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Gov. Christie Allows Medical Marijuana, Regulations Still Need Work

Trenton – NJ Governor Chris Christie held a press conference on July 19, 2011 to address the status of the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act. He has decided to reverse his suspension of the program and allow six Alternative Treatment Centers to move ahead with their operations.

After discussing the various intersections or conflicts between state and federal laws Christie said, “I have instructed the Commissioner of Health to move forward as expeditiously as possible to implement the [program].”

VIDEO: http://www.livestream.com/governorchrischristie/video?clipId=pla_a1a6bf2e-1630-4282-bb87-f28f93e72f9a&utm_source=lslibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb

“We are happy that the governor is moving forward with the medicinal marijuana program,” said Ken Wolski, a registered nurse and executive director of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey (CMMNJ). “Patients have suffered too long waiting for this,” said Wolski, “In thousands of cases patients in NJ have already died without the improvement in quality of life and relief of suffering that marijuana can bring.”

CMMNJ remains focused on a final set of rules for the program that will be workable. “We still have a number of concerns about the regulations put out by the DHSS for this program,” Wolski said, “The physician registry is unnecessary and will disqualify numerous patients.  Plus the cap on THC level is arbitrary and home delivery is not being permitted. These are all roadblocks to patient access that we hope the Christie Administration will reconsider.”

Some of the ATCs have expressed the same concerns. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/07/nj-to-hold-hearing-on-medical-marijuana-rules/

Seriously ill New Jersey residents who would qualify under the law expressed surprise and measured hope at the governor’s change in rhetoric.

Jay Lassiter lives with HIV and has testified for better regulations in Trenton, “This is a small step in the right direction for New Jersey and I’m glad that Governor Christie has finally discovered a sense of urgency to help New Jersey residents with cancer and AIDS. I look forward to the day when I won’t be a criminal just for taking medical cannabis.”

Charles Kwiatkowski, a father of three, lives with multiple sclerosis and has been one of the most visible patient advocates in New Jersey. “It’s good and bad…all the restrictions,” Kwiatkowski said today. “But, I’ll believe it when I see it. So far it has been a really long, painful wait.”

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Executives from the mainstream pharmaceutical industry, savvy cannabis experts who already run a facility in Montana and a powerful political figure are the people behind Compassionate Sciences Inc. They are one of the first six non-profit businesses who will operate a medical marijuana center in New Jersey. Like most of the other approved facilities they plan intense investments into the research side of their business.

The application states: “Our mission at Compassionate Sciences is to establish a facility and product that meets a pharma-standard of palliative care.” But the details of their operation to achieve those goals were not released.

The group had the most heavily redacted application for the medical cannabis Alternative Treatment Centers. The NJ Department of Health and Senior Services released over 130 of the 184 pages blank. Missing were financial details and information on the physical location of the site. While the rest of the facilities give a specific address or at least a town, Compassionate Sciences Inc. just lists Burlington or Camden Counties as their targeted areas to build.

What DHSS did release were the resume-style biographies for the key players. So let’s meet some of the first people who will be able to legally grow, sell and research marijuana in the Garden State.

Compassionate Sciences ATC Senior Management Team

Richard Taney, Chief Executive Officer.
Mr. Taney is a chief executive with extensive experience in health care, medical technology and financial services. Mr.Taney assumed leadership of Compassionate Sciences after serving as CEO of Delcath Systems, Inc., (NASDAQ: DCTH), a medical technology company that developed a patented system for the targeted delivery of ultra-high dose chemotherapy to the liver for treatment of a variety of cancers. Under his leadership, Delcath Systems achieved widespread adoption by doctors and hospitals. Mr. Taney is also a Trustee of the Compassionate Sciences ATC.

Jack Burkholder, Chief Financial Officer.
Mr. Burkholder is a consultant with more than 30 years of experience in international investment banking, corporate finance and real estate development. He has an expertise in managing complex projects involving close cooperation with governments at all levels and has served extensively in the public trust as a court-appointed receiver. Mr. Burkholder is active in his community as a member of the Real Estate Roundtable and the audit committee of his local school district. He graduated with a BS in Agriculture from Cornell University. Mr. Burkholder is also a Trustee of the Compassionate Sciences ATC.

Michael Nelson, Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Nelson is the founder of a highly successful international outfitting business who is also the owner and operator of one of the largest and most respected ATC’s in Montana. As a grower-operator over the last six years, he has developed experience in the building of ATCs, systems design,ATC employee orientation and training and management. Mr. Nelson’s cultivation center and multiple-location dispensaries have set a standard of excellence in serving qualified patients throughout the Central and Western regions of the State. Mr.Nelson brings to his work a background in sales, management, distribution and marketing of school products to universities and high schools across the American Northwest. He is active in the Bozeman area business community and as a volunteer in a sports program for the disabled. Mr. Nelson earned a BS in Business from the University of Colorado.

