Monthly Public Meeting Agenda,
Lawrence Township Library, Room #2
Tuesday, October 8, 2013, 7:00 PM -- 9:00 PM
Approve September 2013 minutes. Discuss:
There will be no November 2013 meeting due to a scheduling conflict with the library.
NJ’s Medicinal Marijuana Program: Greenleaf ATC reopened with limited access. Egg Harbor ATC was scheduled to open in September, but never did. Woodbridge ATC (CCCofA) given grow permit by DOH.
CMMNJ Voter Registration Drive: New video: “Chris Christie Plays Politics with the Law. Sick patients suffer. Sometimes worse.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZSPusqlxDs
Oral arguments in the lawsuit against DOH were heard in Appellate Court, Mt. Holly, 9/18/13. NORML NJ lawyers asked the court to continue the tort claims against the DOH, to force the DOH to do what the law requires, to declare certain regulations ultra vires (beyond the law), and to appoint CMMNJ a monitor for the Medicinal Marijuana Program. The 3-judge panel may decide as early as November.
NJ.COM/Inside Jersey: Medical marijuana—one of the greatest medical stories of the past 5 yrs.
Upcoming Events:
Ewing Community Fest: Sat., 10/5/13, 10 am to 5 pm at TCNJ.
Lawrence Community Day, 10/6/13, 12:30 – 4 pm, Lawrence Twp.
"Medical Marijuana: Legislation + Education = Blueprint for Change" New Jersey State Nurses Association Convention http://www.njsna.org/, 10/9/13, Bally, Atlantic City. CEUs.
Amy Doherty, Medford Court, 11/6/13, 4pm, medical marijuana possession case.
Recent events: Boston Freedom Rally, 9/14 & 15, Boston Commons
Martin Lee at Hamilton Barnes & Noble 9/30/13, Dinner at Bonnie Waltz’s home 9/29/13.
Smoke Down Prohibition IX, Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, 9/21/13.
Treasury report: Checking: $4297; PayPal: $3537. Billboard campaign continues.
The next CMMNJ meeting is December 10, 2013, 7 - 9 PM at the Lawrence Twp. Library.
More info: Ken Wolski, RN, (609) 394-2137 ohamkrw@aol.com http://www.cmmnj.org
Facebook: Friends of CMMNJ: https://www.facebook.com/groups/62462971150/?fref=ts
CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit educational organization.
Monthly Public Meeting Minutes,
Lawrence Township Library, September 10, 2013; 7:00 PM -- 9:00 PM
August 2013 minutes approved. Discussion:
S2842, the bill to improve access to medical marijuana, was signed into law by Gov. Christie at 5 pm today, 9/10/13. (The conditionally vetoed bill passed in the Assembly on 9/9 by a vote of 69 – 1 – 4.) The new law eliminates the 3-strain limit, and allows edibles, but for minors only. Gov. Christie insisted that a pediatrician and a psychiatrist are still required to OK medical marijuana for minors, in some cases in addition to the physician who recommends marijuana.
NJ’s Medicinal Marijuana Program: Greenleaf ATC reopened with limited access. Egg Harbor ATC to open in September. Woodbridge ATC (CCCofA) given grow permit by DOH.
CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta endorsed medical marijuana. “Weed, Part II” is coming, as a follow up to Dr. Gupta’s important show, “Weed.”
Upcoming Events:
Ewing Community Fest: Sat., 10/5/13, 10 am to 5 pm at TCNJ.
Boston Freedom Rally, 9/14 & 15, Boston Commons.
Martin Lee, at Hamilton Barnes & Noble 9/30/13, (Dinner at Bonnie Waltz’s home 9/29/13).
Lawrence Community Day, 10/6/13, Lawrence Twp., NJ.
"Medical Marijuana” NJSA convention, 10/9/13, Bally’s, Atlantic City.
Ed (NJ Weedman) Forchion, Evesham Court, 9/12/13 11:20 am (Brownie Day).
A hearing in the lawsuit against DOH: Appellate Court, Trenton, 9/18/13 at 10:00 am.
Recent events: Marijuana Reform Rally: Statehouse, Trenton, NJ, Sunday, 9/8/13, 3pm.
Slightly Stoopid, Stone Pony, Asbury Park, 8/27. Thanks to our volunteers!
Homegrown Radio (WRNJ) Interview, 8/22/13.
Smoke Down Prohibition VIII, Liberty Bell, Philadelphia, 8/31/13.
Frank Fulbrook Memorial, 9/6/13, Camden.
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association endorses medical marijuana.
Treasury report: Checking: $4986; PayPal: $3611. Billboard raised $562; campaign continues.
Next CMMNJ meeting: Oct. 8, 2013, 7 - 9 PM at the Lawrence Twp. Library.
More info: Ken Wolski, RN, (609) 394-2137 ohamkrw@aol.com http://www.cmmnj.org
Facebook: Friends of CMMNJ: https://www.facebook.com/groups/62462971150/?fref=ts
CMMNJ, a 501(c)(3) public charity, is a non-profit educational organization.
