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Massachusetts DOPH published an in depth report about medical marijuana patients. The findings and information in the report are useful for petitioning new qualifying conditions and educating physicians. Similar to the Minnesota DOH reports. https://www.mass.gov/report/massachusetts-department-of-public-health-marijuana-research REPORT Report Massachusetts Department of Public Health Marijuana Research ORGANIZATION: Department of Public Health DATE PUBLISHED: July 9, 2019 The Marijuana Baseline Health Study (MBHS) A legislative mandate required the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) to conduct a baseline study to investigate three topics: Patterns of use, methods of consumption, and general perceptions of marijuana Incidents of impaired driving and hospitalization related to marijuana use; and Economic and fiscal impacts for state and local governments This study, referred to as the Marijuana Baseline Health Study (MBHS), was conducted by DPH, under the leadership of the DPH Commissioner, in consultation with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Downloads Open PDF file, 5.37 MB, forMarijuana Based Health Study Final Report (PDF 5.37 MB) Open DOCX file, 4.29 MB, forMarijuana Based Health Study Final Report (Accessible Version) (DOCX 4.29 MB) Good quotes can be found within the report:

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Read on to see the consensus from research spanning 50 years from USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and everywhere else. Just under 300 studies along with independent and government reports were collected, yet the research keeps pointing to the same thing. People driving after using cannabis drive a little bit slower. States with Legalized and Medical Marijuana have fewer fatal car accidents. My guess is that the fewer fatal accidents are due to substituting alcohol and other medications for cannabis. Marijuana makes drivers drive slower. That's about it. Don't believe me, take the official government word directly from NIDA: NHTSA 2017 Marijuana-Impaired Driving A Report to Congress The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did its own tests in 2015 and found that THC showed no increased crash risk. Crash Fatality Rates After Recreational Marijuana Legalization in Washington and Colorado. CANNABIS USE AND DRIVING: Evidence Review Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC) Simon Fraser University NHTSA The Incidence and Role of Drugs in Fatally Injured Drivers 1992 NHTSA Marijuana and Actual Driving Performance 1993 CRASH CHARACTERISTICS AND INJURIES OF VICTIMS IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL VERSUS ILLICIT DRUGS University of Michigan Study 1997 CANNABIS: OUR POSITION FOR A CANADIAN PUBLIC POLICY REPORT OF THE SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ILLEGAL DRUGS 2002 Psychomotor Performance, Subjective and Physiological Effects and Whole Blood D9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol Concentrations in Heavy, Chronic Cannabis Smokers Following Acute Smoked Cannabis Medical Marijuana Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption Marinol Patient Information Marinol Patient Information See the full studies here: https://komornlaw.com/35-years-research-reports-driving-cannabis-marijuana/ Grab all of the studies here, 200mb http://komornlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/marijuana-driving-research.zip

Pregnancy and Medical Marijuana Expectant mothers are searching for answers about the safety profile of Medical Marijuana. Unfortunately the scientific community has dropped the ball and kicked it off the cliff on this issue. The lack of scientific research is due to marijuana’s illegality. Further, there exist huge biases within the published research. Mostly the research confounds marijuana use with tobacco and/or alcohol, two known causes of fetus and child harm. Separating out marijuana effects from the self-reported research on mothers who also smoke tobacco and drink alcohol is impossible. Likewise no pregnant women are signing up for research studies due to the illegality of marijuana and CPS removing children from mothers for testing positive for marijuana use. Many organizations quote from other organizations, who quote from other studies and reviews. The Minnesota Department of Health OFFICE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS quotes from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee report: In the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists official committee opinion, interim update Oct 2017, the committee found: Uninformed opinion, with zero evidence and lots of fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) are used to scare mothers away from a nontoxic plant. These uninformed unscientific opinions are being used by lawmakers to craft laws continuing the cycle of FUD and the illegality of marijuana. “Oh we don’t know what marijuana does, so let’s treat it like heroin” and “if anyone questions our opinion of marijuana, we’ll call them dirty lazy pothead stoner hippies” or “puppets of the marijuana industry”. But we do know what marijuana does. One cannot live in a bubble and ignore reality and the world around us. Women smoke and eat marijuana while pregnant. Cannabis use during pregnancy in France in 2010 Trends in Self-reported and Biochemically Tested Marijuana Use Among Pregnant Females in California From 2009-2016 http://news.gallup.com/poll/194195/adults-say-smoke-marijuana.aspx Much of the opinions on marijuana are tainted by a small number of poorly designed studies on marijuana. For example, the National Institute of Health gives grants to researchers through NIDA, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, to study marijuana. NIDA’s focus is on drug abuse, so 90% of its grants are for studies on marijuana abuse, not marijuana benefits. When you ignore half of your research, you ignore science. Many of these studies are completed in order to get future grants from NIDA; research is often conducted from the conclusion backwards in order to show some kind of harm from marijuana use. This, in of itself, does not bias research. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/health/policy/19marijuana.html The bias is introduced when researchers are rushed and forced to publish results, even if the studies were deficient. For example, every website and newspaper ran with the story about marijuana using children lose IQ points. Not many reported on the follow-up study that could not replicate the first study. When eliminating co-founders, the new study found no drop in IQ points. Further, research on twin siblings showed that the drop in IQ was due to parenting, binge drinking or other societal influences, not marijuana. https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2016/08/study-questions-role-marijuana-in-teen-users-iq-decline Try reading that last sentence again. In a world of science, evidence, reasoning and logic, a doctor makes a statement that decades of use of marijuana might make you lose intellectual function, based on conjecture. NIDA also continues to perpetuate the myth that Marijuana is a “gateway drug”. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-gateway-drug These findings are consistent with the idea of marijuana as a "gateway drug." However, the majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, "harder" substances. NIDA, NIH, FDA, DEA, including other federal, state, and local government organizations and private companies continue to perpetuate these and other lies in order to keep marijuana illegal. ASA has filed complaints against the DEA multiple times to get it to remove incorrect statements about marijuana off of the DEA’s website. http://www.safeaccessnow.org/iqa_victory A cyclical pattern emerges from the current and past situation surrounding marijuana. 1. Stymied scientific research, due to illegality of marijuana and government funding biases 2. Using stymied scientific research as a reason to ignore reality. 3. Repeating the biased scientific research, long after it was shown to be deficient. 4. Using the deficient biased research in “meta-reviews”. Thus taking bad science as a base to create more bad science just by doing an analysis of the bad science conclusions. 5. Even after a research study has been fully proven to be deficient and conflicting with better research, continue to hold it up as if it is still valid in some way. 6. Publish opinions as if they were facts, without any data to back up any claims. Continue reading for more conflicting studies and more calls for research. Marijuana: Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure in the Human Marijuana use in pregnancy and lactation: a review of the evidence Marijuana and Pregnancy The Association of Marijuana Use with Outcome of Pregnancy Prenatal Tobacco, Marijuana, Stimulant, and Opiate Exposure: Outcomes and Practice Implications Many of these studies contradict themselves. Some report differences in birth weight, some show no differences. Read the studies yourself! http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2017-HB-5222 House bill 5422 will force MMFLA provisioning centers to give patients and caregivers an unscientific pamphlet, as described by the legislature. HB 5222 looks like it will pass. All this fear and doubt of a non-toxic 5,000+ year old medication used by millions of humans in every country in the world.

