More Addictive Drugs Now In Use, State Rep Says About Complaints State Rep. Phyllis Mundy is a co-sponsor of a bill that would allow the use of marijuana to ease patients' pain. Mundy, D-Kingston, admits the bill is controversial and says it's not a "legislative priority." But, she said, it's time to start thinking about the use of such drugs in treatment. "House Bill 1393 seeks to ease human suffering by allowing those who are gravely or terminally ill to use marijuana to relieve their pain," Mundy said. "It does not, as some may suggest, seek to promote the recreational use of marijuana or in any way legalize it for such use. [continues 266 words]
Not a single lawmaker from the Lehigh Valley had the guts or the integrity to join him. John Ray Wilson, 36, of Franklin Township, N.J., has multiple sclerosis, an incurable disease. He has no medical insurance, so the only way he could ease some of his agony was with a few marijuana plants he grew in his yard. Now he faces the agony of 20 years in prison, and the jury in his trial, set to begin Dec. 14, will be prevented by a so-called judge from knowing the truth about his reasons for having those pot plants. [continues 756 words]
HARRISBURG - A House committee waded through a thicket of health, ethical and legal issues Wednesday during a first-time hearing on a bill to legalize the medical use of marijuana. The hearing before the Health and Human Services Committee featured testimony from individuals with a wide range of views about an issue that has gained headway in a number of western states, but until now has not garnered much attention in Pennsylvania. The measure by Rep. Mark Cohen, D-202, Philadelphia, would provide for state licensing and inspection of "compassion" centers where marijuana can be used with a doctor's recommendation by patients suffering from HIV, AIDS, cancer and other illnesses. [continues 368 words]
From Maine to California, muddled thinking over the use of marijuana, medical and otherwise, finally is beginning to clear, giving way to reason over its future use. Fourteen states are moving to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. In Maine, residents have overwhelmingly voted to allow the sale of medical marijuana over the counter. And in California, signatures are being collected to put legalization before voters next year. It's estimated that taxing and regulating pot, much like cigarettes and alcohol, could raise $1.3 billion in California alone. [continues 128 words]
Stephany Bowen suffers from fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy and chronic pain from four back surgeries, a metal plate in the back of her neck and hypertension in her right leg. Her daily ritual includes insulin, Vicodin and up to two bowls of marijuana, which she claims eases nausea caused by her medication and takes her mind off her pain. She said she is unable to work and rarely leaves home. Her marijuana use is a crime under state law, but she is hopeful that one day that will change. [continues 685 words]
The head of Serento Gardens Alcoholism & Drug Services will appear before Pennsylvania lawmakers this week to speak in favor of medical marijuana. Ed Pane, president and chief executive officer of the Hazleton organization, said he'll deliver testimony Wednesday when the House of Representatives' Health and Human Services Subcommittee holds its first hearing on House Bill 1393, the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. "These hearings on medical marijuana are the first of their kind" in Pennsylvania, Pane said. Pane said he supports the use of marijuana as medicine only - and not as a recreational drug. [continues 402 words]
The head of Serento Gardens Alcoholism & Drug Services will appear before Pennsylvania lawmakers this week to speak in favor of medical marijuana. Ed Pane, president and chief executive officer of the Hazleton organization, said he'll deliver testimony Wednesday when the House of Representatives' Health and Human Services Subcommittee holds its first hearing on House Bill 1393, the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. Pane said he supports the use of marijuana as medicine only - and not as a recreational drug. "My testimony is several pages," he said, noting he pulled information from scholarly research - all of which is cited and endorsed. "My specific area is to dispel the myth that this is a gateway drug to other drugs - that the medical use of it would lead to a spate of other addictions." [continues 321 words]
Inside the green neon sign, which is shaped like a marijuana leaf, is a red cross. The cross serves the fiction that most transactions in the store - which is what it really is - involve medicine. The U.S. Justice Department recently announced that federal laws against marijuana would not be enforced for possession of marijuana that conforms to states' laws. In 2000, Colorado legalized medical marijuana. Since Justice's decision, the average age of the 400 people a day seeking "prescriptions" at Colorado's multiplying medical marijuana dispensaries has fallen precipitously. Many new customers are college students. [continues 667 words]
DENVER -- Inside the green neon sign, which is shaped like a marijuana leaf, is a red cross. The cross serves the fiction that most transactions in the store - which is what it really is - involve medicine. The U.S. Justice Department recently announced that federal laws against marijuana would not be enforced for possession of marijuana that conforms to states' laws. In 2000, Colorado legalized medical marijuana. Since Justice's decision, the average age of the 400 people a day seeking "prescriptions" at Colorado's multiplying medical marijuana dispensaries has fallen precipitously. Many new customers are college students. [continues 669 words]
DENVER --Inside the green neon sign, which is shaped like a marijuana leaf, is a red cross. The cross serves the fiction that most transactions in the store -- which is what it really is -- involve medicine. The Justice Department recently announced that federal laws against marijuana would not be enforced for possession of marijuana that conforms to states' laws. In 2000, Colorado legalized medical marijuana. Since Justice's decision, the average age of the 400 persons a day seeking "prescriptions" at Colorado's multiplying medical marijuana dispensaries has fallen precipitously. [continues 673 words]
