| Editorial:

EDITORIAL
Welcome to the first edition of
Cannabis Health Journal. What we
are about to do with this publication
would not have been possible ten
years ago. Impossible because even
5 years ago the technology was not
available that would enable a dedicated
few to publish on this scale.
Impossible
too, because politics, the law and
society were not ready. The highly
successful medicinal cannabis lobby
has increased acceptance by the
general public of the medicinal
properties of cannabis, instilling
confidence in more closet smokers
to courageously step forward and
admit a lifetime pattern of modest
and responsible use.
Over
the past several years the cannabis
hemp movement has calmed the fears
of the masses with the comforting
message that hemp is not marijuana.
Indeed, the differences between
the strains are significant and
this strategy has allowed modest
gains for the hemp movement. I remember
vividly a heated discussion with
famous author Jack Herrar in Salmo
in 1996; Jack was arguing that hemp
would open the door for marijuana
legalization, while I on the defensive
was pressing the alternative, that
marijuana must be dealt with first
to avoid the proliferation of rules,
regulations and people to enforce
them. I was much younger then and
more naïve, but alas, I was
right. Western society’s fear
of marijuana is rapidly diminishing
and cannabis is again being embraced
in all its identities: as clothing,
as food, as building materials,
and as medicine.
My
respect and admiration goes out
to the patients in California who
are facing the force of the DEA
and the US federal government; the
Journal will follow their couragious
struggle in more detail in the next
edition. Also look out for more
on the tomato growing myth, titled,
"No Wonder We’re Confused".
My apologies for not delivering
on the "Question for Health
Canada".Our sympathies are
with HC; I am sure the last few
weeks has been hell.
We
will continue to submit questions
to Health Canada and hope to report
the responses in the coming edition.
Cannabis
Health Journal is owned by the Cannabis
Health Foundation, a registered
non-profit society. The hard copy
Journal is fully integrated with
the cannabishealth.com web site.
The site offers information, shopping
and more in depth reporting than
we have room for in print and will
offer readers multiple web links
to more information and other sites
of interest.
The
Journal will focus on the responsible
marijuana user, who under Canada's
new laws will soon have the right
to grow a small quantity of cannabis
at home for personal consumption.
We will celebrate the brave pilgrims
that courageously and routinely
place their lives on the line for
their beliefs and we will encourage
the pioneers of the cannabis movement
to tell their stories and share
their secrets. I welcome and would
like to personally thank those forward
thinking individuals and businesses
that have stepped forward and advertised
in this first edition. The response
to the Journal from the professional
community and from medical users
has been inspirational.
Decisions
that will affect the lives of millions
will be made in the next few months.
The Canadian Senate report was released
on September 4/02 and recommended
dramatic changes in Canadian law
that would extensively treat marijuana
the same as alcohol. Senator Nolin,
who chaired the committee, predicted
that the Canadian Commons committee
reviewing the same topic and due
to report in November, would substantially
concur with the Senate’s recommendations.
Other politicians have warned of
a backlash from the U.S. should
we dare to legalize. Regardless
of the slowdowns or bends in the
trail, I have no doubt
Canada
will continue down the path to more
enlightened and humane drug policies.
Cannabis Health Journal will be
there as the decisions are made,
as the consequences unfold and as
the laws change. We will be a strong
and credible voice in the rapidly
evolving cannabis culture.
Congratulations to all the Journal
contributors, staff, volunteers
and supporters; thanks for sharing
the vision.
Vancouver
Island Compassion Society
There were no guarantees. Of course,
we were all optimistic, but as I
walked into the courtroom that day,
no one could be certain of the outcome.
We stood up as the judge entered.
As we sat down again – myself
behind my able attorney John Conroy
- my wife, friends and supporters
in the audience, silently awaiting
my fate (and the fate of the Vancouver
Island Compassion Society) –
the judge announced that he was
going to read the entire legal decision
aloud.
Judge
Higinbotham began to outline the
background of the long case. Since
my arrest in November of 2000 I
had appeared in court over 20 times:
"Philippe
Lucas is President of the Vancouver
Island Compassion Society, an
organization that provides marijuana
to its members for medical purposes.
