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7/17/2011 by Justin Escher Alpert – Last night may not have seemed unique in New Jersey, another pleasant and clear summer evening the likes of which fill my memories of The Garden State.  After a day with the family trolling the shore for bass, or after a day with friends hitting a links in the lush green mountains, or after a day with the kids basking in the sun at the town pool, people gathered together under the stars and a nearly full moon.

Maybe they drank sangria and maybe they made fresh fish tacos.  They shared and they talked and they gossiped and maybe they thanked God for the life that they were given, for the friends and family that they have, for their past experiences and future opportunities.

And maybe, as everyone relaxed, the sweet smell of Sensimilla filled the air.

They were your doctors, your lawyers, your bankers, your hairdressers… they were the clerk at that store you love and your trainer at the gym… they were Democrats and they were Republicans (definitely Libertarians), they were gay and straight, they were Christian and Jewish and Muslim and some other religions of which you may or may not have heard.  They were parents and grandparents. They were friends and neighbors.

No, last night wasn’t particularly different than any other summer night in The Garden State.  Last night was beautiful.

Do you know any of those people who got together last night?  Those people who are adults and have lived their lives according to the rules, and studied hard, and married the right person, and are raising their kids properly, and are working real hard but don’t always get it right… do you know any of those folks?  The folks navigating their lives pursuant to the sum of their past experiences and doing the best to captain their own ships?… do you know any of those folks?

Come in real close… I have a favor to ask.  Do you think you could ask just a few of those folks to write to their State legislators?

We’re not asking them to light up a doobie on the State House steps in protest… No, just a simple email to their legislators.

They can find them and email them here (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp).

Just something simple like-

Dear Senator _________, Assemblyman/woman __________, and Assemblyman/woman __________,

I support the intention of the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act and believe that safe, effective, and legal medicinal marijuana ought to be made immediately and readily available to those patients who might benefit upon the recommendation of their physician.

I also support Assembly Bill A4252, which would decriminalize possession of 15 grams or less of marijuana.

I am an adult and believe that other adults are capable of making responsible choices when it comes to the use of marijuana.

Sincerely,

Name
Address
Phone

Do you think you could ask them to do that?…  Your friends and neighbors?  They are adults now, with real jobs and real families and it is their real destiny to be in the place to make the decisions about the rules that will govern their real lives.

There is no telling what we will be able to accomplish together when we are honest with ourselves, and we ask others to be honest with themselves.

Read it, digest it, talk about it, copy it, paste it, email it, post it, share it, like it.

Today will be another beautiful summer day in The Garden State.

Justin Escher Alpert is an attorney, writer, musician, actor, activist, husband, father, friend, and neighbor, and he lives his life to the best of his abilities with his family in Livingston, New Jersey.

[Editor’s Note – Justin walks-the-walk by keeping up a regular email dialogue to NJ legislators and testifying in Trenton (video below). Freedomisgreen posts commentary and other submitted content that is exclusive to the site. If you are interested in sending text or photos please contact [email protected] .]

5/5/2011 – Recent scientific articles reviewed the ability of cannabis and cannabinoids to treat pain, especially neuropathic pain. This may be new hope for doctors who are struggling to treat these conditions. Clinical trials on humans using cannabis in various forms (smoked, extracts, oral THC, synthetic analogues) were reviewed by different research teams. Three recent reviews of those human trials demonstrate that cannabis and cannabinoids are effective for treating certain types of chronic pain with acceptable side effects.

A review on the treatments for HIV neuropathic pain concluded that, “evidence of efficacy exists only for capsaicin, smoked cannabis and rhNGF (nerve growth factor). However, rhNGF is clinically unavailable and smoked cannabis cannot be recommended as routine therapy (Phillips et al).”

Meaning, the only medications that have been shown to effectively alleviate HIV/AIDS neuropathic pain are not available on the market. Notably “smoked cannabis” was shown to be effective for the treatment of HIV neuropathy, a condition that affects more than 40% of the estimated 33 million people currently living with HIV.

A University of Pennsylvania research team published a similar review concluding that, “there is strong evidence for a moderate analgesic effect in peripheral neuropathic and central pain conditions, and conflicting evidence for their use in nociceptive pain. For spasticity, most controlled studies demonstrate significant improvement. Adverse effects are not uncommon with cannabinoids, though most are not serious and self-limiting.”

Last but not least, researchers from Canada concluded, that “overall the quality of trials was excellent. Fifteen of the eighteen trials that met inclusion criteria demonstrated a significant analgesic effect of cannabinoid as compared to placebo, several reported significant improvements in sleep. There were no serious adverse effects. Adverse effects most commonly reported were generally well tolerated, mild to moderate in severity and led to withdrawal from the studies in only a few cases (Lynch et al).”

