People have been using the Cannabis plant (marijuana) for recreation, medication and spirituality for thousands of years. The line between recreation and medication is often a blurry one, as skeptics say - of course you feel better, you’re high, and chronic users reply that all who use have some kind of physical, mental, or social deficit which cannabis helps them compensate for. However, medical can encompass both recreational and spiritual; cannabis is a mind - altering drug, but if the mind is altered correctly, one is often able to gain a better perception on life. Is this not also medicinal? For if one were to assert that wellness is comprised of physical, mental, social, intellectual, spiritual and environmental factors, then cannabis is the perfect medicine. Currently, California and 15 other states recognize the medical benefits of cannabis, and have legalized it for approved patients (NORML, 2004). While the federal government has finally decriminalized medical use when approved by the state, it is still not legally available for all people in the United States to use it medically, in spite of many studies, including federal studies, which continually show the benefits, and fail to show the significant risks, of acute and chronic marijuana usage (Russo, 2002). Cannabis is a beneficial, effective, and safe alternative medicine, and needs to be recognized as such.
Prior to discussing the individual benefits of cannabis, it is important to understand the concept of wellness. Wellness is defined as reaching optimal health and vitality, not just absence of disease. It is comprised of six dimensions, physical, emotional, intellectual, interpersonal, spiritual and environmental, and each of these areas are continuously interacting with one another (Insel & Roth, 2008). Without being healthy in all areas, it is impossible to be considered fully healthy in any of the areas. When attempting to study dimensions of wellness other than physical and environmental, it is often difficult to obtain evidence other than anecdotal, as things such as self esteem, self confidence, ability to accept, understand, and share feelings with others, motivation to master new skills, forgiveness, having a sense of meaning and purpose, a sense of humor, and compassion are things which only the individual knows about themselves; similarly, the benefits of using cannabis on each of these areas of wellness is also anecdotal, such as relief from depression, anxiety, etc, and thus makes it difficult to prove in court these benefits (Insel & Roth, 2008). However, if one were to look at the side effects as described by the DEA, it is impossible not to conclude that cannabis is effective in treating mood disorders. Marijuana induces euphoria, relaxation, laughter, heightened sensory perception, altered perception of time and increased appetite (NIDA, n.d.). This provides the gateway for treating inconsistencies in a person’s normal personality. According to Lester Grinspoon, emeritus professor of psychology at the Harvard School of Medicine, “ ‘cannabis has a lot of potential in the treatment of mental illness’ ... and can be effective for treating bipolar disorder and depression... though like every medicine, its not for everyone” (Roger, 2007). For example, after consuming cannabis, a person suffering from anxiety disorder would be calmed, a depressed person would have their mood lifted, one suffering from attention deficit disorder would find their attention focused on only one thing, and those suffering from anorexia would have their appetite stimulated. As with any substance which produces change in the body, it is important to self regulate the appropriate time and place for consumption, just as drinking a highly caffeinated beverage prior to going to sleep is not conducive of a healthy sleep cycle. However, when used appropriately, the changes which cannabis produce are beneficial.
Cannabis has been condemned over the last 70 years due to the fact that it produces psychoactive effects; however many of the thousands of prescription medications produce similar, if not more extreme effects. Antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the US (NDC Health, 2004). The mild psychoactive effects of cannabis are nowhere near as dangerous in comparison to current FDA approved prescription drugs. The US National Institute of Health warns that antidepressants can cause the patient to “become suicidal, especially at the beginning of [the] treatment and any time that [the] dose is increased or decreased” and that “Children, teenagers, and young adults who take antidepressants to treat depression or other mental illnesses may be more likely to become suicidal than children, teenagers, and young adults who do not take antidepressants to treat these conditions” (US National Library of Medicine, 2009). With marijuana, patients are able to titrate their dosages, and tailor the needed amount to the specific moment (Russo, 2002). Additionally, even if the medication relieves depression as intended, there are many other extreme side effects. A common antidepressant, Zoloft, has been reported to cause “nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, dry mouth, gas or bloating, loss of appetite, weight changes, drowsiness, dizziness, excessive tiredness, headache, pain, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet, nervousness, uncontrollable shaking of part of the body, sore throat, changes in sex drive or ability, excessive sweating, blurred vision, seizures, fever, sweating, confusion, fast or irregular heartbeat, abnormal bleeding or bruising, hair loss, fainting, and hallucinations” (US National Library of Medicine, 2009). Not only are the physical side effects more harmful than those of cannabis but Zoloft also can cause hallucinations, “hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t there” (US National Library of Medicine, 2009). Conversely, the psychoactive effects of cannabis are mild, and, as discussed earlier, include a relaxed attitude and altered perception of time. When a person uses cannabis chronically, they develop the ability to cope with these changes, such as becoming vigilant about checking the time to compensate for the loss of time perception. This change in perception aids in the reduction of anxiety for some, specifically those who are chronic worriers; it allows a person the freedom to relax and forget about the stress in their lives when they are unable to relax otherwise.
One of the leading causes of health problems today is chronic stress; in 2007, 77% of Americans report that they have developed stress related health problems (Insel & Roth, 2008). The physiological effects of stress are extremely damaging. When the body experiences a stressor, it begins the fight or flight response, which causes the body to release hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, liver releases glucose in the blood, digestion, reproduction, and growth are slowed, and the immune response is altered. Short term, this benefits the body, but when the body is unable to return to homeostasis over a long period of time, the constant flood of hormones negatively impacts all body systems (MFMER, 2010). Chronic stress can cause muscle tension, neck pain, stomachache, impaired immune function, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and accelerated aging (Insel & Roth, 2008). Chronic stress also causes neurons in the brain to shrink and die, and inhibiting the brain’s ability to generate new cells, thus decreasing a person’s ability to focus, make judgments or think clearly; it has also been attributed to psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, and post traumatic stress disorder (Insel & Roth, 2008). Stress also causes the release of cortisol into the blood stream which “causes fat stores and excess circulating fat to be relocated and deposited deep in the abdomen”; when stress is chronic, this can cause or enhance obesity, placing individuals at a greater risk for developing cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and cerebrovascular disease. “In addition, hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperlipidemia (elevated lipids), and hyperglycemia (elevated glucose) have been linked to elevated cortisol levels” (Maglione-Garves, Kravitz, & Schneider, n.d.). Even at a recreational level, cannabis would medically benefit these people. It would provide a safe outlet for stress relief, in addition to treating some of the many symptoms of chronic stress; interestingly enough, some of the symptoms of chronic stress are similar to those of cannabis usage, such as dry mouth, fatigue, inability to concentrate, and trouble remembering things (Insel & Roth, 2008). Cannabis has been prescribed for the treatment of anxiety and depression, and also it reduces irritability, improves eating and sleeping habits, and encourages socialization (Roger, 2007 ). While it wouldn’t treat the disorders caused by stress, such as obesity and cardiovascular disease, it would work preventatively to lower levels of stress hormones by reducing stress, and thus reducing the impact of those hormones.
