If the U.S. Congress was smart, it would jump on legalizing the marijuana plant and start two profitable businesses that could give a boost to our economy instead of a boost to China's and the cartels' economy. One business opportunity could be producing industrial hemp like we used to do. Hemp is a certain strain of the marijuana plant that has a low content of tetrahydrocannabinaol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Hemp is grown for industrial purposes such as making paper, textiles and biodegradable plastics, and it is environmentally friendly, as it requires few pesticides and no herbicides. Hemp can also be used to produce bio-diesel fuel. [continues 133 words]
When Mexico's president was elected in 2006, he said the war on drugs was going to be his No. 1 priority. Since then, an estimated 34,000 people have died in Mexico as a result of the drug cartels fighting over the trade routes for their illegal drugs. In September of this year, 35 bodies were dumped on a busy freeway during rush hour as people watched in horror. You don't see Purdue Pharma pharmaceuticals beheading the employees of Endo pharmaceuticals just because they are launching a generic version of all four strengths of Oxycontin, for which Purdue Pharma holds the patent. Instead, they are in court because these are legal drugs and they have to go through the legal channels. [continues 116 words]
Did you know the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved pill form of marijuana (Marinol) only contains one of the compounds or cannabinoids that are found in the marijuana plant? That compound is tetrahyrdocannabinol or THC. Recent research in marijuana has shown it has many therapeutic compounds or cannabinoids in it, such as CBD, a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid that has been clinically demonstrated to have analgesic, anti-spasmodic, anxiolytic, anti-psychotic, anti-nausea and anti-rheumatoid arthritic properties. Along with CBD, there are other naturally occurring terpenoids (oils) and flavonoids (phenols) that also have been clinically demonstrated to possess therapeutic utility. [continues 147 words]
\A recent report claims that teenagers are experimenting with a new substance to get high. It's not the illegal marijuana plant and it's not the recently outlawed Salvia plant or even K-2, the herb that gives a marijuana-like high. It's the dreaded "nutmeg." That's right, nutmeg. So, legislators, get out your pen and paper, for there is yet another substance to be outlawed. Sorry, folks, all those holiday desserts have got to go before it becomes an epidemic. Dawn Palmer Tarrant [end]
This year, the Department of Veteran Affairs has announced that patients being treated at VA facilities will be allowed to use medical marijuana if they live in one of the 14 states where it is legal. Under prior department rules, veterans treated in a VA hospital or clinic could be denied pain medications if they were found to be using marijuana. The new policy states that patients participating in state medical marijuana programs must not be denied VHA services or pain medications. The policy also states that doctors may still reduce or change a patient's medication if there is a risk of interaction with the marijuana, but the decision will be based on an individual patient's case and not as a blanket rule. [continues 133 words]
This year the Department of Veteran Affairs has formally announced that patients being treated at VA facilities will be allowed to use medical marijuana if they live in one of the 14 states where it is legal. Under prior department rules, veterans treated in a VA hospital or clinic could be denied pain medications if they were found to be using marijuana. The new policy states that patients participating in state medical marijuana programs must not be denied VA services or pain medications. [continues 167 words]
What is it that makes marijuana so evil and illegal? Is it the active ingredient THC? No, that can't be it, because the FDA has approved a pill (Marinol) by a pharmaceutical company that's active ingredient is THC. Is it the smoke? No, that can't be it, because there are other delivery systems that can be used, such as eating it in food. Could it be because it is a gateway drug and it's addictive? No, that can't be it, either, because tobacco and alcohol and many other pharmaceuticals would be illegal. [continues 94 words]
The Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency agree that smoked marijuana has no medicinal value, yet they have approved a pharmaceutical pill, Marinol, derived from the active ingredient in marijuana. According to the DEA's Web site, it even helped facilitate the research for Marinol. Since the DEA's mission is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations, why would it be facilitating research on a drug it considers illegal with no medicinal value? The DEA said there are no FDA-approved medications that are smoked. Smoking is a poor delivery system for medicine. However, smoking marijuana is not the only delivery system that can be used. It can be made into tea, cooked in a variety of foods and now there is a vaporizer that takes most of the harmful carcinogens out. [continues 83 words]
A letter to the Montgomery Advertiser said that Loretta Nall threatened all politicians with financial downfall if they didn't support her platform of legalizing marijuana. She didn't threaten any politicians; she merely suggested legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana as a potential financial alternative, just like several statesmen have suggested. The letter said that marijuana was the No. 1 drug of choice requiring treatment at the Montgomery Addiction Program. Marijuana is the most-used illegal drug, so it only stands to reason that marijuana would be the No. 1 drug requiring treatment in a court-mandated program like the Montgomery's Addiction Program. As for the statement about us being better off wondering if the bus driver, pilot, etc., was puffing on a legal substance, how do we know if he or she isn't under the influence of a legal prescription drug? Dawn Palmer Tarrant [end]
Our government has been funding research on marijuana for years and all the reports we have heard about are the harmful effects. Why doesn't it ever do research to see if there might be positive effects? Obviously, there must be a call for this type research since 13 states have legalized it for medicinal purposes. Dr. Donald Tashkin used to be one of the National Institute on Drug Abuse's top researchers on marijuana. In his studies, he discovered that THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) has been shown to promote known apoptosis (damaged cells die instead of reproducing) and to counter angiogenesis (the process by which blood vessels are formed - - a requirement of tumor growth). He said that other antioxidants in cannabis may also be involved in countering malignancy. [continues 55 words]