This team from was from Dalhousie University Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto. The researchers go on to say, “this systematic review of 18 recent good quality randomized trials demonstrates that cannabinoids are a modestly effective and safe treatment option for chronic non-cancer (predominantly neuropathic) pain.”

Traumatic pain is scratching your arm, banging your thumb with a hammer or post-operative pain (surgery). But neuropathic pain is something completely different because it is generated by diseases (Multiple Sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, amputation) or as a side effect from medication toxicity. Essentially the brain begins sending pain signals out to the body for no reason. Patients say they experience it as a burning or shooting pain sensation in their hands and feet at first. Neuropathic pain often progresses to become much more intense. Opiates do not seem to have any impact in certain groups of patients. Many HIV/AIDS patients use cannabis therapy already today; anecdotal reports have been confirmed with successful results in top-quality clinical trials.

Read more science at Freedomisgreen.com

Inhaled Marijuana May Keep Brain Cancer in Remission

A Brief History of Cannabinoid Research

Jahan Marcu is currently investigating the pharmacology of cannabinoid receptors. He was working at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute when exciting discoveries were made showing enhanced anti-cancer effects with THC and CBD from the Cannabis plant. The findings were published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. In 2009 he received the Billy Martin Award from the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). Jahan is currently the vice-chair the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board at Americans for Safe Access (ASA).   Contact:  science { at } freedomisgreen.com

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent any University, business or affiliates. While the information provided in this blog is from published scientific studies it is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.

The New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Services Committee will hold a public hearing on January 20, 2011 to discuss two medical marijuana resolutions SCR 130 and SCR 140. The hearings begin at 12noon in Committee Room #1 at the State House Annex.This is an important part of an ongoing legislative process to re-write regulations proposed by the Christie Administration for the medical marijuana program.Potentially qualifying NJ residents and local medical cannabis advocates found that the draft rules introduce so many new, severe restrictions that they do not follow the intent of the law.Last month the NJ Legislature agreed with that assessment. After hearing testimony before several committees the Assembly and Senate voted forward a set of resolutions introduced by Senator Nicolas Scutari. These resolutions would invalidate the rules and possibly set about re-writing them.The resolution process mandated that a public hearing be called on the issue. The transcript will be placed on the desks of all the legislators for twenty days as elected officials consider the next move. The Senate committee hearings this week will generate that key transcript.The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act was signed exactly one year ago today by then-governor Jon Corzine.Described as the most restrictive medical marijuana law in the nation, it was the first of its kind to remove provisions for home cultivation and allows registered patients just two ounces of raw plant material per month.New Jersey’s new governor Chris Christie has put up a series of barriers to the law’s implementation. So far qualifying patients have no ability to register with the state and no cannabis is being cultivated for them.Senator Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), who is the lead sponsor of the medical marijuana law released the following statement last week:“A year after passage of our medical marijuana law, patients with chronic and terminal illnesses are still awaiting relief. While I believe it is critical to get this program off the ground, implementing it within the guidelines of existing regulations will render it useless.To that end, I am committed to moving forward with overturning unworkable regulations put forward by the administration to ensure that sick and dying patients get relief. However, I am still hopeful that we will not need to see this process through.I have pledged to work with the governor on a medical marijuana program that follows the legislative intent of the law, and fulfills our promise to provide compassionate care to patients who need it the most. I remain hopeful that we will reach a true compromise.”Advocates expect that dozens of potentially qualifying patients will testify at the hearings this week.More info about NJ medical marijuana – www.cmmnj.org

7/17/2011 – Dr. Uri Napchan was lead author on a commentary published by the American Headache Society, which discussed the possibility of using synthetic cannabinoids or natural Cannabis for the treatment of headaches. Given what scientists know about how Cannabis works, marijuana-like compounds or synthetic cannabinoids may be a promising treatment for acute, refractory, or cluster headaches.

The authors warn that it is premature to make strong clinical recommendations as there are only a small number of case reports and surveys suggesting a possible benefit from Cannabis for headache treatment. The authors do point out that Cannabis is a Schedule I drug and there is dispute over its value in different medical conditions among experts. Therefore, the authors imply that synthesizing a new cannabinoid specifically for headaches could be the best approach. This new chemical drug would not have anything from the natural Cannabis plant.

In a strange turn of events these scientists (and others like them) could see their research on a collision course with politicians in the United States. Ironically, the compounds that have the best possibilities are being swiftly prohibited. Under an “emergency” measure the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) moved several synthetic cannabinoids into the Schedule I category under federal laws.