Recent Media Coverage and Blogs:
Bellmawr seems OK with marijuana clinichttp://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20130905_Bellmawr_seems_OK_with_marijuana_clinic.html
LAWMAKERS READY TO APPROVE EASIER ACCESS TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR KIDS
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/09/06/lawmakers-ready-to-approve-easier-access-to-medical-marijuana-for-kids/
New Jersey Assembly approves medical marijuana changes
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_jersey&id=9240445
N.J. lawmakers to revisit key measures after vetoes
http://articles.philly.com/2013-09-10/news/41906707_1_medical-marijuana-christie-edible-marijuana
N.J. Assembly OKs bill with medical pot changes
http://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_Assembly_OKs_amended_bill_to_expand_medical_pot_for_children.html
Lawmakers Act on Christie’s Conditional Vetoes
http://www.njtvonline.org/njtoday/video/lawmakers-act-on-christies-conditional-vetoes/
N.J. Says O.K. to Medical Marijuana for Kids
http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/policysocial-context/22877-n-j-says-o-k-to-medical-marijuana-for-kids.html
NJ Backs Edible Medical Pot for Sick Kids
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/NJ-Assembly-Backs-Edible-Medical-Pot-for-Sick-Kids-223108651.html
Southern NJ medical marijuana site poised to open
http://tbo.com/ap/health/issues/southern-nj-medical-marijuana-site-poised-to-open-ap_health_issues2598c2fac5b144b8ac9225af941c31e3
Pot or Prescription Painkillers – Which is the Bigger Gateway Drug? [POLL]
http://nj1015.com/pot-or-prescription-painkillers-which-is-the-bigger-gateway-drug-poll/
CMMNJ Hosts Martin A. Lee, Author of Smoke Signals and Acid Dreams
http://cmmnj.blogspot.com/2013/09/cmmnj-hosts-martin-lee-author-of-smoke.html
New Marijuana Drug Has Some Worried
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/23546506/new-marijuana-drug
Planned Expansion On Soon To Open Medical Marijuana Facility In South Jersey
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/09/14/south-jersey-medical-marijuana-center-plans-to-expand/
REGULATING MEDICAL MARIJUANA ISN’T AS EASY AS YOU THINK http://www.ryot.org/regulating-medical-marijuana-isnt-easy-think/370117
Letter: Where are N.J. medical marijuana patients?
http://www.nj.com/south-jersey-voices/index.ssf/2013/09/letter_where_are_nj_medical_ma.html
Christie Signs Changes to Medical Marijuana Law
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Christie-Signs-Changes-to-Medical-Marijuana-Law-223856261.html
N.J. health officials 'dragging their feet' on medical marijuana, lawyers argue in court http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/09/nj_health_officials_dragging_their_feet_on_medical_marijuana_lawyers_argue_in_court.html
Court hears arguments in delay of state's medical marijuana program
http://www.phillyburbs.com/00redesign/news/local/court-hears-arguments-in-delay-of-state-s-medical-marijuana/article_c465d116-abd0-5de9-9528-60368bc217cd.html
Extra:
Top 10 New Jersey medical stories of the past five yearshttp://www.nj.com/inside-jersey/index.ssf/2013/09/top_10_new_jersey_medical_stories_of_the_past_five_years.html
Smoke Down Prohibition 8 Highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oG0XBkehgQ&feature=youtu.be
Cannabis-based Medicines for Opiate Dependence
http://www.examiner.com/article/cannabis-based-medicines-for-opiate-dependence
Jury Nullification vs. The Drug War: NJ Weedman on His Unlikely Marijuana Acquittal
http://reason.com/reasontv/2013/09/04/jury-nullification-vs-the-drug-war-nj-we
'Man, I'm not that high': N.J. Weedman talks the politics of pot http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/09/man_im_not_that_high_nj_weedman_talks_politics_pot_and_the_art_of_protest.html
N.J. Weedman reports to Burlington County Jail to serve 270-day sentence for marijuana possession http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/09/nj_weedman_reports_to_burlington_county_jail_to_serve_270-day_sentence_for_marijuana_possession.html
EAST WINDSOR: Senate candidate cited again for marijuana use
http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2013/09/05/windsor_hights_herald/news/doc5228de1ad96aa673742715.txt
Weedman 2.0: Senate candidate lights up in public again
http://www.trentonian.com/article/20130903/NEWS01/130909940/weedman-2-0-senate-candidate-lights-up-in-public-again
“Smoke Down Prohibition” Marijuana Protest Returns to Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell on Saturday
http://www.thedailychronic.net/2013/25650/smoke-prohibition-marijuana-rally-returns-philadelphias-liberty-bell-saturday/
700 MEDICINAL USES OF CANNABIS SORTED BY DISEASE
http://www.encod.org/info/700-MEDICINAL-USES-OF-CANNABIS.html
Chris Christie Plays Politics with the Law. Sick patients suffer. Sometimes worse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZSPusqlxDs
Project CBD
http://projectcbd.org/
Video: Numerous pot protesters arrested at ‘Smokedown Prohibition’ 9 http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2013/09/23/smokedown-video/
HIGH TIMES at 24th Annual Boston Freedom Rally
http://www.hightimes.com/read/high-times-24th-annual-boston-freedom-rally
Cannabinoids and the Urinary Bladder
http://www.omicsonline.org/Cannabinoids-and-the-Urinary-Bladder-2161-0932.1000163.pdf
"Medical Marijuana: Legislation + Education = Blueprint for Change"
New Jersey State Nurses Association/Institute for Nursing Convention, October 9-11, 2013, at Bally's Casino & Resort, 1900 Pacific Avenue Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401.
