'permits to sell cannabis'
Contracostatimes.com
Guy Ashley
November 29th 2005

Six medical marijuana clubs are competing for three permits to sell cannabis in unincorporated parts of Alameda County. Six months ago, Alameda County supervisors passed a law limiting the number of dispensaries and establishing a selection process. The six clubs all applied for permits before the Wednesday deadline. Meanwhile, two of the clubs are contesting Sheriff Charles Plummer's orders to close because they are too close to a school and a drug recovery facility.One of those, Full Permits....

Assembly bill 740
Nbc15.madison.com
November 23rd 2005

Those who have watched loved ones suffer through the pain of a chronic or terminal illness say it's time for this country to re–think its policy about using marijuana as a medicine. The Assembly Health Committee heard public testimony today on a bill that allows marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes. Don Murphy is the Executive Director of Republicans for Compassionate Access. He says he's witnessed the pain of others firsthand, and says any help they can be given is worth it. "I watched my dad suffer from cancer for three years before losing his battle with the disease,” says Murphy. “So I understand first hand the kind of pain and suffering a patient can go through." More...

'legalize marijuana, tax sales'
Dailytoreador.com
November 21st 2005

I agree with Trey Calvia's article, "Step No. 1 in the new battle plan: legalize marijuana, tax sales." Not only is marijuana less harmful than many of our social and legal drugs, but cannabinoids, compounds within the marijuana plant, have a high potential for new medicines.
I speak with many patients who use smoked marijuana to relieve the symptoms of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, AIDS and cancer. Often times marijuana helps these patients stop taking other prescribed drugs, which saves them from toxic side effects, Full Agreement...

Cannabis Extracts Relieve Arthritis Pain, Study Says
www.norml.org
November 18th 2005

Bath, United Kingdom: Cannabis extracts suppress pain and improve sleep quality in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, according to clinical trial data published in the current issue of the journal Rheumatology. Fifty-eight patients participated in the randomized, double-blind, parallel group study. Thirty-one volunteers self-administered Sativex , a whole plant medicinal cannabis extract containing precise doses of the cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol (CBD), for a period of five weeks while the others received a placebo.Compared to the placebo group, patients who had taken Sativex experienced statistically significant improvements in pain on movement, pain at rest, quality of sleep, inflammation, and intensity of pain, the study found. Full Story....

'patient power'
Guardian.co.uk
James Meikle
November 16th 2005

Patients in Britain will soon be able to obtain an unlicensed, cannabis-based medicine on prescription to treat multiple sclerosis and possibly rheumatoid arthritis. The Home Office has allowed the mouthspray drug to be imported for individual patients in exceptional cases, provided their clinician believes they will benefit.
Local health trusts will also have to agree to pay for the £4-a-day medicine before any patient can be treated on the NHS. The decision is the second example within weeks of patient power forcing authorities to allow wider access to unlicensed drugs, Full Power.....

'government parcel every month containing 11 ounces'
Pacificnews.org
Joe Eskenazi
November13 th 2005

Irvin Rosenfeld smokes marijuana. A lot of it. Every day. He also buys and sells stocks. A lot of them. Every day.
And he’s very up-front about this with everyone, most of all his 500 clients. “I handle millions and millions of dollars on a daily basis, and all of my clients know I use marijuana. I don’t want them to see me on TV and say, ‘Hey, that’s my stockbroker!’” says the Jewish activist with a laugh. You probably haven’t heard of Rosenfeld, and, for that, the federal government is no doubt thankful. For the past 23 years, he has received a parcel from the government every month containing 11 ounces of marijuana packed into 300 cigarettes — marijuana grown by the federal government on a farm run by the University of Mississippi and given to Rosenfeld free of charge. Rosenfeld is enrolled in an extremely limited federal marijuana program, which will be phased out once the last participant dies, Full Tale.....