Over the last year synthetic cannabinoids have been demonized in this country because of a new fad drug on the streets marketed as “K2″ or “Spice.” Although these packages sold as “incense” just as often contain synthetic opiates (that are still perfectly legal by the way), the cannabinoids are what public officials seem to rant about.

The compounds already targeted for prohibition, called JWH cannabinoids, were supposed to be the building blocks of a variety of promising research that should be explored further. They were regularly used in academic laboratories but are now much more difficult to obtain for legitimate research.

The authors of this study present a well-found notion of creating a non-psychotropic synthetic cannabinoid that could treat headaches. But while more states approve laws for whole-plant medical marijuana, even more are passing local laws banning synthetic cannabinoids. Politics alone could prove to be the most significant barrier for developing the science in this headache study.

Jahan Marcu is currently investigating the pharmacology of cannabinoid receptors. He was working at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute when exciting discoveries were made showing enhanced anti-cancer effects with THC and CBD from the Cannabis plant. The findings were published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. In 2009 he received the Billy Martin Award from the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). Jahan is currently the vice-chair the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board at Americans for Safe Access (ASA). Questions?   Contact    [email protected]

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent any University, business or affiliates. While the information provided in this blog is from published scientific studies it is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.

This is in response to Radical Russ Belville’s latest piece entitled “Is it NORML to be Sexist?”

Mr. Belville takes on a common issue regarding women’s roles in the marijuana movement, addressing the scantily clad babes often seen at pot trade magazines and expos and how they could be ultimately hurting “the cause.” He also notes the disproportionate amount of men in relation to women throughout said cause, as well as being smokers.

“Those who have tried pot in their lifetime are 54% male; by the time you get to the daily tokers like me, it’s 68%.  That’s two tokers for every tokette!  (Hmm, is “tokette” sexist?)”

No, tokette is obviously not sexist. But way to diminish terms that genuinely are! Sexism tends to be the one “ism” that can be joked about freely (and kind of lamely, in this case). Had you made a similar remark re: African American people (Hmmm…is “darkette” racist?), it wouldn’t have been construed as remotely funny. But alas, by simply critiquing a joke, I must be utterly lacking in a sense of humor. (It’s one of the age-old techniques to shut up a feminist: “Your dour, humorless wench, you. Can’t you take a joke?” Yes, but as a rule, I prefer my jokes the way I prefer my men: funny.)

“On one side you have free speech and sexual expression advocates explaining that sex sells! The marijuana industry is no different in that respect than the fast food, car, and beer manufacturers.”

No, Mr. Belville, marketers say that sex sells, not sexual expression advocates (whoever the heck they are and can I join their club?). Your implication is that scantily clad women selling goods is a form of sexual expression, which it obviously isn’t; it’s just good old-fashioned objectification.

Or do we flaunt our freedom to communicate any message we like, risking it may harm recruiting efforts and public opinion for legalization?  Bottom line (if you’ll pardon the pun): are the extra dollars from advertising marijuana with babes in booty shorts worth impeding the legalization of marijuana?

Ah, priorities. Sure, the exploitation of women may impede a movement, but (and this is a tiny but…oops! Pardon the pun!), it may also oppress half of the population in a broad range of far-reaching and insidious ways. My takeaway? You’re not so concerned with women being squelched by this type of exploitation, because it doesn’t affect you directly. You do care if it affects the legalization of marijuana.

Mr. Belville goes on to question:

Does our outlaw counterculture and male/female imbalance just shelter us from recognizing the sexism that the mainstream’s been addressing and correcting over the past three decades, or does it actively foster an environment of sexism?

First of all, the imbalance of women to men pot smokers isn’t that substantial. Look at your numbers again. There are a lot of women smoking weed. It’s not a man’s sport. Obviously, women are shutting up for the same reasons they always shut up: fear of repercussion, not lack of agreement.

And do tell me what happened three decades ago. I had no clue that the mainstream has been “addressing and correcting” sexism since 1981. I so didn’t get that memo. Open up a magazine, turn on your television, listen to your radio, walk down your street. Sexism is alive and well and raping and exploiting in 2011. Using hot chicks to sell stuff is hardly counterculture; it’s simply more of the same. It’s very…frat. And you’re right; it does diminish a message.

I get what you were going after and do appreciate your underlying points. You’re taking the baby steps required to truly understand the objectification and unheard voices of women. And you nailed the head (is that an “excuse the pun” too? Head? Get it?) on many levels.

But as a woman, I have to walk this walk. I have to look good and sell beer. I have to speak out, and then shut up. And I have to get the joke. Even when it’s not funny.