Cannabis research is just starting to discover the numerous physical benefits of using cannabis medically. In 1990, researchers discovered the cannabinoid receptor in the brain, and have since discovered the existence of endocannabinoid, neurotransmitters which activate the same receptors as tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana (Melamede, 2005). Researchers have also found that the endocannabinoid receptors are the most common G protein - coupled receptors in the brain, and that these receptors are also on immune cells. Endocannabinoid have been found to contribute to learning and memory, neuronal development, control of appetite, and suppression of nausea; these neurotransmitters are retroactive, meaning they are synthesized and released on demand to inhibit the release of other neurotransmitters (Marieb & Hoehn, 2010). “It is now known that [the endocannabinoid system] maintains homeostasis within and across the organizational scales of all animals. within a cell, cannabinoids control basic metabolic processes such as glucose metabolism... [and] regulates intercellular communication, especially in the immune and nervous systems” (Melamede, 2005). Since the endocannabinoid regulatory system enervates multiple body systems, including cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, excretory, immune, muscoskeletal, nervous, reproductive, and respiratory systems, it is hypothesized that the purpose of the system is as a natural harm- reduction system, protecting the body “by fine-tuning and regulating dynamic biochemical steady states within the ranges required for healthy biological function” (Melamede, 2005). Currently, many pharmaceutical companies, such as Bayer AG, and GW pharmaceuticals, and university researchers are focused on discovering exactly how the endocannabinoid system works in terms of activating or suppressing certain receptors (Melamede, 2005). The prevalence and wide range of organ systems which the endocannabinoid regulatory system affects is most likely the reason why the medical benefits of cannabis encompass such a wide variety of symptoms and diseases.
Due to the government forcing criminalization in 1937, despite protests from the American Medical Associations legislative council, Dr. William C. Woodward, medical research has been inhibited for the past 70 years (NORML, 2002). However, the small amounts of research which have been able to be conducted are not only promising, but potentially will lead to the improved treatment or cures of many chronic and life threatening diseases. Preliminary research is showing that use of cannabis not only alleviates the symptoms of many disorders, such as nausea and pain, or side effects of treatments such as chemotherapy, but that cannabis in fact modifies the disease in such a way as to reduce the impact (NORML, 2010). Cannabinoids work differently in each area of the body, and produce a variety of responses simply by triggering the endocannabinoid receptors; the cannabis plant contains approximately 60 varieties of cannabinoids, each which acts differently in the body. Some activate receptors, and some inhibit, with research suggesting that they bind to the receptors as needed; thus the use of cannabis replaces the natural endocannabinoid in the body, supplementing this extensive harm reduction system (Pacher, Bátkai, & Kunos, 2006).
Cannabis has been found to help treat diseases which include, but are not limited to multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral disease (Lou Gherig’s disease), diabetes mellitus, fibromyalgia, acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS), hypertension, osteoporosis, sleep apnea, Tourette’s syndrome and cancer (NORML, 2010). A collection of such studies were summarized and posted by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) online. These studies only begin to show the potential of cannabis as medicine. A study by the Cajal Institute in Spain and Madrid’s compultense University, published in 2005, investigated the effects of cannabis on Alzheimer’s disease, finding that “cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease," and helps to reduce brain inflammation. Investigators at the Scripps Research Institute found in 2006 that THC inhibits the enzyme responsible for the aggregation of plaque in the brain far better than current Alzheimer’s medication. Furthermore, they stated that it “may provide an improved treatment [option]...[by] simultaneously treating both the symptoms and the progression of [the] disease”. A study published the following year from Ireland’s Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience not only confirmed the resulted of the previous studies, but also found that cannabinoids support the brain’s repair mechanism, enhancing neurogenesis. (NORML, 2009, a.). REsearch into cannabis’s effects on the treatment of diabetes is still being conducted on animals, but the results are promising. In a study recently published in the Journal of Autoimmunity, experiments conducted on mice showed that cannabis may have protective properties against diabetes. Two studies were conducted which showed that when mice are treated with cannabis over a period of time, the chance of developing diabetes is significantly reduced, from 86% of the untreated mice, to only 30% of the cannabinoid -treated mice developing diabetes. In the second study, over a period of 17 weeks, all mice in the control, untreated, group developed diabetes, while in the group treated with cannabis, 60% remained diabetes free at 26 weeks. Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia also reported that rats treated with cannabinoids experienced significant protection from diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working age adults (NORML, 2009, b.). Fibromyalgia is the third of many chronic diseases which research suggests cannabis aids with. Researchers at Germany’s University of Heidelberg studied 9 fibromyalgia patients over a period of three months, where half were given an oral administration of varying doses of THC, but no other pain medication; “all [given THC] reported a significant reduction in daily recorded pain and electronically induced pain” (NORML, 2009, c). Many other studies showed similar protective and harm reduction effects following the administration of cannabis to patients with a variety of disorders.
