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Report to the Director,
National Institutes of Health,
by the Ad Hoc Group of Experts

Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Clinical Pharmacology of Marijuana
• Analgesia
• Use of Marijuana in Neurological and Movement Disorders
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Glaucoma
• Appetite Stimulation/Cachexia
• Question 4. What Special Issues Have to be Considered in Conducting Clinical Trials of the Therapeutic Uses of Marijuana?
• Appendix: The Effect of Controlled Substances Scheduling on Marijuana Research
• Ad Hoc Group of Experts

"Stop using medical marijuana! In the name of my interpretation of the law!"

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers wants to put the medical-marijuana genie back in the bottle -- so it's hardly surprising that he's not thrilled by the Obama administration's efforts to put enforcement of rules pertaining to dispensaries in the hands of states. Shortly after the new guidelines were released, Suthers issued a statement declaring that the document "relies on the faulty assumption that Colorado has clearly defined laws on medical marijuana. In fact, it does not." He goes on to criticize the vagueness of Amendment 20, which okayed medical marijuana, and calls on legislators to pass legislation to tighten it up.

Dreams of recreational pot users who want to get their hands on medical marijuana may have just gone up in smoke.

The Colorado Senate passed a bill that put strong restrictions on usage of medical marijuana and set guidelines for doctors who make recommendations for medical marijuana users.

Senate Bill 109 passed overwhelmingly 34-1. It is sponsored by Sens. Chris Romer, D-Denver, and Nancy Spence, R-Centennial.

The bill would keep doctors from writing recommendations inside the state's growing number of medical marijuana dispensaries, require physicians to review the medical history and give full exams to those who seek approval to buy the drug.

Also under the bill, people who are between the ages of 18 and 21 would have to get the approval of two doctors before becoming medical marijuana users.

source: http://www.examiner.com/x-35915-Denver-Financial-Fraud-Examiner~y2010m2d1-Medical-marijuana-bill-passes-in-Colorado-Senate

Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana and NORML have been promoting a lot of information to the public in advance of the upcoming hearings which will be a frank discussion on House Bill 1393.  The following represents a selection of their literature.

Emerging Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids

Myth: Marijuana is More Damaging to the Lungs Than Tobacco. Marijuana smokers are at a high risk of developing lung cancer, bronchitis, and emphysema.

Fact: Moderate smoking of marijuana appears to pose minimal danger to the lungs. Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke contains a number of irritants and carcinogens. But marijuana users typically smoke much less often than tobacco smokers, and over time, inhale much less smoke. As a result, the risk of serious lung damage should be lower in marijuana smokers. There have been no reports of lung cancer related solely to marijuana, and in a large study presented to the American Thoracic Society in 2006, even heavy users of smoked marijuana were found not to have any increased risk of lung cancer. Unlike heavy tobacco smokers, heavy marijuana smokers exhibit no obstruction of the lung's small airway. That indicates that people will not develop emphysema from smoking marijuana.

• Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. “Legalization: Panacea or Pandora’s Box.” New York. (1995): 36.
• Turner, Carlton E. The Marijuana Controversy. Rockville: American Council for Drug Education, 1981.
• Nahas, Gabriel G. and Nicholas A. Pace. Letter. “Marijuana as Chemotherapy Aid Poses Hazards.” New York Times 4 December 1993: A20.
• Inaba, Darryl S. and William E. Cohen. Uppers, Downers, All-Arounders: Physical and Mental Effects of Psychoactive Drugs. 2nd ed. Ashland: CNS Productions, 1995. 174.