Nicole Wagner, Master Grower.
Ms.Wagner is an accomplished government and academic analyst and researcher in the fields of sustainable agriculture, ecology, agronomy, statistics, engineering and economics. With an expertise in global and domestic agricultural policy, she has served as an international economist and crop assessment analyst at the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as a researcher at Montana State University. Ms. Wagner has published numerous research studies and has a deep understanding of diversified agricultural systems including organic vegetable and dairy production, conventional corn, soybean, and small grains production. She is also a director of the non-profit Community Food Alliance and works with Field Day Farms, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm that supports 30 families. Ms. Wagner earned her PhD. in Land Resources and Environmental Sciences from Montana State University and attended the University of Minnesota where she earned her Masters and BA in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. She developed her expertise as head grower at the Mr. Nelson’s medical Cannabis facility in Montana.

Andrei Bogolubov, EVP of External Affairs.
Mr. Bogolubov is a communications professional who has served government, major multinationals, regional and emerging growth companies in a wide range of industries around the world. His expertise is in public affairs, business development and community outreach. Mr.Bogolubov’s healthcare, medical and pharmaceutical clients have included American Home Products, Bristol Myers Squibb, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, Medical Excellence, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Pfizer, Pharmacia & Upjohn and Value Options. He also has served in government as Assistant to the Secretary for Public Affairs at the US Department of the Interior where he was also the Department’s public affairs liaison to the White House. Mr. Bogolubov developed his expertise in community relations as Director of Policy & Communications at a major national grassroots citizens lobby. Mr. Bogolubov began his public sector career on the committee staff of the Connecticut State Legislature and later served as an aide to a US Congressman.

Noel Palmer, Chemist (consultant).
Dr Noel Palmer is a respected chemist with an expertise in plant and soil chemistry. He is skilled in chromatographic and spectroscopy methods, specializing in the detection of heavy metals, pesticides, and herbicides in both soil and plant matter. He received his doctorate in analytical and soil chemistry from the University of Idaho. The focus of Dr. Palmer’s work was applying various analytical methods to look at soil systems and humic materials and their interactions with various inorganic compounds. Earlier, he managed a soil research lab at the University of Idaho. Dr. Palmer brought his skill in performing chromatographic separations to the analysis and study of Cannabis chemistry. He is a member of the board of the Alliance for Cannabis Science, an international community of Cannabis scientists. Dr Palmer is also the lab manager for Montana Botanical Analysis, a research lab in Montana focused on the study of Cannabis chemistry. His research has been published in more than 10 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Compassionate Sciences Trustees

Webster B. Todd, Jr.
Mr. Todd brings to Compassionate Sciences experience, judgment and insight he developed over the course of a distinguished career in government, politics and commercial aviation. As a public servant, he was a member of the White House staff and the New Jersey General Assembly as well as a State Department official and the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. Among his private sector achievements, Mr. Todd was the founder of Princeton Aviation Corp, Senior Director of Air Safety at the Airline Pilots Association and President of Frontier Airlines. Throughout his career, Mr. Todd has been active in the community including service as a Director of the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission, a member of the Tewksbury Township Agricultural Advisory Board and as a New Jersey firefighter.

Dr. Steven Patierno.
Dr. Patierno is a leader in the science and medicine of cancer who is Executive Director of the George Washington University Cancer Institute. He also serves as Vivian Gill Distinguished Professor of Oncology, GW School of Medicine; Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology, Genetics & Urology, The GW School of Public Health & Health Services; Health Sciences Professor of Environmental & Occupational Health; and Founding Director of the Molecular &Cellular Oncology Program. Dr. Patierno has over two decades of experience managing over $30 million of grants including large, complex biomedical research grants (both laboratory and population sciences), as well as community-based grants in cancer disparities, prevention and control, education and outreach, and survivorship. Dr. Patierno is also an accomplished teacher who was been the recipient of the GW Medical Student’s Golden Apple Award. He is the principal mentor to 20 Ph.D. graduate students and Program Director to over 50 graduate students as well as 20postdoctoral fellows, medical residents and undergraduate trainees. Dr. Patierno earned his PhD in pharmacology at the Graduate School of Biomedical Science at University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and the MD Anderson Cancer Institute where he was awarded the prestigious Rosalie B. Hite Graduate Fellowship in Cancer Research for his work on the genetics of cancer causation.

All six of the approved ATC applications, redacted by NJ DHSS, have been posted online here for public review:  http://www.scribd.com/NJcannabisDocs

7/25/2011 – Praise continues this week for NJ Governor Chris Christie’s decision to follow the compassionate use law and the state constitution, ending another delay for the medical cannabis program. Six Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) will now move forward with operations. But the type of system being attempted is an entirely new animal and the regulations have not been finalized.