His activities in that regard resulted
in a charge of possession of less
than 3 kilograms of marijuana for
the purpose of trafficking, contrary
to section 5(2) of the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act, to which
he entered a plea of guilty. Mr.
Lucas has requested he be discharged
absolutely, and the issue in this
hearing is whether an absolute discharge
is justified."
Over
the 25 minutes that it took the
judge to read through his decision,
I had a chance to reflect on the
long court battle, as well as what
had gone right (and wrong) since
our opening day on the 1st of October,
1999.
At the VICS, our goal has always
been to help those with a legitimate
medical need gain access to a safe,
affordable supply of cannabis. As
a secondary goal, we hope to demonstrate
that this can be done in a manner
that is both legally and socially
acceptable. For us, this means two
things: 1) complete transparency
of action and accounting. 2) anticipating
and addressing possible public and
police concerns regarding our actions
and organization.
The
former has been addressed by registering
as a provincial non-profit society.
Non-profit status takes away one
of the prosecutor’s main line
of argument: that we are in this
for the money. As a non-profit,
ownership of the Vancouver
Island Compassion Society remains
in the hands of its 250 current
members. All of the financial records
for the organization are submitted
to and reviewed by the relevant
government organization. During
the court case, Judge Higinbotham
had the prosecution agree that there
was a clear distinction between
the VICS making enough money to
continue its operations helping
those in need, and actually profiteering
from the desperation of the sick.
Our
status as a non-profit also helps
us gain public support; it reflects
our efforts to work within the system
when possible. Furthermore, non-profit
status serves as a business licence,
allowing us to forgo the city bureaucracy
involved with obtaining a licence.
Lastly, as a non-profit, we receive
discounts on some essential services,
such as the internet, intra-office
security, banking, etc. Any and
all money saved can be a real boost
to a small start-up organization.
The VICS’
original location - in a residential
area in Oak Bay - meant that we
had to anticipate the very real
concerns of the local community
in our business model. Firstly,
we were wise enough to look at what
was already working. The British
Columbia Compassion Club Society
(BCCCS) had been in operation for
almost three years before the VICS
came along, and we learned much
from their experience and success.
Bureaucracy and paperwork are the
most dreaded aspects of any legitimate
business, so instead of reinventing
the wheel, we modeled our forms
on those of the BCCCS,
making appropriate changes where
necessary.
Our residential location meant that
(unlike the BCCCS)
no smoking was to be allowed on
site. Furthermore, we created a
contract informing members that
any redistribution of product would
lead to their immediate expulsion.
It is important for applicants to
realize that, due to the continued
prohibition on cannabis, membership
in a compassion society is a benefit,
rather than a right. We hope to
extend this benefit to as many people
with a legitimate need as possible,
but always with the goal of protecting
the integrity and legal security
of the society and its 250 current
members.
Modern
science has proven time and again
that cannabis is an incredibly diverse,
safe and effective medicine. As
such, the VICS
operates under the belief that the
medical and research communities
should be natural allies in the
fight for patient access to cannabis
therapies. We have worked hard to
provide information to physicians
on a one-on-one basis as well as
through public presentations. The
VICS
encourages continued research (and
free access to information) in the
area of therapeutic cannabis; we
are currently engaged in the development
of a Strain/Symptom Survey Protocol
with Dr. Marc Ware from McGill University.
We are also in the process of developing
a survey protocol with Dr. Diana
Sylvestre from the University of
California, San Francisco and the
BCCCS,
that will monitor the potential
increase in the success rate of
Hep-C sufferers who use cannabis
while undergoing interferon ribovarin
treatment.
Since
scientific research and observational
studies have found cannabis to be
effective in treating the symptoms
associated with serious conditions
like Hep-C, HIV/AIDS, MS and cancer,
the VICS
strived to establish a relationship
with the relevant social/welfare
organizations in our area. We have
also felt it to be our responsibility
to address the federal government
regarding the practical needs of
Canadian medical marijuana users.
This has led to a meeting with then
Health Minister Alan Rock, and to
two invitations for an audience
from the Senate Special Committee
on Illegal Drugs, to whom we presented
practical information on the unworkability
of Health Canada Marijuana Medical
Access Regulations, as well as the
problems currently facing the compassion
clubs that have arisen to fill this
void in the safe supply of cannabis
treatments.