A major concern with cannabis usage are the possibility of adverse side effects, especially when smoked. According to the federal government, marijuana contains 50-70% more carcinogens than tobacco (NIDA). However, there has been no research linking smoking marijuana to lung cancer, and has shown evidence of anti-carcinogenic properties- being protective against the development of cancer (Russo). A second common concern is the effect on brain development; however cannabinoids have been also proven to aid in neuronal growth (Melamede, 2005). A presentation at the Cannabis Therapeutics Conference in 2002 by Dr. Ethan Russo gave an overview of several federal studies on long term use of cannabis, specifically one study which followed the first four federal medical patients. All information following is from that presentation, which was recorded on video and posted to the internet. Patient A suffers from glaucoma, Patient B has nail patella syndrome, Patient C has multiple congenital cartilaginous exostosis, and patient D has multiple sclerosis; the patients had been using cannabis for twenty, twenty seven, twenty six and eleven years, respectively, at the time of the study. For this study, the patients were put through a series of tests examining them for changes in lung function, endocrine and immune function, neuropsychological and brain wave tests, and brain atrophy. The patients all smoked cannabis during the tests, and only showed mild difficulty with attention and concentration, though this cannot be solely attributed to the cannabis, as similar disfunction has been shown in patients with chronic diseases who do not use cannabis. The tests found that there were no significant changes in any necessary body functions. None of the patients showed more than mild irritation to lung tissue, even though three were also cigarette smokers; there were no signs of brain atrophy that deviated from normal brain aging; there was a mild decrease in exhalation capacity, but an increased force vital capacity; and all immune and endocrine tests were normal. Patient D who is suffering from multiple sclerosis, actually had her condition improve; she had fewer MS plaques than in previous brain scans. She was not on interferon treatment, and cannabis is only medicine she is taking which could be protective. Patient B also had their condition improve with cannabis usage; he had been prescribed narcotics for years to handle his pain prior to cannabis use, but they were ineffective. At the time of the study, he no longer needed any pain medication other than cannabis, despite the fact that naturally his condition should have worsened and he should have needed more medication. Other studies which were discussed also showed the lack of harmful effects of cannabis. The first study which was discussed was the first documented study on cannabis; it was conducted in ancient Greece in which 60 subjects smoked hashish over a period of ten years. The study found no significant physical differences between cannabis and non cannabis users. A study conducted in Costa Rica over a period of ten years observing forty-one subjects found that people who smoke both tobacco and cannabis had better pulmonary function than those who smoked cigarettes alone. It also concluded that THC produces a cytotoxic effect which prevents the development of cancer. Dr Melanie Dreyer published a book following her participation in a federal research study; her book, Working Men and Ganja, conclusively showed that when it comes to hard manuel labor or boring work, workers who smoke cannabis have their stamina increased. Dr. Dreyer also published a study in the Journal of Pediatrics, which observed a cohort of Rastafarian women who used cannabis during pregnancy to treat morning sickness. She found that not only were the children healthy, but they showed developmental gains compared to babies of mothers who did not smoke cannabis. The final federally funded study of cannabis was in 1976, and was ran by the New York Academy of Science. It was a 94 day study during which patients were allowed to smoke as much for 3 months, then studied the effects one they stopped. The study found that patients felt “out of sorts” for a day, but ultimately showed no withdrawal effects, proving that there were no true physiological addiction to cannabis (Russo, 2002).
For this report, a survey of twenty medical cannabis patients was conducted. Patients were asked to describe how their overall functionality has been effected since beginning their treatment with cannabis, and to compare their cannabis usage to treating their conditions with prescription medication. Length of usage ranged from two months to forty years, with the average length of use being about ten years. Patients seemed to prefer vaporizing as their method of consumption, and daily amounts ranged from less than half a gram to over seven grams, with the average being 1.45 grams per day. Every patient reported that they use cannabis to treat multiple conditions. The most common condition treated was anxiety in 17% of the patients, followed by depression at 16.5%, 12.7% reported using for muscle pain and joint pain, 11% for sleep disorders, 10% to treat Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, 6% to treat side effects of prescription medication, 5% for treating nausea, 5% for eating disorders, and 2% for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Prior to their start of cannabis therapy, half of the patients reported that they were moderately functional in daily life, where their condition impaired their ability to participate in some activities; in the other ten patients, nine reported as being barely functional and struggling with daily life, and one reported that they were unable to function independently. When asked to rate their level of wellness on a scale of one to ten, one being unable to function independently, and ten being fully able to participate in all desired activities, the average response was five. After using cannabis, eleven reported that functionality increased significantly, eight had functionality increase moderately, and one experienced no change; the reported average wellness level also increased to eight following cannabis usage. Within this group of patients, 80% had also used prescription medications to treat the conditions for which they currently use cannabis; of those, 40% replaced prescription medication with cannabis, and 60% started using cannabis because their prescription medications were not sufficiently treating their condition. All of the patients who stopped using prescription medication found that their conditions have improved since. Within this sample, nineteen of twenty patients either worked, went to school, or did volunteer work; all reported that cannabis had no impact on their ability to function while participating in these activities, and seven patients felt that they would not be able to participate in these activities if they were not using cannabis. Patients were also asked to list negative side effects of both prescription medication and cannabis. The side effects of prescription medication which were reported included dizziness, paranoia, insomnia, hemorrhaging, anxiety, falling asleep, jitteriness, loss of motivation, depression, suicidal thoughts and mood swings; conversely, the side effects of cannabis that were reported were dry mouth, sleepiness, forgetfulness and red eyes. Overall, patients reported only mild side effects, and many noted that side effects such as drowsiness are also beneficial when in the right situation. Patients were also asked to comment on the impact of cannabis on their lives:
“Marijuana provides immediate relief. I feel as though I can enjoy life, relax and concentrate”... “I am able to cope with and understand my feelings”... “I am able to keep a job, relax, connect with people around me, focus, feel good about my self and overall feel at peace”... “When I use cannabis, I am able to work full time and volunteer over twenty hours a week!” ... “Its uncompromising ability to work makes its value in my life very significant”
Every patient who participated in the survey strongly felt that using cannabis has made an impact on their lives in a positive manner, and not only did not impair their motivation or ability to function, but also it played a significant role in their increased functionality.
Politics have impeded cannabis research for 70 years, but in spite of government warnings of ‘reefer madness’ cannabis continues to prove itself as medically beneficial. Preliminary research has shown that cannabis has the potential to not only treat the symptoms of many debilitating conditions, but also to slow the progression of the disease itself. If we are to allow doctors to prescribe medications which have known physically damaging side effects, in addition to the potential mental disturbances, cannabis also needs to be available as an option. To not offer safe access to a natural, safe, effective alternative to current prescription drugs, which often replace one problem with more problems, is cruel; to be arresting sick people for choosing health over the law is inhumane.
References
Insel, P.M. & Roth W.T. (2008). Connect: Core Concepts in Health. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Maglione-Garves, C.A, Kravitz L., and Schneider, S. (n.d.). Cortisol Connection: Tips on managing stress and weight. University of New Mexico. Retrieved from http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/stresscortisol.html
Marieb, E. N., Hoehn, K. (2010). Human Anatomy and Physiology. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education.