Since the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis, also known as marijuana, has been federally classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it has no legally accepted medical use and has the same classification as, for example, heroin. Over the last couple of decades, however, that classification has started to be challenged, especially at the state level. Currently, 13 states have passed some form of legislation allowing the use of medical marijuana. California was the first, passing the Compassionate Use Act in 1996 that legalized medical marijuana and ostensibly set regulations for the production and distribution of the drug. In recent months, New Mexico has begun "breathing life," to quote an Associated Press report, into its own 2007 legislation that legalized medical marijuana. That New Mexico has taken so long to formalize the systemization of medical marijuana is indicative of a larger national resistance to the notion of legal weed in the United States. [continues 871 words]
For 11 years, businessman Robert E. Field has quietly made sure intravenous drug users in Lancaster had free access to sterile needles. Field in 1998 started a needle-exchange program that today is handing out more than 7,000 needles per month to reduce the spread of HIV and other blood-borne diseases. For all these years, Field has personally bankrolled the $50,000-a-year operation, but now he's ending his financial support in hopes the wider community is ready to embrace the concept of needle exchange. As a result, the program finds itself at a crossroads. [continues 1220 words]
Punishment for Drug Sales Within 1,000 Feet of Schools Has Unintended Consequences A Berks County judge called for immediate action from legislators to repeal a law allowing prosecutors to seek mandatory sentences for drug dealers selling within 1,000 feet of a school. "We cannot continue to fill up the prisons with nonviolent people who sell marijuana," Judge Linda K.M. Ludgate said. "We are in a state budget crisis. This law no longer makes sense." [continues 752 words]
Some California University of Pennsylvania students who fell ill after smoking marijuana this week can blame their illness on another type of weed. The students smoked marijuana laced with jimson weed, a toxic plant that grows freely throughout the region and which is abused for its hallucinogenic properties. The students, who numbered fewer than 10, first went to the university's health center seeking treatment for side effects, including rapid heartbeat. They were later sent to the hospital as a precaution, said university spokeswoman Angela Burrows. [continues 70 words]
"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man." --Judge Francis Young In 1988, Judge Francis Young, former chief administrative law judge at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, ruled in favor of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws in its case for the legalization of medical marijuana. Young was swayed by the fact that while it is possible to die from such legal medicines as ibuprofen, acetaminophen and even cough syrup, marijuana is entirely safe. There has never been a death attributed to an overdose of marijuana. If Young had his way, marijuana would be a Schedule II controlled substance, illegal for recreational use, but an acceptable prescription medicine. [continues 719 words]
The event continues Sunday in Jackson Township. While light rain fell, Josh Neal stood in a small grove surrounded by tents, juggled three balls and talked of the ultimate grassroots effort. Neal, 28, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was in Jackson Township on Saturday for the first Free Mary Jane Festival -- a two-day event that features over 20 bands and promotes the legalization of U.S. hemp production and medical marijuana use. The event, held at Elicker's Grove -- adjacent to the Jackson Township municipal building -- where church picnics and family gatherings are typically held, also includes a glass blower, tattoo artist and magician. [continues 364 words]
There was disturbing testimony this past week during the drug trial in U.S. Middle District Court of now-admitted drug dealer Dorothy Robinson, not the least of which were revelations about Social Security disability benefits fueling drug habits and money intended for the care of children being siphoned off to pay drug tabs. The testimony of at least three witnesses included statements about turning over Social Security money and checks to pay for drugs supplied on credit, often at jacked-up prices. [continues 551 words]
Re: "N.J. corrections officer admits smuggling cocaine," Monday: While it may seem that something like this should not happen, it's both a common occurrence and well-kept secret. Prisons across the United States are full of drugs because of the black market that the prison environment creates. I spent 12 years at Sing Sing Correctional Facility for a nonviolent drug crime. I saw many guards get caught bringing drugs into the prison. Drug use in prison is common. It is a way of life, and some corrupt prison guards are tempted to make a fast buck by smuggling in drugs. If you can't control the trafficking of drugs in a prison, how can you control drugs in a free society? Anthony Papa Drug Policy Alliance New York [end]
The best police officer in the state at helping children steer clear of drugs and alcohol works right here. Lower Burrell Patrolman John Marhefka has been named the Drug Awareness and Resistance Education Officer of the Year. Marhefka is in his 12th year of teaching drug and alcohol awareness classes. The Vandergrift native is the 21st officer of the year selected by the state's DARE officer's association. "This is someone who obviously likes his work," said Lower Burrell Police Chief Tracy Lindo, himself a longtime DARE instructor. "He has a confidence level and gets along with the students. You can't fool the kids." [continues 445 words]
Many arguments for ending marijuana prohibition are familiar, including the potential tax windfall, freedom of personal choice and the financial and societal costs of a policy that's a failure as a practical matter. Now, a new book uses documented scientific and medical evidence to make a less familiar argument: that punishing adults for using marijuana is senseless because, compared with legal and widely accepted alcohol, it's far less harmful. Steve Fox, director of state campaigns for the Marijuana Policy Project, visited the Trib to discuss "Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?" (Chelsea Green). Following are excerpts from Fox's discussion of the book, which he co-authored with Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), and Mason Tvert, co-founder and executive director of SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation). [continues 1190 words]