And
yet, despite all of our hard work,
in November of 2000 we had the poor
luck of having our organization
broken into and robbed. When I made
the naïve mistake of dutifully
reporting this incident to the local
authorities, the police showed up
at the VICS
with a warrant for my arrest.
For
better or for worse, the VICS
would never be the same. Whereas
we had previously gone out of our
way to maintain a low public profile,
we were now forced to call upon
the support of the public and the
press in order to assert a stronger
voice in this debate and to call
attention to this inexcusable breach
of justice and compassion. We had
not asked for this public role -
I had honestly hoped to continue
to quietly help those in need with
as little fanfare as possible -
but now I was being charged with
trafficking, and the VICS
had been dragged into the legal
system. Overnight, a petty thief
and then the Oak Bay Police had
taken the medicine from the mouths
of some of the area’s sickest
citizens. Overnight, my ability
to travel, my work with children,
my legal status, all were instantly
in serious jeopardy. Overnight,
everything had changed.
In March of this year, as part of
a deal with the prosecution, I went
into the local provincial courthouse,
stood before a judge, and was asked
how I plead to the charge of "possession
for the purpose of trafficking".
I looked up, and against all of
my instinct, and despite all that
the VICS
had done to contribute to the health
and happiness of its many critically
and chronically ill members, I answered
"guilty, your honour".
Those were the hardest, most frustrating
three words that I’ve ever
had to utter in my life. And now,
four months later, I was standing
before that same judge, listening
to him read off the closing chapter
in this long legal battle.
Judge
Higinbotham was nearing the end
of the sentencing:
"Mr.
Lucas has established that he is
a man of good character who would
benefit from a discharge. He has
also established that in the circumstances
of this case, the granting of a
discharge would not be contrary
to the public interest. As there
is no need to apply rehabilitative
principles in terms of a conditional
order, I grant him an absolute discharge."
Relief
immediately swept over me. As I
turned and hugged my beautiful wife,
the cheering supporters were told
by the court officer that there
was to be "no clapping!",
a round of applause went up anyhow.
In Judge Higenbotham’s wise
21 page legal decision lay the sweat,
tears, and dedication that has made
the society strong through a bust,
3 locations, and almost 3 years
of constant hard work. The VICS
hadn’t changed the laws governing
the distribution of medicinal cannabis,
but the club’s members and
its incredibly dedicated staff had
presented a way to successfully
work within them.
Through
the extensive experience and observation,
the compassion clubs of Canada have
become an invaluable source of information
in regards to cannabis therapeutics.
By continuing to work with all levels
of government as well as the health/welfare
community, the VICS
is engaged in making this information
available to researchers, physicians
and the general public alike, with
the sincere hope that with knowledge
and understanding will finally come
laws and policies that reflect compassion,
caring and common sense.
Phillippe
Lucas, Director, Vancouver
Island Compassion Society
P.S. My special thanks to my wife
Mary, John Conroy, Hilary Black,
Marc Emery, and especially the VICS
staff and members. Without all of
your help, the 20 months may have
turned out very differently.
SIDE
BAR
The Court Decision at a Glance
[4] The Compassionate
Society carried on its program in
a commercially zoned premise within
the Municipality of Oak Bay for
fourteen months with what appears
to be the tacit approval of the
police.
[5]
The attitude of the police changed
when Mr. Lucas reported to them
that the Society’s premises
had been broken into, and that two
pounds of marijuana had been stolen.
[6]
This frank disclosure by Mr. Lucas
led to an investigation of him and
his activities, even though his
activities were known to the police
and tolerated by them up to this
point.
[8]
Mr. Lucas is a 32 year old resident
of Victoria with a degree in English
Literature and a secondary education
certificate qualifying him to teach
English and Theatre. He is articulate,
intelligent and fluently bilingual
in both official languages. He has
earned an income most recently by
writing articles for magazines and
by teaching. The principal of a
school where he recently taught
French to grade 2 and 3 students
described him as a wonderful teacher
and a gift to children.
[9]
He has also become an important
resource both in Canada and our
local community on the issue of
the medicinal use of marijuana.