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER) (September 11, 2010). Stress: Constant stress puts your health at risk. Stress Management. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/SR00001/NSECTIONGROUP=2
Melamede, R. (September 22, 2005). The Cannabis Paradox. Harm Reduction Journal. 2: 17. doi: 10.1186/1477-7517-2-17
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (n.d.). Marijuana Abuse. Research Report Series. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Marijuana/marijuana2.html#how
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: NORML (March 17, 2002). NORML report on sixty years of Marijuana prohibition in the U.S. Retrieved from http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4429
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: NORML (December 01, 2004). Active State Medical Programs. Retrieved from http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3391
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: NORML (January 14, 2009) a. Alzheimer’s Disease. Retrieved from: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7003
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: NORML (January 14, 2009) b. Diabetes Mellitus. Retrieved from: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7005
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: NORML (January 14, 2009) c. Fibromyalgia. Retrieved from: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7007
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: NORML (January 30, 2010) Recent Research on Medical Marijuana. Retrieved from: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7002
NDC Health (2004). Most commonly used drugs: Top 200 most prescribed. Drug Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.nurse.com/drughandbook/top200.html
Office of National Drug Control Policy (October 2010). Marijuana: Know the Facts. Facts Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/Marijuana.pdf
Pacher, P., Bátkai, S., and Kunos, G. (September 2006). The Endocannabinoid System as an Emerging Target of Pharmacotherapy. Pharmacological Reviews, 58(3), 389-462. doi: 10.1124/pr.58.3.2
Roger, D. (2007). Mental Marijuana. Retrieved from http://www.health.am/ab/more/mental_marijuana/
Russo, E. (2002). Long term use of Medical Cannabis by Federal Legal Patients, Part 2 [Powerpoint Slides]. Retrieved from http://www.truveo.com/Long-term-use-of-Medical-Cannabis-by-Federal-Legal/id/552219584
US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health (March 1, 2009). Sertraline. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001017
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Cannabis: Gods Medicine
By Dr David B. Allen
I write this from a prison bed (rack) in Mississippi. I am a prisoner of war. I am a retired cardiac surgeon who has never been arrested in all my 58 years on earth. I am a prisoner of a failed yet highly functional drug war on our citizens. The reasons for this war are not clear, nor are the reasons based on scientific fact. As is the case with most wars, the true motives are hidden agendas and ulterior motives.
Previous California Governor (and now California State Attorney General) Jerry Brown was once quoted by Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Here’s the real scam – the drug war is one of the games to get more convictions and prisoners.” At last, someone of authority is stating what most of us already know. The motivation for most human endeavors is money. Prisons and the “justice” system are merely businesses. For everyone involved, more prisoners is more business is more money, from the bondsmen to the drug-testing facilities. The prison industry is the single largest generator of revenue for some states, out-earning all other enterprises.
Harry Anslinger, head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) in 1937, had a personal motive for making cannabis (marijuana) illegal to possess, sell, or transfer. At the time, cannabis was a well-known medicine. Every major pharmaceutical manufacturer in the United States had tinctures or extracts of cannabis for medicinal use. During Congressional hearings, the American Medical Association (AMA) strongly argued that cannabis prohibition would make a highly beneficial medication unavailable. No popular democratic vote was held on this matter. Federal bureaucracy, guided by special interests, ruled on the issue. The AMA’s objection and scientific knowledge of the day were ignored. All reference to cannabis as medicine was removed from the pharmacopoeia. Government censorship suppressed freedom of speech, scientific research and knowledge, and became law.
The next major blow to scientific research of cannabis occurred with a battle between Harry Anslinger and New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. Mayor La Guardia tricked Anslinger into providing government-grown marijuana samples for a team of scientists and doctors to study this reportedly harmful substance. This two-year study, called the La Guardia Report, found no harmful effects of this medication. This so angered Anslinger, that he denounced and suppressed the study. He had learned his lesson and made government cannabis (the only legal source) unavailable for scientific study from that day forward. Currently, it is almost impossible for any scientist or physician, regardless of training or qualifications, to obtain samples of government marijuana for study. Essentially, no person can obtain or handle this so-called “dangerous narcotic.” It is easier to obtain and study virtually any other hazardous substance than it is to obtain and study cannabis. This includes biological agents like anthrax, explosives, radioactive materials and addictive pharmaceuticals.
Drugs are currently grouped into five classes called “schedules.” Schedule I is the most dangerous and has the following criteria:
In 1978 the government started treating patients with medical marijuana. The program was called the Investigational New Drug (IND) Program and still has patients who receive marijuana under physician supervision. The program required yearly physical exams from participating physicians who prescribed this medicine. Each patient was evaluated yearly and had laboratory exams submitted to the federal government. The patients had the prescriptions of medical marijuana filled from government marijuana grown in Oxford, Mississippi. The program is still active today and patients receive large tins of pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes. These patients can fly anywhere in the United States legally with this medicine. The IND program is proof that cannabis is not Schedule I. Please google search ‘Elvy Musikka federal IND patient.’
Even the term “dangerous narcotic” is a misnomer. Cannabis is not a narcotic drug, but a very different class of drugs termed “cannabinoids.” Cannabinoids include more than sixty compounds, the most widely-known of which is THC. Cannabinoids stimulate receptors in the human body termed “cannabinoid receptors,” which have physiologic function when stimulated. Are these receptors part of an intelligent design for deriving maximum benefit from cannabis? Apparently God, in his infinite wisdom, made receptors in all vertebrate animals that respond to cannabinoid stimulation.
The human body has two types of cannabinoid receptors. Type I is found in the brain and nerve tissues. Type II is found in the gut (intestine), lymphatics and joints. Multiple physiologic (and thus medicinal) effects of cannabinoids, which stimulate these receptors, have been demonstrated scientifically by worldwide research.
The human body produces the chemical anandamide, which is a hormone commonly referred to as the “bliss molecule.” This naturally-occurring endogenous cannabinoid causes a feeling of well-being and numerous other physiologic effects. These medicinal effects include, but are not limited to: relief of pain, satiety and hunger, decreased spasticity and greater control of seizure activity, migraine control and relief of fibromyalgia, insomnia, anxiety and a host of other functions. Anandamide levels may explain different pain thresholds in humans. Some scientists theorize that a deficiency of anandamide, the endogenous cannabinoid, can lead to a broad range of disease processes.
Acomplia (Rimonabant) is a European drug which is a cannabinoid receptor blocker. It blocks type I (brain) cannabinoid receptors. The drug is marketed for weight loss in Europe. It does the opposite of what cannabis does. Pot makes you happy and Acomplia makes you suicidal. They actually took this drug off the market because of the number of suicides related to this new drug. Pot makes you hungry and Acomplia makes you anorexic. Pot helps people with epileptic seizures and Acomplia was causing seizures. It’s not nice to fool with God’s medicine. Man in his infinite wisdom (greed) made a medicine they market to the public for profit. This man-made medicine (Acomplia) is already provrn more harmful than cannabis, yet these fools try to sell you a drug for weight loss that works by blocking receptors that God made to help you.