Beth Mann is a popular blogger and writer for Open Salon and Salon. She is also an accomplished artist with over 15 years of experience, as well as the president of Hot Buttered Media. She currently resides at the Jersey shore where she can be found surfing or singing karaoke at a local dive bar.

Contact: maryjane {at } freedomisgreen.com

Marijuana has a long-held reputation of “making you dumb.” This has been upheld by studies in the past that have discounted factors like gender and education (what?!)

But this recent study followed nearly 2,000 young Australian adults for eight years and found that marijuana has little long-term effect on learning and memory.

The idea that marijuana makes you dumb has long been embodied in the stereotype of the slow, stupid stoner, seen in numerous Hollywood movies and TV comedies and going unquestioned by much of American culture. But a new study says no: the researchers followed nearly 2,000 young Australian adults for eight years and found that marijuana has little long-term effect on learning and memory— and any cognitive damage that does occur as a result of cannabis use is reversible.

Participants were aged 20-24 at the start of the study, which was part of a larger project on community health.  Researchers categorized them as light, heavy, former or non-users of cannabis based on their answers to questions about  marijuana habits.

Light use was defined as smoking monthly or less frequently; heavy use was weekly or more often. Former users had to have not smoked for at least a year. Fully 72% of the participants were non-users or former users; 18% were light users and 9% were heavy current users. Prior studies have found that drug users do accurately report their consumption levels in surveys like this as long as anonymity is guaranteed and there are no negative consequences for telling the truth.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/19/study-marijuana-not-linked-with-long-term-cognitive-impairment/#ixzz1Sm2uHBps

Empire State NORML logo

12/8/2011 – New York City has the distinction of performing more marijuana arrests than anywhere else in the country; over 50,000 each year. This is almost double the annual arrests in the entire state of New Jersey and flies in the face of a New York State decriminalization law passed in 1979.

Reuter’s news service and WNYC are reporting this week that NYC Police said that arrests have dropped since September when Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly addressed the issue within the department. Kelly’s move followed intense media coverage of the racial disparity to the arrests (more than 90% are men of color) and the overly-harsh consequences of a pot arrest such as loss of parental rights.

Reuters story:

New York City police made 1,190 fewer marijuana arrests since Commissioner Raymond Kelly’s September 19 directive, compared to the same nine-week period a year ago, spokesman Paul Browne said.

A coalition of groups that has criticized the police force for its aggressive approach to marijuana possession called the numbers a “disappointing drop” and said New York City remains the “marijuana arrest capital of the world.”

“Unfortunately, these figures are cause for outrage, not celebration,” Gabriel Sayegh of the Drug Policy Alliance said in a statement. “In this economy, Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD are wasting millions of tax dollars by using illegal searches and false charges to sweep tens of thousands of black and Latino youth into the criminal justice system.” read more

WNYC reveals that serious issues continue with marijuana prohibition enforcement in the Big Apple:

“We are still seeing on a daily basis cases where our clients are being arrested and charged with misdemeanors where according to them, they never possessed marijuana in public view,” said Scott Levy, an attorney with the Bronx Defenders.  “They possessed it in their pocket, in their clothing.” read more

New York State legislators also took a strong step in June to bring New York City in line with the state’s existing marijuana decriminalization policy.  The new bill, SB5187/AB7620, remains active in Albany.

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions?  [email protected]

6/13/11 by Chris Goldstein –  A check with the NJ Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS) today revealed that ninety (90) physicians are currently registered in a unique program for medical marijuana. New Jersey is the first in the country to require that doctors complete special requirements and register with the state to recommend cannabis.

The scheme is following a set of regulations proposed by Governor Chris Christie’s administration. After eighteen months of steady delays, the rules have not been officially finalized. The NJ Legislature took the rare move to pass a resolution stating that the regulations are working against the intent of the compassionate use law.

Physicians around the state loudly criticized the registry that requires training in addictive medicines. The former DHSS Commissioner Dr. Poonam Alaigh testified before the NJ Senate Health Committee in March that there were no similar requirements for other drugs. This may explain why only 90 doctors out of more than 30, 000 who practice in New Jersey are participating in the medicinal marijuana program.

Under the extreme NJ regulations patients must have a registered doctor to begin the process of entering the cannabis program. The patient must also choose one of six Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) sites because they are not allowed to cultivate at home. Once the application is approved by DHSS the patient will be issued an ID card.

The number of registered medical marijuana patients in New Jersey is currently zero.  Although some multi-million dollar facilities have been approved there are none open. The ATCs are not even building their facilities after Governor Christie and state Attorney General Paula Dow started questioning the inherent (and legislatively approved) conflicts with federal law.