He has consulted with, and influenced,
both federal cabinet ministers and
local city councillors. During the
course of this hearing I was made
aware through correspondence and
video evidence that he is highly
regarded by these levels of government
as a source of information on the
subject of the medicinal use of
marijuana.
[44]
A judge is guided by a number of
principles set out in section 718.2.
A sentence should be increased or
reduced to account for any relevant
aggravating or mitigating circumstances
relating to the offense or the offender.
The mitigating factors in this case
include:
[47]
This case must be viewed in a broad
context in which, to date, the combination
of federal regulations and College
of Physicians trepidation has made
it extremely difficult for applicants
to obtain approval to use marijuana.
…This was not truly a commercial
operation in the sense that we usually
understand it. Profit was not the
motive. Nor can she sustain the
argument that the community was
put at risk. Further, the Crown
cannot rely upon the argument that
there is a lawful option for those
in need of the drug when the evidence
establishes that the drug is only
theoretically available through
legitimate sources.
[49]
I find that while there is no doubt
that Mr. Lucas offended against
the law by providing marijuana to
others, his actions were intended
to ameliorate the suffering of others.
His conduct did ameliorate the suffering
of others. By this Court’s
analysis, Mr. Lucas enhanced other
people’s lives at minimal
or no risk to society, although
he did it outside any legal framework.
He provided that which the Government
was unable to provide a safe and
high quality supply of marijuana
to those needing it for medicinal
purposes. He did this openly, and
with reasonable safeguards. The
fact that he has stated he will
continue this activity points to
the sincerity of his principles,
and points to our need as a society
to get this thorny issue resolved
quickly by either Parliament or
the Supreme Court of Canada.
[50]
Mr. Lucas has established that he
is a man of good character, who
would benefit from receiving a discharge.
He has also established that in
the circumstances of this case,
the granting of a discharge would
not be contrary to the public interest.
As there is no need to apply rehabilitative
principles in terms of a conditional
order, I grant him an absolute discharge.
[51]
I am not satisfied that all of the
items seized by the police were
sufficiently related to the offense
to justify blanket forfeiture….I
therefore order all monies seized
to be returned to Mr. Lucas. I further
order that the seized computer be
returned to him, as there is no
legitimate purpose in ordering it
forfeited. Finally, I order the
return of any unused paraphernalia
only. The seized marijuana and any
used paraphernalia are forfeited
to the federal Crown.
LEGAL
EAGLE
Dear Mr Conroy,
Myself and a number of friends with
MS have been cooperatively growing
our own medicine for many years.
For a variety of reasons, most of
our group are opposed to applying
to Health Canada for legal permits.
One of the arguments is that soon
we will be able to grow legal anyway.
What will happen if you are successful
with the Supreme Court challenge
in Clay, Malmo-Levine and Caine?
Will we finally be able to grow
our own?
A:
While it remains unlawful, according
to the Controlled Drugs and Substances
Act (CDSA), to possess, to grow,
to possess for the purpose of distribution,
to traffick (which includes "giving"
and merely "transporting"),
and to export or import cannabis
or to conspire to do so, without
a federal government permit of one
kind or another, arguably the law
remains unconstitutional insofar
as the use of cannabis by genuine
medical patients are concerned.
This argument is based on the submission
that the Marijuana Medical Access
Regulations do not meet the test
for constitutionality required by
the Ontario Court of Appeal in Parker,
in that "access" is now
arguably more difficult than before,
when only the support of your treating
physician was required. Hopefully
this argument will be sustained
in the pending challenge in Hitzig
et al that is being pursued currently
in the Ontario Superior Court by
Alan Young. I understand it will
be heard on the 18th and 19th of
September 2002. (last-minute-update-next
court date is October 18th)
The
Malmo-Levine, Caine and Clay trio
of cases will now be heard together
in the Supreme Court of Canada on
December 13th, 2002 in Ottawa. It
is virtually certain that the court
will reserve judgement until some
time in the future before giving
full written reasons for this decision.
The court might find the law to
be unconstitutional, but suspend
the declaration of unconstitutionality
for a period of time to let the
government try and get it right,
as the Ontario Court of Appeal did
in Parker. While the Senate Report
is encouraging and the Parliamentary
Committee will report in November,
I wouldn't put any money on any
progressive action by any politicians
pending the decision of the Supreme
Court of Canada, perhaps by late
2003.