Another alluring aspect of Acomplia which excited these anti-marijuana mental midgets was the possibility of having a cannabinoid recptor blocker to block receptors in a pot user and thus bring you down from a pot high. This would be used like Narcan, which blocks opiate receptors and brings down people with opiate intoxication. Narcan is, however, a good drug because opiate recptors are in the brainstem, where respiratory drive and heart rate are regulated, so opiates slow your heart and respiratory drive and can kill you by this mechanism. Narcan reverses this and can save a person’s life. Fortunately, God did not place cannabinoid receptors in the brainstem tissue, so pot cannot decrease your respiratory drive, and this is one reason why cannabis is so safe.
“SAFETY AND EFFECTS OF CANNABINOIDS”
As it turns out, no documented deaths have ever been reported from the use of cannabis. The lethal dose (LD50) of cannabis is so large as to be physically impossible for anyone to ingest or consume enough to cause death. Additionally, no man-made medicine – none – can come close to the safety margin cannabis affords. Even aspirin kills 1200 people each year in the United States alone (not including worldwide figures). What this means is that cannabis is the safest medication in the treatment of a variety of illnesses and medical problems. These include: insomnia, anxiety, anorexia, asthma, depression, attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), menstrual cramps, migraines, spastic disorders including cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, bowel disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, glaucoma, psoriasis, dysphonias, arthritis, and a host of other uses. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that cannabinoids even have anti-tumor properties. Lack of cannabinoid receptors in the intestines is associated with an increased frequency of bowel cancers. Certain brain tumors, specifically gliomas, shrink with the stimulation by suppression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). VEGF causes vascular proliferation and ingrowth of feeder vessels, which causes these tumors to grow. THC stops this vascular ingrowth and thus diminishes the size of gliomas clinically. No other drug or chemotherapeutic agent has this effect. In the future, THC suppression of VEGF may be responsible for keeping coronary artery stents open and free of vascular endothelial regrowth. Grandma could keep her coronary stents open by smoking pot. Obviously, the potential for safe medical use of cannabis is more important than any other medicine.
THC (delta 9 – tetrahydrocannabinol) is the agent that actually causes the “high” effect. Even the term “high” is a derogatory description of the effects of cannabis, and more properly should be termed an anxiolytic (decreasing anxiety) or medicated effect. California patients properly describe getting medicated in the usage of cannabis.
“High,” “doped-up,” “hopped-up,” “drugged-out” and “spacey” are all derogatory terms used to describe the effects of cannabis. This is a clear example of the inexperienced and uneducated masses attempting to demonize this divine salve. This same tactic of using derogatory terms was employed against the black man to incite fear of a people the massive majority didn’t want to understand.
If you still doubt the medicinal effects and speed of the onset of cannabis’s effects, I challenge you to look up “Jacqueline Patterson” on You-Tube. She is seen in a segment of a video called “In Pot We Trust.” Ms. Patterson has a severe speech impediment from cerebral palsy. Her speech is so abnormal that it is hard to listen to and quite obviously affects her life. She is seen purchasing a small amount of pot in downtown Kansas City. Ms Patterson is shown before and after medicating with pot – just a couple puffs of cannabis and almost instantaneously, her speech is normalized and the spasticity is relieved. No person viewing this video can deny the immediate medicinal effect and subsequent improvement in her life.
“MY CASE”
I am presently incarcerated at the George County Regional Correctional Facility in Lucedale, Mississippi. On February 19th, 2009, Jackson County drug task force agents raided my 48-acre lake property called the Blue Hole. Their main objective was to seize my property and profit from their actions.
At that time, I was a legal resident of Berkeley, California. My sister and her husband were caretakers of the Blue Hole. Police found four grams of cannabis and a small amount of hash in my brother-in-law’s possession. There was a room found with lights and fans, but no plants were found by drug task force agents. This room was being used as storage space and contained several large boxes, in addition to my musical equipment. My sister and brother-in-law were arrested and charged with possession and cultivation of marijuana. I was contacted by my sister and informed that a warrant had been issued for my arrest. I decided to surrender myself to the authorities at the downtown Oakland, California, office of Americans for Safe Access (ASA).
The police were contacted and I was subsequently taken to the Santa Rita prison, where I was held for two weeks. I was then extradited from California to Mississippi in handcuffs and leg irons in the trunk (cargo hold) of a minivan, curled in the fetal position. All of this occurred prior to my indictment, and was a nightmare for a heart surgeon not accustomed to running afoul of the law.
Immediately upon my arrival in Mississippi, I began to suffer mistreatment by the legal system. I made a court appearance without being allowed to shower, shave, or even comb my hair. I was released on a ‘murderer’s bond’ of $100,000 and told I was facing a 35-year prison term for my “crime.” It should be noted that the physician involved with Michael Jackson’s death is facing only four years if he is convicted on all charges.
Over the next few months, I hired and fired a series of attorneys who had political impetus to assist the local drug task force. Since I had worked at the local hospital, I had previously performed cardiac surgery on the mothers of two of the attorneys I had asked to help me. I then paid $25,000 cash to two other Jackson, Mississippi attorneys, and they were even worse. These four attorneys had ample motivation to assist me. I firmly suspect legal pressure by law enforcement was exerted in an attempt to convict me and profit from the seizure of my lake estate, the Blue Hole.
After my release on bond, I returned to Sacramento, California, and set up a medical practice there. I also hired a private investigator, who was a Hell’s Angel, to fly to Mississippi and gather information on my case. He told me he had never before been intimidated like he was in Mississippi. Even with the proper releases, calls and emails from my legal counsel in Sacramento, he was unable to get any information or copies of my files from my Mississippi attorney. After a week of failed daily attempt to glean any information, he returned empty-handed. All my property, family videos, family photographs and legal paperwork were unavailable.
In December, I foolishly returned to Mississippi with an employee to gather information on my charges. I was quickly re-arrested and charged with witness tampering after talking to my sister. (This was prior to indictment). My bond was revoked and I have been incarcerated for four months now. In Mississippi, you lose your Constitutional right to bond if you get charged with a second offense while out on bond. After about a month of incarceration, I was blessed with a King James version of the holy scriptures. I read the bible daily and pray incessantly for divine intervention. For the first time in my 58 years of life, I have read the complete bible. I was surprised to find a few passages I had never been taught before. The following scriptures are paraphrased – please refer to the original King James version for their entirety.
