliar to our region's top drug officers. Times reporter Brian Wellner interviewed seven Iowans who were adamant that marijuana smoke, vapors, tincture and ointment are easing symptoms from verifiable illnesses that FDA-approved, opium-derived medications cannot. We reported on military veterans and the mothers of seriously ill toddlers who sought marijuana remedies to avoid the debilitating side effects of legal prescriptions. All were so convinced of marijuana's medical value, they were willing to share their names and photographs in a community where such disclosures still risk felony prosecution. [continues 404 words]
Brian Littlejohn Fellow Iowans: Prohibition of cannabis has created a huge black market, which subjects everyone to danger while creating a cash cow for the cartels. Iowa's draconian approach has caused, and continues to cause, painful suffering and death, while the state spends millions of dollars fighting against a safe, proven and effective treatment for many illnesses. Iowa legislators are relying on old propaganda, provided most recently in issue No. 4 of "The Connection," published on Dec. 11, 2013, from the Iowa Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy. It is distributed to every legislator in Iowa. [continues 146 words]
As more and more states and municipalities test the waters of legalizing medical marijuana, some have argued that Iowa's conservative roots would prevent a similar effort from getting through the Legislature. Outside of the major population centers, this line of reasoning goes, support for controversial policies such as medical marijuana loses momentum, especially as the use of marijuana decreases. But poll results released Tuesday paint a different picture. The University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll, a survey of approximately 1,000 Iowans, found 59.3 percent of respondents from all age groups support legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes. [continues 493 words]
I am a senior citizen and have had a chronic progressive neurological condition, which is also an autoimmune disease, for the past 33 years. There is no cure. I am also quadriplegic with severe nerve pain and all that that implies, including skin breakdown, recurring UTIs and vertigo, to name a few. At the very least, medical cannabis would relieve my nerve pain. I'm quite confident from all that I have read that it would also stop the progression of my condition, which would be a great benefit before I possibly go blind and lose my ability to swallow. [continues 99 words]
CEDAR RAPIDS - A mother, an Iraq War veteran and the former director of New Mexico's medical marijuana program made the case for changes in state law to allow Iowans with certain health conditions to seek relief through medicinal marijuana. The public information meeting in Iowa City Tuesday night, which attracted about 100 people, wasn't about legalizing marijuana, the war on drugs or sentencing reform, said state Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, who co-sponsored the meeting with the ACLU-Iowa. [continues 396 words]
Two guest speakers talked about the ongoing war on drugs and its effects on society on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Memorial Union. First to speak was Martin Acerbo, professor of psychology. He tried to put the debate into a scientific context. "If we talk about legalizing drugs, we need to carefully consider what questions we need to ask," Acerbo said. Smoking marijuana can have medical effects, but it also has a considerate effect on the cognitive abilities. "It affects your perception on time and your ability to react, so it puts everyone around in danger, once you decide to drive," Acerbo said. Acerbo said that discussions concerning the matter should be dictated by facts rather than emotions. "We don't know yet how certain substances affect your body or interact with each other, especially when you smoke a joint," Acerbo said. "Police officers often arrest people based on the level of THC in your blood, even though that doesn't indicate your level of intoxication at all." [continues 570 words]
Regarding your editorial ("Illinois stumbles into medical marijuana," Aug. 5), while there have been studies showing that marijuana can shrink cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug. If a doctor recommends marijuana to a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and it helps them feel better, then it's working. In the end, medical marijuana is a quality-of-life decision best left to patients and their doctors. Drug warriors waging war on non-corporate drugs contend that organic marijuana is not an effective health intervention. Their prescribed intervention for medical marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells and criminal records. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors should not be dictating healthcare decisions. It's long past time to let doctors decide what is right for their patients; sick patients should not be jailed for daring to seek relief from marijuana. Robert Sharpe Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C*.* [end]
National marijuana-legalization advocates made Clel Baudler's day by naming him one of the "Worst State Legislators of 2013." The Iowa representative burst into laughter when informed this afternoon that he'd made the national, eight-member villains' list put out by the Marijuana Policy Project. "I appreciate it. How do I want to say this? I want to be as snarky as possible," he said. He thought about it for a moment, then declared: "I look at this designation with pride, coming from a group of individuals who, quite frankly in my opinion, don't know sic 'em from whoa." [continues 344 words]
Illinois officially stumbled into the hazy world of medical marijuana, where a mish-mosh of conflicting state laws try to reinvent tried-and-true pharmacology practices. Gov. Pat Quinn signed Illinois' medical marijuana bill, touted as the toughest in the nation. Perhaps. But in this nation, 20 state legislatures and the District of Columbia have dreamed up wildly inconsistent regulations that seem to overlook how modern medicine has regulated and prescribed narcotics for decades. Anyone sick enough to need an opium-derived medication - Oxycodone, for example can fill a prescription almost anywhere. Those needing medical marijuana are subject to various restrictions by different state legislatures. [continues 482 words]
Inside Iowa