If we win on all points in Clay
and Caine, then possession will
be lawful for any purpose - medical
or otherwise. I'm uncertain what
they will say about growing for
personal use consistent with possession,
as the growing issue arising in
Clay is not being argued directly.
Malmo-Levine deals with self-regulated
distribution that minimizes the
black market risks to vulnerable
groups, such as immature youths,
the mentally ill and pregnant women,
as well as requiring members of
the Harm Reduction Club to learn
to smoke more safely and pledge
not to drive, fly or otherwise operate
complex machinery while high. Probably
the Natural Health Care Products
regulations will cover situations
where someone markets
Cannabis
as "medicine". Certain
consumer protection standards will
have to be met if the product is
to be sold on the open market, at
least as medicine and eventually
for recreational purposes as well.
Hopefully, you will all be able
to grow your own again, at least
for medicinal purposes, but the
status of co-operatives, etc. remains
up in the air.
John
Conroy, Q.C., CONROY& COMPANY
Barrister and Solicitor
2459 Pauline Street, Abbotsford,
BC V2S 3S1
Telephone: (604) 852-5110
Fax: (604) 859-3361
Website: www.johnconroy.com
Welcome
aboard
by Neil Boyd Criminologist
at Simon Fraser University
Public health is the linchpin of
drug control -the state justifies
the criminalization of use and distribution
on the grounds that our collective
well-being is threatened by the
presence of the allegedly dangerous
substance. This assertion is becoming
increasingly difficult to maintain
with marijuana. Cannabis is so clearly
a world apart from alcohol and tobacco,
drugs that are, paradoxically, rarely
described as drugs. Even when rates
of use of all three substances are
taken into account, the harms of
marijuana are insignificant, in
contrast to the lung cancer and
emphysema epidemics produced by
tobacco, and the cirrhosis, cancer
and heart disease produced by alcohol
abuse. And so B.C. Ferries (be thankful
they don't fly planes) recently
did its bit for the ill-conceived
war on marijuana, inviting a dozen
police officers and their sniffer
dogs onto the Horsehoe Bay-Nanaimo
run to randomly search cars for
cannabis. You would think this was
a matter of pressing national importance
- so many lives at risk that the
normal process of obtaining a search
warrant was unnecessary. There might
well be circumstances in which the
Ferry Corporation would be sensibly
serving the public good by inviting
officers and their dogs on board
without a warrant to track a bomb
or bombs that had been placed on
the ferry, to arrest a man who was
fleeing a mass homicide, to find
a terrorist about to unleash a biological
weapon of mass destruction.
But
cannabis? As many commentators have
noted, there will likely be no convictions
arising from this poorly conceived
search, and the $30,000 worth of
marijuana seized was probably replaced
by nightfall with the constant yield
from our provincial grow-operations.
We need to yield to science in the
matter of marijuana. This is a drug
that provides medical benefits for
some people in some circumstances,
and the harm that it produces for
recreational users is almost always
less significant than the harms
produced by the drugs that our culture
endorses, respects and embraces.
If public health is our mandate,
we should think of shifting our
focus from cannabis to tobacco,
alcohol abuse, the excessive consumption
of fats and sugars, and the failure
to exercise. These issues deserve
more attention from the state than
does the use of cannabis by consenting
adults.
Prison
of Pain
by Arlene Smith
I was in my early 20's when the
constraints of physical pain became
a regular part of my day and it
was medical marijuana use that has
led me to a life of freedom. Let
me explain…
In
'92 I was badly injured by a car
that collided with my bicycle. I
spent several weeks on the floor
of our rental home and another 8
weeks on crutches. After 6 months
of therapy, I was able to get back
to work. To this day, it is unwise
to do activities that could twist
the knee or put too much pressure
on it. Weather changes and overexertion
affect my elbow and knee, causing
aches and loud snapping noises.
Five
years later, I was involved in a
3-vehicle accident in which all
parties were injured. I had such
a severe case of whiplash that my
left arm was numb for months and
my lower back throbbed painfully.
