Deconstructing Medical Marijuana

I've been blogging about medical marijuana for about 6 weeks. Prior to that I really didn't know very much about the interesting and quite complicated world of medical marijuana. As a recreational user, you really don't think to ask the seller what strain of marijuana you are purchasing. As long as it gets you "where you want to go," you really don't care about anything else.

People who use cannabis for medicinal purposes are calling for the drug to be made legally available for those who need it.

Those with a terminal illness, or who suffer from chronic pain, claim taking cannabis helps alleviate pain. They know they are breaking the law, but say the benefits outweigh the risks.

Last week Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne Dunne approved a cannabinoid (CBD), Elixinol, for Nelson teenager Alex Renton, who had been in Wellington Hospital for more than 60 days in an induced coma.

Cancer is a word that conjures up many images. It is a varied disease that affects many people and can leave families distraught. There are fortunately treatments for a large number of these cancers, which work by restricting tumour growth and inducing cell death. However, there are cancers which pose more of a challenge, and so finding new drugs that can fight these ones becomes even more important.

A World Wide Emergency

“Without urgent, coordinated action by many stakeholders, the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era,” Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the Assistant Director General for the World Health Organization’s Health Security department, said last year after the WHO released its first ever global report on antibiotic resistance. “Common infections and minor injuries, which have been treatable for decades, can once again kill,” he continued, explaining how antibiotic resistant bacteria are now one of the top health concerns of the world.

ISRAELI researchers are leading the world in highlighting the medical benefits of marijuana.

That was the message from journalist Helen Kapalos who spoke last Sunday night at an event on the topic hosted by Magen David Adom and the Zionist Council of Victoria.

She has recently interviewed doctors, patients and researchers in Australia, Israel and across the globe for a documentary that is expected to be screened later this year.

“This feels like the most important thing that I have ever done in my life,” Kapalos told the more than 200-strong crowd.

The journalist spoke about the largest human studies that are being undertaken in Israel, the regulated medical marijuana market in Israel and the black market for cannabis oil in Australia.

At last, New Yorkers with serious medical conditions including cancer, HIV, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathies, MS, and severe chronic pain will be able to access medical marijuana. Sponsored by NYS Senator Diane Savino, New York State's Compassionate Care Act, passed on June 23, 2014, and the recent passage of the emergency access bill accelerates the original January, 2016 implementation date.

There will be no baggies of pot awaiting patients next week, when Minnesota joins 21 other states in offering medical marijuana. No glass pipes, no plants to tend at home. Instead, the nation’s latest medical marijuana programme is a world of pill bottles and vials of marijuana-infused oil.

For the qualifying patients seeking relief from pain, medical marijuana advocates and some lawmakers, Wednesday isn’t the finish line, but the first step. The state’s restrictive approach, unseen in the industry, is likely to mean high costs, long drives and reluctant doctors.

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) -

Midnight July 1, the first medical marijuana dispensary will open to Minnesota patients. Minnesota Medical Solutions is located on 9th Street, between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue, in downtown Minneapolis.

Verified patients and their parents or legal guardians will be the only people allowed inside the dispensary. As of Friday, June 26, the number of patients statewide has grown to 64 people. MinnMed's full array of pills, oils and tinctures will be available for sale. 

The motto for the first-of-its-kind rollout is “start low, go slow.”