Shunning the holistic approach to therapeutic marijuana, the Christie Administration has sanctioned a centralized “medical model” with severe limitations compared to other states. The result of this narrow scope may not be exactly what patients had in mind when they envisioned access.

Medical cannabis in the Garden State will not be served from glass cases that house nine strains of Indica buds or from shelves of carefully frosted cupcakes and brownies. Instead it will likely be served over a counter that looks exactly like a pharmacy in pill bottles full of homogenized, ground-up plant matter.

There are two levels of unique restrictions, first is the compassionate law itself: New Jersey legislators allowed the shortest list of qualifying medical conditions in the country, a monthly supply of just two ounces and cut out home cultivation. Last minute language also limited cannabis products to lozenges, topical creams and raw material.

The proposed rules from the Christie Administration are the next level. They created the nation’s first mandatory cannabis doctor registry, capped THC content at 10 percent and would stop the six ATCs from home delivery or growing more than three strains. Those are just the highlights.

The full regulations, over 100 pages of them, are so bad that they could hamstring the program. The executive suspension/un-suspension has overshadowed this important part of the process.

Patients have spent the last year testifying against the rules before committees at the Senate, Assembly and even the Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS). Physicians and potential ATC operators (even some of the winners) also criticized the worst of the new restrictions.

Hearing those concerns, the Legislature passed new resolutions with bi-partisan support. Stating that the regulations violated the true intent of the compassionate use law elected officials began a rare process to invalidate them.

The winning ATC proposals already conform to the draconian rules. The ATCs are led by political players from both parties teamed up with hand-picked executives from top-tier medical and pharmaceutical institutions. Big names drip from the resumes: Pfizer, Rutgers University, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, George Washington University Cancer Center, The National Transportation Safety Board.

The New Jersey ATCs are the best funded, most politically connected medical marijuana operations in America. Most of the NJ ATCs plan to spend tens of millions of dollars researching the plant and its component cannabinoids. Qualifying patients are not considered customers but are treated more like doctor-ordered participants in some sort of advanced medical experiment.

But even the ATCs want the limitations lifted on THC potency and plant variations. Right now DHSS could change the rules voluntarily or the Legislature could continue in their resolve to force a re-write. Presumably, some action must be taken in order for the ATCs to proceed as expeditiously as Gov. Christie is now directing.

October 15, 2012 – The NJ Department of Health (DOH) announced today that final permits were in place for the first medical marijuana dispensary: Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair, NJ. These are called “Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs)” under the severely restrictive regulations.

Greenleaf ATC effectively enjoys a monopoly on all of the legal cannabis cultivation and distribution in a state of almost 9 million residents.  One of the five ATCs is just getting started in Egg Harbor Township while the other four are not even close to opening. More than a year after gaining the initial contract three of the NJ marijuana ATCs have not even secured a location.

NJ DOH reports that about 190 patients have completed the registration process. The unique restrictions in New Jersey prevents DOH from sending out ID cards directly to the patients. Instead, all of the NJ medical marijuana ID cards will be shipped to Greenleaf Compassion Center for the patients to pick up, in person. CORRECTION – Update 10/19/12 – Some patients have received ID cards via UPS. We are waiting for more information from NJ DOH.

No announcement has been made yet from the management at Greenleaf as to when they actually plan to open their doors. In media appearances this summer Greenleaf reported that they were already growing cannabis at an undisclosed NJ location.

When Greenleaf won one of the six ATC contracts, freedomisgreen.com pointed out that they were very well connected. Former Montclair Mayor Jerry Freed personally went to bat for their application. NJ Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (Deputy Majority Leader for the Democrats) sits on their medical board.

New Jersey’s medical marijuana program is the most limited in the country.  It is the only state that requires physicians to join a special list to recommend cannabis. So far only 175 doctors are available in the program, most in northern NJ.

NJ ATCs can only provide patients with two ounces of marijuana per month. ATCs can only grow three strains of cannabis at a time; all must have less than 10% THC potency. The only forms of cannabis an ATC can sell patients are: raw plant material, lozenges and a topical cream.

New Jersey’s harsh regulations mean that the vast majority of qualifying residents will likely remain in the underground cannabis market. Without obtaining one of the extremely difficult to obtain ID cards, these seriously ill residents will be left without legal protections if they are caught by police.

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]

NJ Gov Christie denies stalling but admits rewriting medical marijuana law

9/2/2011 – Several news sources offered conflicting reports that one of New Jersey’s first Alternative Treatment Centers for cannabis was going to start building a facility.