I had chronic and acute pain from
headaches, muscle spasms and sleep-deprived
nights. After a year of full-time
physiotherapy, massage therapy and
counseling for depression and anxiety
attacks, I was only able to do a
few hours of my previous work load
a day.
For
the pain, I was prescribed Tylenol
3's, which made me vomit, have constipation
and feel dope-sick the next day,
yet I had to take up to 2 of these
a day (1/2 at a time) for years.
When I could, I chose non-prescription
painkillers (i.e. Advil, etc) which
I took like candy for 5 years. I
was also prescribed muscle relaxants
that resulted in exhaustion that
day and dope sickness the next.
For Chronic Depression I was prescribed
Paxil, an addictive antidepressant,
which made me feel so disconnected
and displaced that I quit taking
it. When my doctor urged me to try
again, but to take only 1/2 a pill,
I did try one more time, and hated
its effects enough to stop using
this drug. For the Anxiety Attacks,
I have been taking Lorazepam. Aside
from the immediate side effects
of prescription drugs, is a long-term
one to be wary of as well - the
body can become so addicted to medication
it can actually create 'false' pain!
Lifestyle
changes were the first challenges
I had to face if there was to be
any hope of getting off prescription
drugs. I learned the art of pain
management and movement modification.
Massage therapy and exercise are
vital components for my pain management.
Dietary changes included decreasing
caffeine intake, drinking more water
and taking natural supplements such
as: herbal teas, glucosamine and
MSM. But despite these measures
and so many years passing, I still
suffer enough pain and discomfort
to require me to stay at home, or
else suffer every day.
Incorporating the use of medical
marijuana over the last 4 years,
I noticed a huge decline in the
medication I was taking. This last
year, for instance, my prescriptions
actually expired before being completely
used up! My headaches are not so
severe and I can carry on duties
throughout the day when I take regular
breaks.
It is very easy to become consumed
by thoughts of despair and loss.
After all, I am not quite 33 - yet
I live like an elderly person! My
physical future is not clear and
I am utterly dependent on my husband.
However, I have noticed that certain
varieties of marijuana, such as
Bubble Gum and Shady Lady, tend
to alleviate depression. Marijuana
takes the mind to other places.
I do not dwell on thoughts, but
pass through them, and am able to
smile and carry on with a lifted
heart. On the negative side, however,
I find marijuana isn't conducive
to shopping, appointments or driving
as my anxiety is actually heightened.
According
to a recent article in the local
paper, marijuana is said to cause
apathy. It is my opinion that certain
strains actually stimulate creativity.
My favorite variety of all time,
is Shady Lady, an old strain from
Nepal, for this reason.
Smoking
anything is damaging to the lungs,
so to reduce these effects I have
incorporated other methods to take
marijuana. My first goal became
to eliminate using papers, which
often contain chemical residues.
Instead, I use a little wooden box
that has a brass pipe to grind in
the chopped bud. These little 'boxes'
are discreet and are much easier
to manage than joints, especially
when only a few puffs are needed.
When burning joints, one can almost
see the dollars go up in the unused
smoke between puffs. These boxes
& pipes reduce wasted smoke.
For muscle spasm and sleepless nights
there is no medication better than
marijuana brownies for me. I sleep
well and wake up alert, rather than
drowsy and disoriented from medication.
Keif, which I prefer to smoke in
a pipe, is especially useful for
day spasms, headaches and depression
because it causes less sleepiness.
However,
with only one income in our family,
using marijuana regularly can become
quite a financial sacrifice. I am
not a criminal nor am I comfortable
dealing with criminal elements,
or paying high street prices. But
until growing marijuana for one's
own use is legalized, people like
me are forced either into undesirable
circles or taking the risk of growing
this illegal herb ourselves. Neither
option is conducive to the peaceful
life that victims of chronic pain,
depression or illness have the right
to enjoy.
Choosing
medical marijuana as an alternative
to prescription drugs has given
me freedom from my sentence of pain,
sleepless nights, depression and
the consequences of heavy medication.
Ask
Dr. Ethan Russo
Medicine
is an ever-changing science. While
suggestions for therapeutic use
of cannabis or other drugs may be
made herein, this forum is designed
solely for educational purposes,
and neither the author, publisher,
nor other parties, will assume any
liability whatever for application
or misapplication of any information
imparted. We cannot claim scientific
proof or accuracy of the material
discussed, and no warranty, expressed
or implied is advanced with regard
to the information.