The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act was signed in January of 2010, a final act in Jon Corzine’s term as governor.  The Democrat Corzine lost a second term to Republican Chris Christie in a closely contested election. During a TV debate Christie, a former US Attorney (federal prosecutor), seemed to have a change of heart saying that he supported medical marijuana in “concept.”

But since gaining office Governor Christie has taken a harder line. This approach is leaving the patients of at least ninety specially qualified NJ physicians, approved under the strictest rules in the country, without legal access to a medical therapy they need.

Some potentially qualifying patients have struggled to find doctors already registered, but the list is not public. Even more of the local NJ patients say that they have given up on the program. They have cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, HIV or other serious conditions and access the ubiquitous underground marijuana market instead.

Therapeutic cannabis is only legal on paper in New Jersey and it may stay on the page for some time longer. Medical professionals, especially those in hospice care, can only have the personal compassion to fulfill the law – looking the other way as patients and their families risk arrest.

Grassroots link: The Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey (CMMNJ)

Chris Goldstein is a respected marijuana reform advocate. As a writer and radio broadcaster he has been covering cannabis news for over a decade. Questions?  [email protected]

By Vic Pinho in Jersey City, NJ – Just when you thought New Jersey’s medical marijuana program couldn’t get more perverse, the state’s top lawyer decides to inject herself into the mix.

NJ Attorney General Paula Dow’s office sent a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder late yesterday asking for clarification on the federal government’s stance on NJ’s medical marijuana program. Specifically, Dow’s letter inquired as to whether those licensed to grow or sell pot — as well as the state workers who will administer the program when it launches later this year — could face arrest.

“As the state’s chief legal adviser to all of the departments in the Executive Branch, many of which are participating in carrying out the medical marijuana legislation, it is critical that I properly advise them as to the potential criminal and civil ramifications of their actions in carrying out their duties,” according to Dow’s letter.

“Accordingly, I ask that you provide me with clear guidance as to the enforcement position of the Department of Justice relative to New Jersey’s medical marijuana legislation and the scope of the entities and individuals who may be subject to civil suit or criminal prosecution,” the letter said.

These legal questions potentially raise more obstacles to implementing an already delayed program.

Read more about New Jersey at www.cmmnj.org

New Jersey Coalition Forms to Support Bi-Partisan Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) and the New Jersey chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML-NJ) have started a new coalition to support decriminalizing marijuana: Sensible New Jersey.

A bi-partisan marijuana decriminalization bill, A4252, was introduced on June 29, 2011 in Trenton. Sponsored by Assemblymen Reed Gusciora (D) and Michael Patrick Carroll (R) the measure would remove criminal penalties for adults who posses less than 15 grams of marijuana.

Gusciora said today, “Right now, an astronomical proportion of marijuana possession charges are for under 15 grams. This is a drain on our already strained police force and our over-burdened court systems.”

New Jersey performs more arrests for marijuana than for all other drugs combined. In 2009 (the most recent data available) 22, 439 people were arrested for possessing less than 50 grams of cannabis. A conservative estimate of cost of arresting and prosecuting these marijuana offenses is about $30 million dollars annually.

Rachel Cotrino, an attorney and board member at NORML NJ said, “In addition to imprisonment, offenders of the current law face loss of driving privileges from six months to two years. This unreasonably punitive measure causes many, otherwise law abiding citizens, to lose their jobs because they cannot get to work. Offenders also face eviction from their leased premises or loss of public housing. It is time to decriminalize the individual user and remove the current penalties that stifle our community and economy.”

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) has joined the effort. Jack Cole, a 26-year veteran of the New Jersey State Police and board chairman for LEAP, said, “As a former undercover narcotics detective in New Jersey, I now know that all the time and resources I spent arresting people for marijuana offenses over the course of my career didn’t accomplish anything good. In addition to being a waste of money that should have been spent solving and preventing violent crimes, these arrests in many cases ruined otherwise productive people’s lives. The marijuana decriminalization bill is a great first step to undoing some of the damage wrought by the failed ‘war on drugs.’”

Fourteen states, including New York (1979), Massachusetts (2008) and Connecticut (2011) have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults.

“We are ready to begin this conversation in the legislature and will continue to lay the foundation for this groundbreaking effort. This is about cutting costs and ending the failed practice of criminalizing otherwise productive members of society for possessing a substance that is less dangerous than alcohol,” stated Victor Pinho, a Sensible New Jersey coordinator and NJ Chapter Coordinator for SSDP.

CONTACT: Victor Pinho – [email protected] and Evan Nison – [email protected]

Sensible New Jersey on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sensible-New-Jersey