MORE INFO: http://www.njsna.org/
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) Position Statement on Patients’ Safe Access to Therapeutic Marijuana
BackgroundHistory has documented the use of marijuana (cannabis) in medical settings since 28th century BCE China, and it was first introduced to the Western world in the early 19th century (Johnson, 2013). It was quickly adopted by health care professionals to treat various problems such as nausea, chronic pain and psychological disorders, and it was widely accepted in the United States until the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 (Johnson, 2013). Since that time, it has undergone a complicated past of federal regulation regarding its use recreationally and medicinally.
Currently, marijuana is classified under the Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule I drug; possessors are subject to federal punishment and no clinician is permitted to prescribe, as it has no known medical value. Despite this regulation, 18 states and the District of Columbia have adopted laws to permit its use as a therapeutic medication in many disease entities (ProCon.org, 2013). Supporters of the legalization of medical marijuana advocate for the distinction between leisure and medicinal use of the drug, ensuring that with proper clinician oversight, abuse of the drug can be avoided. Many supporters specifically compare use of medical marijuana to the current practice of using opioids for symptom management, citing the fact that drugs like morphine have a greater potential (23 percent to 10 percent respectively) to become addicting yet are used for pain management across the health care continuum (Cohen, 2009). Additionally, they reference the zero to few deaths caused by illegal marijuana use as compared to use of legal federally-regulated prescription drugs (0 vs.10,008 in 2009, respectively).
There has been documentation of efficacy from medicinal marijuana, both smoked and in oral tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) form in pain control and reduction of spasticity, for improvement of glaucoma, asthma, seizures, appetite stimulation and in management of nausea (Joy, Watson & Benson, 1999; ACP, 2008). The results are highly variable. There is difficulty delineating true effects of cannabis from the emotional well-being resulting from smoked marijuana (“high”). Additionally, there is worry regarding the endorsement of a drug delivery system that involves smoking. There are also ongoing safety concerns – relatively poorly documented – regarding medical marijuana’s potential to exacerbate mental illness, to be a “gateway” for harder drugs, and to cause respiratory arrest and even death (Cohen, 2009). Due to the drug’s classification as a Schedule I drug, potential drug manufacturers and physicians have been unable to conduct rigorous clinical trials using the standard grade drug to draw definitive conclusions regarding the drug’s risk/benefit ratio.
Position
It is the position of PSNA that medical marijuana is worthy of further rigorous clinical testing. In order to weigh the true risks and benefits of medical marijuana, there must be a discussion and openness at the federal level regarding the conversion of marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule II drug classification. Schedule II classification would allow testing of consistent grade medical marijuana in a randomized controlled fashion in order to ascertain the drug’s risk/benefit profile for a multitude of illnesses and symptoms. In addition, PSNA supports protection from prosecution for patients who currently use medicinal marijuana or for providers suggesting medicinal marijuana for relief of intractable conditions or symptoms. Lastly, PSNA shares concerns about the delivery system of smoking medication and, if this drug is approved, encourages the development of a more efficient drug delivery system.
Rationale
Marijuana has been used as a way to manage symptoms for chronic illness since ancient times. In 1999, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that marijuana have its drug schedule classification changed in order to allow for more rigorous testing. Despite a persistent federal ban on marijuana, claims regarding its efficacy for a host of illnesses and symptoms have soared. As a result, more than a quarter of the states in the nation have adopted laws to legalize the drug for medicinal purposes despite the continued federal ban. Marijuana may be an important therapeutic adjunct in hard-to-manage illnesses and for persistent symptoms. Detangling the argument regarding the legalization of marijuana for medicinal vs. recreational use may allow a more open weighing of the evidence for consideration of the appropriate schedule classification. Well-designed, rigorous research must be performed to truly assess the relative benefits and risks of medicinal marijuana.
References
American College of Physicians (ACP). (2008). Supporting research into the therapeutic role of marijuana. Retrieved July 11, 2013 from http://www.acponline.org/acp_news/medmarinews.htm Cohen, P. J. (2009).
Medical marijuana: The conflict between scientific evidence and political ideology. Part one of two. Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, 23(1), 4-25. Johnson, B. L. (2013).
Medical marijuana. Mental Health Practitioner’s Guide to HIV/AIDS, 301-303. Joy, J. E., Watson, S. J. & Benson, J. A. (1999).
Marijuana and medicine: Assessing the science base. National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine.ProCon.org. (2013, July 1).
Medical marijuana: 18 legal medical marijuana states and DC laws, fees, and possession limits. Retrieved July 10, 2013 from
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881
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