Cannabis
is illegal in most jurisdictions,
and the reader must apply awareness
of this fact when considering its
usage. Medical use of cannabis may
or may not be a viable legal defense
where you reside. Canadian clinical
cannabis patients are encouraged
to seek exemptions under existing
law from Health Canada. The proper
forms and procedures are available
on their web site.
Full disclosure and discussion of
medical issues with your health
care providers is encouraged, as
is proper education with respect
to effects and side effects of existing
medication.
Q1:
Dear Dr. Russo,
I am diagnosed as bi-polar with
both the mania and the depression
crash following. I am 50 years old
and had my first full-blown attack
at age 30. Over the following 20
years I crashed several times and
was subjected to all the standard
pharmaceutical solutions. For the
past 2.5 months I have been using
cannabis to keep me focused and
stable. I am finding that cannabis
improves my concentration and attention
span and is a cognitive stimulant.
My
question is: I am on no other drugs
and, for the first time in a long
time, I feel good. Am I fooling
myself, cured or just stoned?
A1:
Bipolarity:
The use of cannabis to treat bipolar
problems (previously known as manic
depression) is a fascinating development.
A surprising number of people so
afflicted have independently made
the discovery that cannabis has
improved their condition, whether
the mania or depression. It may
also reduce side effects of other
drugs used in its treatment, such
as Lithium, Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
or Valproate (Depakote). Some people
have found cannabis more effective
than "conventional drugs"
so you are by no means fooling yourself,
or "just stoned."
No
doubt, cannabis is affecting the
balance of neurotransmitters that
are at the basis for this disorder.
Endocannabinoids seem to be intimately
involved in emotional regulation
mechanisms in the limbic system.
Because THC and other chemicals
in cannabis mimic our own internal
biochemistry, they may help replace
what is missing. Cannabis strains
that contain cannabidiol (CBD) also
have anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic
benefits.
The
best documentation available for
this is an article by the eminent
clinical cannabis prophet, Lester
Grinspoon, that was published in
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs in
1998:
If
you go to the search engine on Lester's
www site, Marihuana,
the forbidden medicine, and
plug in the search term bipolar,
you will see many accounts of people
such as you, that have benefitted
from cannabis for their condition.
Unfortunately,
despite Dr. Grinspoon's plea for
more research, no one has more formally
studied this issue, most likely
due to the politically-conspired
near impossibility of doing clinical
research on cannabis. Hopefully
that situation will change soon.
Q2:
Dear Dr. Russo,
My partner Bill smokes 15 to 20
large 1 gram or more joints per
day. He also smokes tobacco, sometimes
mixed into his joints. So what is
going on here? He says he could
quit, but never does. The other
peculiar thing is that he never
seems to be stoned. How much damage
is he doing to himself and how is
the addictiveness of pot when mixed
with tobacco?
A2:
Tobacco and Cannabis
It is difficult to fully analyze
this situation, but certain things
are evident. Firstly, your partner
should know that smoking tobacco
is distinctly unhealthful!
The
amounts you mention him as using
are very great, and one should ask
why? What is missing in his life,
or what might he be treating by
his use of tobacco and cannabis?
I cannot answer that, but counselling
could help discover the underlying
issues.
While
I never recommend smoking tobacco,
it is true that concomitant cannabis
mitigates some of the harm to a
degree. I would refer you to my
Chronic Use Study, available online,
and to an article that indicated
that cannabis-only smoking does
not seem to provoke emphysema, and
to an interesting study by Roth
et al. that demonstrates how THC
actually helps prevent carcinogenic
deterioration.
Remember,
there has never been a documented
case of a lung tumour in a cannabis-only
smoker.
Q3:
Dear Dr. Russo,
I am considering the use of cannabis
for pain control. I am on two other
drugs that I do not wish to give
up, because they seem to be helping
me. The drugs are Paxil and T3’s
for my headaches. I have seen what
mixing cannabis and alcohol can
do, what interactions does cannabis
have with other drugs? Am I safe
to try it?
