>X-Sender: carl@mail.commongroup.net (Unverified) >X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.0 >Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999 17:20:42 -0800 >To: >From: "Carl E. Olsen" >From: "CRRH mailing list" >Subject: Pete McWilliams in Playboy 12/99 >X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 >X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 > > > > Pubdate: Dec 1999 > > Source: Playboy Magazine (US) > > Copyright: 1999 Playboy Enterprises, Inc. > > Contact: edit@playboy.com > > Website: http://www.playboy.com/ > > Author: Peter McWilliams > > > > THE GENERAL'S LOOPHOLE > > Drug Czar Cripples Reefer Tests > > > > In his most recent round of unintended self-immolation, drug czar > > Barry McCaffrey effectively nullified drug testing for marijuana users > > nationwide. In a move that he hoped would bring the medical marijuana > > movement to its knees, the retired general instead gave pot smokers > > legal carte blanche to fail every urine test they take. > > > > Here's how it happened: This past July, the Drug Enforcement > > Administration, with a nod from the Food and Drug Administration, > > reclassified the prescription drug Marinol, which is synthetic THC, > > the most psycho-active of marijuana's many cannabinoids. Marinol was > > moved from Schedule II, the most restrictive category of drugs > > available by prescription, to Schedule III. The change makes it much > > easier for doctors to distribute the drug. Notably, they now can > > phone or fax prescriptions to pharmacies and provide for as many as > > five automatic refills every six months. They also won't have the DEA > > looking over their shoulder each time they write a Marinol > > prescription. > > > > McCaffrey, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control > > Policy, used the reclassification to again attack the idea of > > marijuana as medicine, calling Marinol the only "safe and proper way" > > to make THC available to the public. "This action will make Marinol, > > which is scientifically proven to be safe and effective for medical > > use, more widely available," McCaffrey said, implying that marijuana > > itself is not safe or effective, despite much evidence to the contrary. > > > > The government's message is clear: Now that "safe and proper" Marinol > > is more readily available, we don't need to legalize unsafe and > > improper marijuana for medical use. This plan worked once before, > > which seems to have given McCaffrey some confidence it will work > > again. In the mid-Eighties, when marijuana was on the verge of being > > reclassified so it could be legally prescribed, the federal government > > funded the development of Marinol and pushed it through the FDA > > approval process. It then used the availability of synthetic THC as a > > pretext for refusing to remove marijuana from the same forbidden > > Schedule I classification it shares with heroin and other narcotics. > > > > So while they have the same active ingredient, marijuana remains > > forbidden while Marinol moves into the polite society of Tylenol with > > codeine. How easy is it to get a prescription for Marinol? Very > > easy. Doctors are permitted to provide any prescription drug for > > "off-label" use. That is, if a doctor determines that a prescription > > drug labeled by the manufacturer to treat, say, nausea, would also be > > effective for treating pain, the doctor can prescribe it for pain. > > > > This is going to happen with more frequency. A recent report by the > > National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, which McCaffrey > > praises as "the most comprehensive summary and analysis of what is > > known about the medical use of marijuana," concluded that THC could be > > useful not only to stimulate appetite in AIDS patients and prevent the > > nausea that's caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, but > > also to relieve chronic pain. (The full report, Marijuana and > > Medicine, is available online at books.nap.edu.) The potential for > > Marinol to treat chronic pain is enormous. Experts estimate at least > > 75 million Americans suffer from chronic, debilitating pain. This > > includes pain caused by cancer, arthritis, migraine headaches and > > severe back injuries. > > > > Seventy-five million! That means nearly half the adult population of > > the U.S. is properly and legally entitled to Marinol and, by > > extension, free from the burden of passing clean urine. There is no > > legally recognized test that distinguishes between the synthetic THC > > of Marinol and the natural THC of marijuana. Once a testee obtains a > > prescription for Marinol and shows it to the drug-testing authorities, > > THC levels in urine, hair, saliva and sweat no longer indicate a > > failed drug test. The test comes up dirty, but the prescription > > washes it clean. Employers aren't able to say, "You can't use Marinol > > if you work here," because it's a legal and now widely prescribed > > drug. Marinol could become as big as Viagra. (Marinol is a great > > high, too, rather like eating hash brownies. Don't even think about > > driving on it. Marinol's makers suggest you take your first dose only > > in the presence of "a responsible adult.") > > > > So, in his cruel attempt to keep an ancient medicine from modern > > sufferers, Contrary Barry has created a loophole that allows all users > > to use their drug of choice and keep their jobs. > > > > McCzar, this bud's for you. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Mcwilliams Awaits Trial In California On Federal Charges Of Growing > > Marijuana. > >------ >CRRH's Oregon petition now has over 25,000 signatures and needs 66,748 >voters' signatures by July to qualify for a 11/7/2000 vote. >------ >To subscribe, unsubscribe or switch to immediate or digest mode, please >send your instructions to . >------ >*Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp* >CRRH ; P.O. Box 86741 ; Portland, OR 97286 >Phone:(503) 235-4606 Fax:(503) 235-0120 Web: http://www.crrh.org/