I'm writing in response to The News' article about the indoor marijuana operation police recently discovered. The article said an operation like that could generate $1 million a year. Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale said, "It would be impressive if it was a legitimate business." Well, why not make it a legitimate business? There has been a bill submitted every year since 2004 to the Alabama Legislature calling for the legalization of medicinal marijuana. There are many people who could benefit from this legitimate business. [continues 100 words]
In a recent article drug task force officer Chuck Hearn said that marijuana is kind of a gateway drug and he believed marijuana leads to other destructive substances. He said that many of the hard drug addicts he encounters, such as cocaine users, started smoking marijuana in their early teens. I bet if we were to ask those same people did they smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol before they started doing hard drugs like cocaine they would say yes. The gateway theory is just a "theory." I read a book entitled "Mother of All Gateway Drugs" by John Newmeyer, Ph.D. in which he states: "if we really want to look at what is the mother of all gateway drugs, its sugar. Did you ever give a baby a drink of soda or some ice cream? You can hardly pry it out of their hands." We're going to have to come up with something better than the "gateway theory" for us to have a reason to be arresting someone every forty seconds. Dawn Palmer [end]
There was a wonderful essay in The Birmingham News written by Dr. Steven Rudd ("Weigh pros, cons of pot for medical purposes," Commentary, March 23). Rudd wrote about Michael Phillips, who suffered from seizures. Rudd said Phillips was arrested twice for using marijuana, which was suggested by his doctor to help control his seizures. Rudd asked us to do research and weigh the pros and cons about medical marijuana. The research shows there has not been one documented death as a result of marijuana use. How many pharmaceutical drugs can we say that about? [continues 91 words]
Congress has funded our law enforcement officers well, and they have done an excellent job. According to a recent report, 1 in every 100 Americans is in jail or prison. Because our jails and prisons are packed, states have come up with alternatives such as community corrections programs and drug courts in order to divert nonviolent drug offenders away from the prison system to make room for the violent offenders. Treatment for nonviolent drug offenders is more cost-effective but, due to Congress not wanting to look soft on crime, these programs are underfunded. We need to let members of Congress know they won't be condemned for taking a more compassionate and cost-effective approach to our drug-abuse problem. They need to reform the laws concerning mere drug possession and free up more money for education, prevention and treatment. This could lead to more money to treat all the people with a drug-abuse problem, not just the ones who get caught. [continues 57 words]
In a recent article ("Today's marijuana stronger than pot of the 1960s," Monday Health), an addiction expert said the marijuana of today is laced with formaldehyde, pills and cocaine. It would appear that if it was legal, regulated and controlled, we wouldn't have that problem. The way it is now, the drug dealers have all the control. They control what and who they sell to. Dawn Palmer Tarrant [end]
A recent government study tells us marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States. More than 83 million Americans older than the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once. More than 12 million had used the drug in the month before the survey. A recent essay "Make marijuana a legal cash crop" (Commentary, Aug. 5) reported that, despite intensive eradication efforts, domestic marijuana has increased tenfold over the past 25 years. Its proliferation to every part of the country demonstrates that marijuana has become a pervasive and ineradicable part of the economy. [continues 105 words]
Dear Editor: A bill called the Compassionate Care Act will be presented to the House during this legislative session. It is a bill that would make it possible for medical marijuana to be recommended by a physician to his patients without prosecution of either party. Doesn't this seem insane that we have to get politicians to tell us what medicine a doctor thinks we should take? For just a moment, let's put aside all the propaganda about marijuana and look at it for what it is. It is a plant that can be used for medicine. Yes, it does have side effects just as any other medicine does. Yes, it can cause dizziness and dry mouth. Are these not the same side effects we read about on all medications? Some medicines have a whole page dedicated just to its side effects. [continues 67 words]
A bill called the Compassionate Care Act will be presented to the House during this legislative session. It is a bill that would make it possible for medical marijuana to be recommended by a physician to his patients without prosecution of either party. Doesn't it seem insane that we have to get politicians to tell us what medicine a doctor thinks we should take? For just a moment, let's put aside all the propaganda about marijuana and look at it for what it is. It is a plant that can be used for medicine. Yes, it does have side effects just as any other medicine does. Yes, it can cause dizziness and dry mouth. Are these not the same side effects we read about on all medications? Some medicines have a whole page dedicated just to side effects. [continues 66 words]
I am responding to an article I read in The News' Opinions page on Dec. 26. It concerned overcrowding in our prison systems. It seems to me it should be the job of our House of Representatives and our senators to reform the laws for nonviolent offenders such as those arrested for drug possession. This would decrease our jails and prisons considerably. There is no doubt that people who commit crimes should pay restitution, but incarcerating people for minor drug possession is not right. Drug abuse is not a crime. Until our government realizes we cannot afford to house and feed all these people, we will always be in debt. People who possess just small amounts of drugs have not actually harmed me or you. They are only causing themselves harm. So where is the crime? [continues 68 words]
This is in response to an article titled "Shelby student drug use down." It appears the point the article was trying to make was, because of the random drug testing of high school students, drug use among high school students was down. But because sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students are not drug tested, their drug use is up. It really amazes me how many people would actually believe this type of survey. For one, the answers from this type of survey are taken from the children. Children do not take these surveys seriously. They are likely to write anything down. [continues 141 words]