A3:
Pain Control
It is always difficult to advise
people specifically about their
particular situations without having
the whole story. By T3’s,
I assume that you mean Tylenol #3.
If so, there is no way that I would
recommend its chronic use. Tylenol,
or acetaminophen, is a potential
cumulative hepatotoxin. That means,
if you take too much too long, or
mix it with alcohol, it may produce
irreparable harm to the liver. The
other ingredient is codeine, which
is addictive and counter-productive
to good headache control in the
long term. Both components produce
analgesic rebound when overutilized.
That is, they actually perpetuate
headache, probably through a mechanism
of overstimulating glutamate receptors.
Interestingly,
cannabis is one of the few drugs
that is not toxic that inhibits
glutamate toxicity.
A very long article I wrote on cannabis
and headaches in the Journal of
Cannabis Therapeutics also addresses
these issues. I would expect cannabis
to render use of Tylenol #3 superfluous.
Paxil is an SSRI antidepressant,
and has more side effects such as
sedation and dry mouth than other
drugs in the class (Zoloft, Paxil,
Celexa). Certainly cannabis could
have additive side effects with
it.
Many
clinical cannabis patients find
that they no longer need additional
antidepressant treatment. This is
addressed in the Chronic Use Study
mentioned in the answer to question
2.
The long history of cannabis as
an antidepressant is addressed in
a section of my Handbook
of psychotropic herbs, also
online.
Cannabis has few noteworthy drug
interactions, but you may want to
look at a chapter on that written
by Franjo Grotenhermen in our book,
Cannabis
and Cannabinoids.
Finally,
I have written a book chapter on
cannabis in pain management that
may be useful.
Unfortunately, cannabis remains
illegal in most areas, so I must
recommend that you seek an exemption
or other medical recommendation
before using cannabis to treat your
pain, for your own protection. As
to whether it could help, the answer
is that it likely would, especially
if your problem is neuropathic pain.
LEGALIZE
IT
Exciting developments in Ottawa
reached the media last month, with
the Senate Committee's published
report to the Federal Government
of Canada, which recommended the
government create the following:
1)
A position within the Privy Council
Office, with staff assigned by relevant
federal departments and agencies.
2)
A high-level conference of representatives
from provinces, territories, municipalities
and associations, for the purpose
of setting goals and priorities,
for action over a 5 year period.
3)
A name change from the Centre on
Substance Abuse to the Canadian
Centre on Psychoactive Substances
and Dependency, with accountability
to parliament, a $15 million annual
budget and report, research co-ordination,
and strategy assessment every 5
years.
4)
Legislation to create the Centre
and set up a monitoring agency to
study and report drug use trends
and problems in adult and student
populations.
5)
Adoption of a policy on risks and
harmful effects of all psychoactive
substances, with focus on prevention
and treatment of excessive use.
6)
Amendments to the Controlled Drug
and Substance Act allowing criminal
exemptions for obtaining licences
and producing and selling cannabis,
and penalties for illegal trafficking
and export or other activities outside
the exemptions.
7)
An amnesty for all persons convicted
of possession of cannabis, under
current or past legislation.
8)
Amendments to the Marijuana Medical
Access Regulations with new rules
for eligibility, production and
distribution of therapeutic cannabis,
and research.
9)
Amendments to the Criminal Code
to lower permitted alcohol levels
(in the presence of other drugs),
and admission of evidence from trained
police experts in cases which involve
operating vehicles while under the
influence of drugs.
10)
A national fund for research on
therapeutic applications, prevention
and treatment programs, and tools
for detecting infractions under
the Criminal Code.
11)
Instructions for the Minister of
Foreign Affairs and International
Trade to inform the United Nations
that Canada requests an amendment
to the conventions and treaties
governing illegal drugs, and develop
a Drug and Dependency Monitoring
Agency for the Americas.U.S. Initiatives
US
Initiatives
Al Byrne for the Coalition for Rescheduling
Cannabis
The Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis
filed a petition on September 5,
2002, with the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration. The regulatory process
in the U.S. that determines the
medical availability of cannabis
is known as scheduling; the petition
summarizes the scientific data that
supports changes in the scheduling
of any prohibited agent, and argues
that none of the three requirements
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