One of Florida's foremost cancer hospitals takes the job of caregiver so seriously it holds a 'Caregiver Academy' for those caring for patients following stem-cell transplants. Caring for someone who is very ill is a huge responsibility that can involve addressing basic needs such as bathing, eating, continence, dressing, toileting and transferring. A major element of Amendment 2, the ballot question Floridians will vote on in November, concerns caregivers who could assist with a recipient's use of marijuana. [continues 480 words]
This spring, the Illinois Senate passed SB1381, the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act. Under this bill, seriously ill patients with a physician's recommendation would be eligible to obtain a registry identification card from the Illinois Department of Health entitling the patient or a designated primary caregiver to cultivate up to six cannabis plants and possess up to 2 ounces of dried cannabis. Currently, SB1381 is poised for a House vote in late 2009 or early 2010. There are a number of compelling reasons to legally sanction the medical use of cannabis. First and foremost, there is a scientific consensus on the safety and efficacy of cannabis therapy as a treatment for a number of debilitating symptoms, including loss of appetite, nausea, pain, spasticity, wasting and vomiting. Marinol, a synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol pill, is not an adequate substitute for cannabis because it lacks the full gamut of therapeutic compounds found in cannabis and may be absorbed too slowly for patients suffering from acute symptoms. [continues 80 words]
Two separate marijuana busts conducted Friday by the Pike County Sheriff's De-partment resulted in the confiscation of more than 1,400 plants, officials say. Sheriff Charles "Fuzzy" Keesee said the larger haul originated with an investigation of a four-wheeler that had been parked along a rural county road. Keesee said when deputies arrived at the location where the ATV was parked, a juvenile came down out of the hills. Dep-uties detected "a strong smell of marijuana" on the teen-ager, Keesee said, and subsequently found a joint in the juvenile's possession. When deputies drove the juvenile to his residence - at Road Creek Road near Elk-horn City - they again detected a strong smell of marijuana, this time coming from inside the teen's mobile home. Once inside, deputies discovered a "sophisticated" indoor growing operation with about 1,200 marijuana plants in various stages of growth. More plants were confiscated outside the mobile home and in a nearby storage building, along with related growing materials - from lights and fertilizer to scales and books on how to grow marijuana. Bert Hatfield, director of the sheriff's department's Drug Task Force, said the plants had an estimated street value of about $180,000. Deputies later arrested the teen's mother, Jeanette Lindeman, 39, and another occupant of the mobile home, Clifton Machniak, 41. Both were charged with cultivating and trafficking in marijuana and lodged in the Pike County Detention Center. "This is an ongoing battle," Keesee said yesterday. "Our goal is to eradicate Pike County of this drug problem. I hope we reach that goal someday." Hatfield echoed the sheriff's diligence. [continues 115 words]