Spain Grants Limited Access To Medical Cannabis Spray
Norml.org
November 10th 2005

Barcelona, Spain: Spanish health officials have approved the importation and use of Sativex, an oral spray consisting of natural cannabis extracts, for select patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS), neuropathic pain, and other conditions.
Produced by the British biotechnology firm GW Pharmaceuticals and marketed by Bayer, Sativex is a whole plant medicinal cannabis extract containing precise doses of the cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol (CBD), as well as naturally existing terpenoids (oils) and flavonoids (antioxidants). In clinical trials, Sativex has been demonstrated to alleviate numerous MS-associated symptoms compared to placebo, including pain, muscle spasms, and bladder incontinence. The drug is available by prescription in Canada and is pending regulatory approval in the United Kingdom. Six hundred patients, including those suffering from MS, chronic pain, cancer, and the AIDS wasting syndrome, will be provided Sativex under the Spanish Ministry of Health's compassionate access program. The government's limited approval of the drug marks the first time Europeans will have legal access to Sativex outside of a clinical trial.

"statistically significant" results
Bbc.co.uk
November 9th 2005

New Cannabis study : The authors now want to conduct a larger trial to back up their findings
A study by scientists in Bath shows cannabis can significantly ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.
Taken in medicine form, the class C drug was shown to improve the pain of movement, pain at rest, quality of sleep and ease inflammation.
The researchers say the element of the drug which creates a potential "high" is an essential therapeutic component and cannot be removed. The authors now want to conduct a larger trial to back up their findings.
The results of the trial, published in the medical journal Rheumatology show that the CBM produced "statistically significant" results, More.....

'nutritional value of cannabis seeds'
Edmontonsun.com
November 6th 2005

Coming to a pharmacy near you: a bong in a bottle. Just kidding. Actually, the Med-Marijuana line of herbal remedies contains so little of the psychoactive ingredient found in weed, you could down a whole bottle without feeling the slightest buzz.
"You can take this stuff till hell freezes over and you're not going to get a minute of euphoria," said Bob Martin, a Calgary life insurance salesman who recently got the rights to distribute the hemp-derived remedies in southern Alberta. He said he hopes to start selling the products in Edmonton soon. "Health Canada's rules for (over-the-counter products) made from marijuana specify they must have less than 10 parts per million of THC, the psychoactive ingredient. Our product has something like 1.5 to two parts per million."
-Marijuana. Martin insists nutritionists have been praising the nutritional value of cannabis seeds "for years." Full Value....

Anecdotal Reports
Msneighborhood.com
John C. Martin
November 5th 2005


A new, small clinical trial reports positive results using a drug for multiple sclerosis that is not approved for use in the United States, but was okayed by Canadian regulatory authorities earlier this year.
The medication, known as Sativex, is made of two ingredients from marijuana plants known as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and cannabidiol. It's given to patients as a mouth spray. Marijuana, though banned as a treatment for MS in the United States, has been reported to be an effective therapy to relieve symptoms of the disease by some patients. In one survey, nearly three-quarters of patients supported legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana. Nearly half of these same patients had reported they had used pot at least one time, and 16 percent of those for therapeutic reasons. The patients reported that the plant relieved anxiety and depression, as well as spasticity and pain related to their MS, Full Report.....

'a synthetic cannabinoid'
Ocolly.com
November 4th 2005

Recent research and public opinion make a strong case for the legalization of medicinal and recreational hemp, or marijuana. Denver residents voted 54 percent in favor of an ordinance decriminalizing city hemp laws, letting citizens possess up to one ounce.
This is the latest in a hard-fought battle for changes in federal hemp policy, particularly the Angel Raich case over medical marijuana. Her case went to the Supreme Court in June, back-firing, with the high court saying local and state laws do not trump federal laws. Denver residents did not negate state and federal laws by passing the city ordinance. Recreational support relies on public opinion, but medicinal support weighs heavy on scientific analysis. Medical studies conducted in Canada by the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Calgary build a case for legalizing both forms of usage. Full Tale.......

'pot helps me sleep'
Montereyherald.com
Peter Larsen
November 1st 2005

Lake Forrest> Two skaters slouched into the doctor's office, tattooed, pierced and looking for medical marijuana.
I've got insomnia, doc -- and pot helps me sleep, Skater No. 1 told Philip A. Denney. But with no medical records to back up his claim -- no credible medical history at all -- the answer he got was no. Expecting much the same from Skater No. 2, Denney stepped into the next examination room and asked him why he wanted a doctor's approval to use marijuana, More Insomnia......