On the very first page of the bible, in Genesis 1:29, we read: “And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth; to you it shall be for meat.’”
Genesis 1:30 reiterates: “I have given you every green herb for meat.”
These two scriptures I had heard quoted before, but it all became clear when I came across Romans 14:2, which says: “For one believeth that he may eat all things. Another, who is weak, eateth herbs.”
We come to read the following in Romans 14:3: “Let him that eateth (herbs) not despise him that doesn’t, and let him that doesn’t eat (herbs) not judge him that does.”
I personally encourage you to examine the exact modern wording. Newer versions of the bible substitute the word “vegetables” for “herbs” and prove the danger of modern translations of the holy scriptures. Obviously, one would not despise vegetarians or even judge them. These passages can only mean that herbs are used by the weak, infirm and the sick for medical reasons.
It’s true the bible doesn’t say ‘smoke pot,’ but eating it is a legitimate use of cannabis. Actually, oral consumption of cannabis is used frequently by medical patients and “edibles” are available in California cannabis dispensaries. (There are nearly 45 dispensaries in the city of Sacramento alone.) You can purchase edibles in the form of cookies, brownies, cakes, popcorn, milkshakes, suckers, chocolates and butter, as well as a healthy variety of other food products. Eating cannabis is stronger and a little harder to control for some patients because of a delay of onset of the effects. The medicine is absorbed in the gastro-intestinal tract and filtered by the liver. This method of ingestion alters the delta-9 THC to delta-11 THC, which is stronger and lasts longer. Due to this fact, most patients find it more suitable to adjust their dose by smoking it, which delivers an immediate effect. Also, a patient can stop once they have achieved their desired dosage, a state which is difficult to reach by oral consumption.
“NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS”
Fortunately, all of the government’s claims against marijuana have been proven false. I’m sure you can name a few. Recently, a single report (which is not substantiated by any other scientific study) links cannabis use to schizophrenia. I have even heard that the recent Pentagon “pot shooter” is proof that marijuana makes all of its users deranged. Since 70% of all citizens in industrialized nations have tried cannabis and as many as 40% use it on a regular basis, we would be a world of schizophrenics if these reports were true. Harry Anslinger used this as a scare tactic way back in 1937. A schizophrenic who murdered his family using an axe, was the case offered as evidence to Congress that pot drives you “crazy.” The reality is that pot makes a person calm and sedate. Other drugs (or even alcohol) tend to amplify a person’s violent tendencies. In Romans 13:13, God tells us: “Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness.” I believe this passage, which immediately precedes Romans 14:2-3, indicates God’s intention of medical use of cannabis for the weak and not to use it for drunkenness and inebriation.
As a cardiac surgeon, I performed delicate operations requiring concentration and a steady hand. I did this while maintaining the best mortality and morbidity statistics in Mississippi. I still admit that I am human with human faults. I suffered anxiety with the responsibility of ensuring absolute perfection in my results. I carried this substantial burden of keeping very old patients alive to the best of my human abilities. I could never have treated my anxiety, insomnia, depression, ADHD or PTSD with any other man-made drugs or alcohol with the same results. I never – not even once – was medicated while operating on my patients. I used cannabis late at night before retiring. I believe the issue of overuse or even misuse of cannabis (or any other medication) is a valid one. There is no evidence that misuse is harmful to anyone other than that person. I believe I now have proof that jail is much more harmful than smoking pot.
As a responsible society, we need to weigh the risks and benefits of this medicine. Should we be forced to demonstrate the harm to others by one’s personal use of pot prior to sending them to prison? Should cannabis be used to jail citizens and seize legally-purchased property? Should police make these decisions prior to a court appearance? When private corporations called “drug task forces” profit from property seizures, will this lead to the end of the “right to own property” without fear of illegal search and seizure?
I believe I am currently in prison for higher reasons than the so-called “crimes” I was charged with. I also firmly believe God Himself placed me here to slow me down long enough to stop sinning and start getting to know Him. The true challenge shall present itself when I get out, set free by God, my savior. I will be tested by the world with the devil’s distractions. Obviously, the passages I have quoted here are not the most important part of the testament. The most important things are the admission and repentance of your sins, and the belief that Christ Jesus died and shed his perfect life’s blood for you. He was resurrected from death for your salvation. Your simple, yet powerful, belief in the gospel will save you for all eternity. It is time you slow down and read.
--David B. Allen, MD
I write this from a prison bed (rack) in Mississippi. I am a prisoner of war. I am a retired cardiac surgeon who has never been arrested in all my 58 years on earth. I am a prisoner of a failed yet highly functional drug war on our citizens. The reasons for this war are not clear, nor are the reasons based on scientific fact. As is the case with most wars, the true motives are hidden agendas and ulterior motives.
Previous California Governor (and now California State Attorney General) Jerry Brown was once quoted by Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Here’s the real scam – the drug war is one of the games to get more convictions and prisoners.” At last, someone of authority is stating what most of us already know. The motivation for most human endeavors is money. Prisons and the “justice” system are merely businesses. For everyone involved, more prisoners is more business is more money, from the bondsmen to the drug-testing facilities. The prison industry is the single largest generator of revenue for some states, out-earning all other enterprises.
Dr. David B Allen
The next major blow to scientific research of cannabis occurred with a battle between Harry Anslinger and New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. Mayor La Guardia tricked Anslinger into providing government-grown marijuana samples for a team of scientists and doctors to study this reportedly harmful substance. This two-year study, called the La Guardia Report, found no harmful effects of this medication. This so angered Anslinger, that he denounced and suppressed the study. He had learned his lesson and made government cannabis (the only legal source) unavailable for scientific study from that day forward. Currently, it is almost impossible for any scientist or physician, regardless of training or qualifications, to obtain samples of government marijuana for study. Essentially, no person can obtain or handle this so-called “dangerous narcotic.” It is easier to obtain and study virtually any other hazardous substance than it is to obtain and study cannabis. This includes biological agents like anthrax, explosives, radioactive materials and addictive pharmaceuticals.
- These drugs have a high potential for abuse
- There is no currently accepted medical use for these drugs in the United States
- These drugs are not safe, even under a physician’s direction
In 1978 the government started treating patients with medical marijuana. The program was called the Investigational New Drug (IND) Program and still has patients who receive marijuana under physician supervision. The program required yearly physical exams from participating physicians who prescribed this medicine. Each patient was evaluated yearly and had laboratory exams submitted to the federal government. The patients had the prescriptions of medical marijuana filled from government marijuana grown in Oxford, Mississippi. The program is still active today and patients receive large tins of pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes. These patients can fly anywhere in the United States legally with this medicine. The IND program is proof that cannabis is not Schedule I. Please google search ‘Elvy Musikka federal IND patient.’