Fox29 in Philadelphia declared:

The Garden State’s first medical marijuana growing center is on its way to Chesterfield Township, Burlington County. Read full

But the local Burlington County Times found out that the plans were not so firm:

Representatives from a West Trenton-based alternative treatment center have informed officials that they’re scouting locations in the township for a growing facility, but have not named a specific location nor submitted a site plan application to the Planning Board.

Compassionate Care Foundation Inc. canceled plans to appear before the Township Committee several weeks ago and has not communicated since, said Mayor Larry Durr, acknowledging the many unanswered questions about the plan. Read full

Chesterfield is a rural, farming community near McGuire Air Force Base.

Gov. Christie’s administration removed plans for home delivery of medical marijuana. Unless that restriction is lifted, patients or a designated caregiver must go to an ATC to pick up medicine.

This isn’t the first time that Compassionate Care Foundation has run into location issues. In March the company had announced plans to build in Bellmawr, NJ. That was apparently shocking news the mayor and local officials, who eventually turned away the ATC.

Having a relationship with the local community was supposed to be an important part of the scoring process for the NJ ATC applicants.

A prominent member of Compassionate Care Foundation’s Board of Trustees, David Knowlton, was an acting Commissioner of the state Department of Health and Senior Services.  NJ DHSS is the oversight entity for the medical marijuana program. Knowlton was also a member of Chris Christie’s gubernatorial transition team.

In fact, three of the six ATCs have very close ties back to Governor Christie, who has stated many times that he does not like the safe access law.

Gov. Christie suspended the operations at all of the ATCs for several months. Then, at a widely covered press conference on July 19th, Christie promised that state-regulated cannabis would be available to patients by December 2011.

In order to reach that goal the ATCs would need to start growing in the next eight weeks. As of this writing, none of the six ATCs have confirmed a physical location.

One ATC, Greenleaf Compassion Center, has plans to build in Montclair, NJ. On the surface they seem to have the most local support. Former mayor Jerry Fried, Montclair State University and some sitting city council members have all backed the concept. Still, an actual location for Greenleaf has not been announced.

The New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act was signed into law in January 2010. Since that time the underground cannabis market and secretive, personal cultivation remain the only points of access for NJ residents with qualifying medical conditions.

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]

6/8/2011 – There are nine state-approved medical cannabis facilities prepared to open on the east coast. They have veritable dream-teams of expert staffers and some have tens of millions of dollars ready to invest. But Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are holding them back.

The six in NJ and three in RI have already been approved by state authorities after a tough bidding process. On paper, they are the most heavily regulated and carefully vetted marijuana centers in the country.  But a perceived threat of federal law has given pause to the two governors.

“We received what I consider to be a clear communication that the current compassion center program would be a violation of federal law,” said Claire Richards Chief Legal Officer for RI Gov. Chaffee.

Richards is referring to a letter from US Attorney Peter Neronha that was hand-delivered in April.  Days later, Chafee announced a hold on issuing the Certificates of Registration to the dispensaries.

New Jersey has received no communication from any federal official about medical marijuana. Not to be left out, NJ Attorney General Paula Dow has sent two letters requesting clarification from the Department of Justice on April 22nd and May 23rd. But there has been no reply.

Governor Christie and his policy office have stated that NJ will not move forward until a federal clarification has been issued. New Jersey has no provisions for home cultivation by patients; they are forced into the central system of Alternative Treatment Centers. So far, not a single patient has been registered.

Freedomisgreen.com spoke via telephone with potential facility operators in RI and NJ.  Neither would go on record with details but both expressed frustration at the current situation. Each took time to re-affirm their commitment to endure the process and eventually go into operation.

Rhode Island Rep. Scott Slater took several local patients to meet with Governor Chafee on June2nd – the same day US attorney General Eric Holder was in Providence for an unrelated visit.  Holder was cornered by the media who were asking nothing but cannabis questions. The Providence Journal reported Holder’s seemingly off-the-cuff statement:

“We are in the process of working these issues with the U.S. attorney for Rhode Island and other U.S. attorneys across the country,” he said.”My hope is that something in the not too distant future …. will be addressed.” read full

The quote sent hopeful waves through the medical cannabis community around the country. But was it enough to lift the hold on RI dispensaries? Nope.

“We were heartened to hear it,” said Claire Richards at Gov. Chaffee’s office. “Right now we are still waiting to see what he will say.”

The Garden State also seems content to wait for the federal Godot.  Messages left today at the press office for the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services inquiring about the status of the program went unanswered. Presumably the NJ hold also remains in effect.

It remains unclear as to why the two states are waiting for a federal blessing to proceed. The compassionate use measures were debated for several years in their respective legislatures. Elected officials were fully aware of the inherent conflict with federal policy when they passed the laws. But it may take unprecedented tolerance from the USDOJ in order to get these nine medical cannabis centers off of paper and into practice.

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]

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