Even the term “dangerous narcotic” is a misnomer. Cannabis is not a narcotic drug, but a very different class of drugs termed “cannabinoids.” Cannabinoids include more than sixty compounds, the most widely-known of which is THC. Cannabinoids stimulate receptors in the human body termed “cannabinoid receptors,” which have physiologic function when stimulated. Are these receptors part of an intelligent design for deriving maximum benefit from cannabis? Apparently God, in his infinite wisdom, made receptors in all vertebrate animals that respond to cannabinoid stimulation.
The human body has two types of cannabinoid receptors. Type I is found in the brain and nerve tissues. Type II is found in the gut (intestine), lymphatics and joints. Multiple physiologic (and thus medicinal) effects of cannabinoids, which stimulate these receptors, have been demonstrated scientifically by worldwide research.
The human body produces the chemical anandamide, which is a hormone commonly referred to as the “bliss molecule.” This naturally-occurring endogenous cannabinoid causes a feeling of well-being and numerous other physiologic effects. These medicinal effects include, but are not limited to: relief of pain, satiety and hunger, decreased spasticity and greater control of seizure activity, migraine control and relief of fibromyalgia, insomnia, anxiety and a host of other functions. Anandamide levels may explain different pain thresholds in humans. Some scientists theorize that a deficiency of anandamide, the endogenous cannabinoid, can lead to a broad range of disease processes.
Acomplia (Rimonabant) is a European drug which is a cannabinoid receptor blocker. It blocks type I (brain) cannabinoid receptors. The drug is marketed for weight loss in Europe. It does the opposite of what cannabis does. Pot makes you happy and Acomplia makes you suicidal. They actually took this drug off the market because of the number of suicides related to this new drug. Pot makes you hungry and Acomplia makes you anorexic. Pot helps people with epileptic seizures and Acomplia was causing seizures. It’s not nice to fool with God’s medicine. Man in his infinite wisdom (greed) made a medicine they market to the public for profit. This man-made medicine (Acomplia) is already provrn more harmful than cannabis, yet these fools try to sell you a drug for weight loss that works by blocking receptors that God made to help you.
Another alluring aspect of Acomplia which excited these anti-marijuana mental midgets was the possibility of having a cannabinoid recptor blocker to block receptors in a pot user and thus bring you down from a pot high. This would be used like Narcan, which blocks opiate receptors and brings down people with opiate intoxication. Narcan is, however, a good drug because opiate recptors are in the brainstem, where respiratory drive and heart rate are regulated, so opiates slow your heart and respiratory drive and can kill you by this mechanism. Narcan reverses this and can save a person’s life. Fortunately, God did not place cannabinoid receptors in the brainstem tissue, so pot cannot decrease your respiratory drive, and this is one reason why cannabis is so safe.
“SAFETY AND EFFECTS OF CANNABINOIDS”
As it turns out, no documented deaths have ever been reported from the use of cannabis. The lethal dose (LD50) of cannabis is so large as to be physically impossible for anyone to ingest or consume enough to cause death. Additionally, no man-made medicine – none – can come close to the safety margin cannabis affords. Even aspirin kills 1200 people each year in the United States alone (not including worldwide figures). What this means is that cannabis is the safest medication in the treatment of a variety of illnesses and medical problems. These include: insomnia, anxiety, anorexia, asthma, depression, attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), menstrual cramps, migraines, spastic disorders including cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, bowel disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, glaucoma, psoriasis, dysphonias, arthritis, and a host of other uses. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that cannabinoids even have anti-tumor properties. Lack of cannabinoid receptors in the intestines is associated with an increased frequency of bowel cancers. Certain brain tumors, specifically gliomas, shrink with the stimulation by suppression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). VEGF causes vascular proliferation and ingrowth of feeder vessels, which causes these tumors to grow. THC stops this vascular ingrowth and thus diminishes the size of gliomas clinically. No other drug or chemotherapeutic agent has this effect. In the future, THC suppression of VEGF may be responsible for keeping coronary artery stents open and free of vascular endothelial regrowth. Grandma could keep her coronary stents open by smoking pot. Obviously, the potential for safe medical use of cannabis is more important than any other medicine.
THC (delta 9 – tetrahydrocannabinol) is the agent that actually causes the “high” effect. Even the term “high” is a derogatory description of the effects of cannabis, and more properly should be termed an anxiolytic (decreasing anxiety) or medicated effect. California patients properly describe getting medicated in the usage of cannabis.
“High,” “doped-up,” “hopped-up,” “drugged-out” and “spacey” are all derogatory terms used to describe the effects of cannabis. This is a clear example of the inexperienced and uneducated masses attempting to demonize this divine salve. This same tactic of using derogatory terms was employed against the black man to incite fear of a people the massive majority didn’t want to understand.
If you still doubt the medicinal effects and speed of the onset of cannabis’s effects, I challenge you to look up “Jacqueline Patterson” on You-Tube. She is seen in a segment of a video called “In Pot We Trust.” Ms. Patterson has a severe speech impediment from cerebral palsy. Her speech is so abnormal that it is hard to listen to and quite obviously affects her life. She is seen purchasing a small amount of pot in downtown Kansas City. Ms Patterson is shown before and after medicating with pot – just a couple puffs of cannabis and almost instantaneously, her speech is normalized and the spasticity is relieved. No person viewing this video can deny the immediate medicinal effect and subsequent improvement in her life.
“MY CASE”
I am presently incarcerated at the George County Regional Correctional Facility in Lucedale, Mississippi. On February 19th, 2009, Jackson County drug task force agents raided my 48-acre lake property called the Blue Hole. Their main objective was to seize my property and profit from their actions.
At that time, I was a legal resident of Berkeley, California. My sister and her husband were caretakers of the Blue Hole. Police found four grams of cannabis and a small amount of hash in my brother-in-law’s possession. There was a room found with lights and fans, but no plants were found by drug task force agents. This room was being used as storage space and contained several large boxes, in addition to my musical equipment. My sister and brother-in-law were arrested and charged with possession and cultivation of marijuana. I was contacted by my sister and informed that a warrant had been issued for my arrest. I decided to surrender myself to the authorities at the downtown Oakland, California, office of Americans for Safe Access (ASA).
The police were contacted and I was subsequently taken to the Santa Rita prison, where I was held for two weeks. I was then extradited from California to Mississippi in handcuffs and leg irons in the trunk (cargo hold) of a minivan, curled in the fetal position. All of this occurred prior to my indictment, and was a nightmare for a heart surgeon not accustomed to running afoul of the law.
Immediately upon my arrival in Mississippi, I began to suffer mistreatment by the legal system. I made a court appearance without being allowed to shower, shave, or even comb my hair. I was released on a ‘murderer’s bond’ of $100,000 and told I was facing a 35-year prison term for my “crime.” It should be noted that the physician involved with Michael Jackson’s death is facing only four years if he is convicted on all charges.
Over the next few months, I hired and fired a series of attorneys who had political impetus to assist the local drug task force. Since I had worked at the local hospital, I had previously performed cardiac surgery on the mothers of two of the attorneys I had asked to help me. I then paid $25,000 cash to two other Jackson, Mississippi attorneys, and they were even worse. These four attorneys had ample motivation to assist me. I firmly suspect legal pressure by law enforcement was exerted in an attempt to convict me and profit from the seizure of my lake estate, the Blue Hole.
After my release on bond, I returned to Sacramento, California, and set up a medical practice there. I also hired a private investigator, who was a Hell’s Angel, to fly to Mississippi and gather information on my case. He told me he had never before been intimidated like he was in Mississippi. Even with the proper releases, calls and emails from my legal counsel in Sacramento, he was unable to get any information or copies of my files from my Mississippi attorney. After a week of failed daily attempt to glean any information, he returned empty-handed. All my property, family videos, family photographs and legal paperwork were unavailable.
In December, I foolishly returned to Mississippi with an employee to gather information on my charges. I was quickly re-arrested and charged with witness tampering after talking to my sister. (This was prior to indictment). My bond was revoked and I have been incarcerated for four months now. In Mississippi, you lose your Constitutional right to bond if you get charged with a second offense while out on bond. After about a month of incarceration, I was blessed with a King James version of the holy scriptures. I read the bible daily and pray incessantly for divine intervention. For the first time in my 58 years of life, I have read the complete bible. I was surprised to find a few passages I had never been taught before. The following scriptures are paraphrased – please refer to the original King James version for their entirety.
On the very first page of the bible, in Genesis 1:29, we read: “And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth; to you it shall be for meat.’”
Genesis 1:30 reiterates: “I have given you every green herb for meat.”
These two scriptures I had heard quoted before, but it all became clear when I came across Romans 14:2, which says: “For one believeth that he may eat all things. Another, who is weak, eateth herbs.”
We come to read the following in Romans 14:3: “Let him that eateth (herbs) not despise him that doesn’t, and let him that doesn’t eat (herbs) not judge him that does.”
I personally encourage you to examine the exact modern wording. Newer versions of the bible substitute the word “vegetables” for “herbs” and prove the danger of modern translations of the holy scriptures. Obviously, one would not despise vegetarians or even judge them. These passages can only mean that herbs are used by the weak, infirm and the sick for medical reasons.
It’s true the bible doesn’t say ‘smoke pot,’ but eating it is a legitimate use of cannabis. Actually, oral consumption of cannabis is used frequently by medical patients and “edibles” are available in California cannabis dispensaries. (There are nearly 45 dispensaries in the city of Sacramento alone.) You can purchase edibles in the form of cookies, brownies, cakes, popcorn, milkshakes, suckers, chocolates and butter, as well as a healthy variety of other food products. Eating cannabis is stronger and a little harder to control for some patients because of a delay of onset of the effects. The medicine is absorbed in the gastro-intestinal tract and filtered by the liver. This method of ingestion alters the delta-9 THC to delta-11 THC, which is stronger and lasts longer. Due to this fact, most patients find it more suitable to adjust their dose by smoking it, which delivers an immediate effect. Also, a patient can stop once they have achieved their desired dosage, a state which is difficult to reach by oral consumption.
“NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS”
Fortunately, all of the government’s claims against marijuana have been proven false. I’m sure you can name a few. Recently, a single report (which is not substantiated by any other scientific study) links cannabis use to schizophrenia. I have even heard that the recent Pentagon “pot shooter” is proof that marijuana makes all of its users deranged. Since 70% of all citizens in industrialized nations have tried cannabis and as many as 40% use it on a regular basis, we would be a world of schizophrenics if these reports were true. Harry Anslinger used this as a scare tactic way back in 1937. A schizophrenic who murdered his family using an axe, was the case offered as evidence to Congress that pot drives you “crazy.” The reality is that pot makes a person calm and sedate. Other drugs (or even alcohol) tend to amplify a person’s violent tendencies. In Romans 13:13, God tells us: “Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness.” I believe this passage, which immediately precedes Romans 14:2-3, indicates God’s intention of medical use of cannabis for the weak and not to use it for drunkenness and inebriation.
As a cardiac surgeon, I performed delicate operations requiring concentration and a steady hand. I did this while maintaining the best mortality and morbidity statistics in Mississippi. I still admit that I am human with human faults. I suffered anxiety with the responsibility of ensuring absolute perfection in my results. I carried this substantial burden of keeping very old patients alive to the best of my human abilities. I could never have treated my anxiety, insomnia, depression, ADHD or PTSD with any other man-made drugs or alcohol with the same results. I never – not even once – was medicated while operating on my patients. I used cannabis late at night before retiring. I believe the issue of overuse or even misuse of cannabis (or any other medication) is a valid one. There is no evidence that misuse is harmful to anyone other than that person. I believe I now have proof that jail is much more harmful than smoking pot.
As a responsible society, we need to weigh the risks and benefits of this medicine. Should we be forced to demonstrate the harm to others by one’s personal use of pot prior to sending them to prison? Should cannabis be used to jail citizens and seize legally-purchased property? Should police make these decisions prior to a court appearance? When private corporations called “drug task forces” profit from property seizures, will this lead to the end of the “right to own property” without fear of illegal search and seizure?
I believe I am currently in prison for higher reasons than the so-called “crimes” I was charged with. I also firmly believe God Himself placed me here to slow me down long enough to stop sinning and start getting to know Him. The true challenge shall present itself when I get out, set free by God, my savior. I will be tested by the world with the devil’s distractions. Obviously, the passages I have quoted here are not the most important part of the testament. The most important things are the admission and repentance of your sins, and the belief that Christ Jesus died and shed his perfect life’s blood for you. He was resurrected from death for your salvation. Your simple, yet powerful, belief in the gospel will save you for all eternity. It is time you slow down and read.
--David B. Allen, MD
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