Marijuana makes drivers drive slower. That's about it. Read on to see the consensus from research spanning 50 years from USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and everywhere else. Just under 300 studies along with independent and government reports were collected, yet the research keeps pointing to the same thing. People driving after using cannabis drive a little bit slower. States with Legalized and Medical Marijuana have fewer fatal car accidents. My guess is that the fewer fatal accidents are due to substituting alcohol and other medications for cannabis. Don't believe me, take the official government word directly from NIDA: NHTSA 2017 Marijuana-Impaired Driving A Report to Congress The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did its own tests in 2015 and found that THC showed no increased crash risk. Crash Fatality Rates After Recreational Marijuana Legalization in Washington and Colorado. CANNABIS USE AND DRIVING: Evidence Review Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC) Simon Fraser University NHTSA The Incidence and Role of Drugs in Fatally Injured Drivers 1992 NHTSA Marijuana and Actual Driving Performance 1993 CRASH CHARACTERISTICS AND INJURIES OF VICTIMS IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL VERSUS ILLICIT DRUGS University of Michigan Study 1997 CANNABIS: OUR POSITION FOR A CANADIAN PUBLIC POLICY REPORT OF THE SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ILLEGAL DRUGS 2002 Psychomotor Performance, Subjective and Physiological Effects and Whole Blood D9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol Concentrations in Heavy, Chronic Cannabis Smokers Following Acute Smoked Cannabis Medical Marijuana Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption See the full list of studies here: http://komornlaw.com/driving-research/

"Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all." ― Emily Dickinson "You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore." ― William Faulkner "We dream to give ourselves hope. To stop dreaming - well, that's like saying you can never change your fate." ― Amy Tan, The Hundred Secret Senses Hope keeps us going; hope is important. It is remaining in the game, believing that things will be OK, and not giving up. It is getting to the end of the road, having nowhere to go, and instead of quitting, continuing to fight to figure it out, to stay present and mindful, and not give up. Hope is important. Without hope people have nothing. A new, thoroughly researched petition to add autism to the list of conditions which can be treated with medical marijuana will be heard by the Michigan Medical Marihuana Review Panel on July 20, 2015 at 9:30 am at 611 W. Ottawa in Lansing. LARA originally refused to hear the new petition, citing the denial of two previously submitted petitions for autism. The previously submitted petitions provided limited science and research in support, and resulted in a "no" vote. This new petition was accompanied by over 75 peer review articles and over 800 pages of research on the issue of cannabis as a viable option for the treatment of autism. Despite what can only be described as overwhelming evidence, LARA, the agency tasked with addressing petitions for new conditions, refused to hold a hearing or even consider the petition. This "dead-end" and unjust position seemingly demanded that myself and Attorney Tim Knowlton, the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, and Cannabis Patients United sue LARA in the Ingham County Court. It was only after nearly a year of litigation and foot dragging that LARA ceded its position. Attorney General Bill Schuette's office "defended" LARA's position by delaying for months, only yielding after the petitioner filed her brief with the court, days before oral arguments. Unfortunately it seems the lives of children and parents hang in the balance of a possibly disinterested and dysfunctional process controlled by LARA. But now that we are here, and now that there is a debate, the science is overwhelming. Let's not get caught up or distracted from the real issue: autism is a terrible disease with no cure and no proven safe treatments and this is a problem. We could lie to ourselves and say that no evidence exists documenting the effects of cannabis as medicine, but we know this is not true. Testimony was given by parents and physicians, and 75 scientific studies documenting cannabis safety and efficacy in treating autism have now been provided to the panel for their consideration in this decision. We also learned that telling a parent that there is no hope for their child does not work. The most compelling testimony during the May 27 public hearing was that, independent of how the new condition panels decides, parents dealing with this affliction will continue to do what they think is best for their child. This begs the question: shouldn't these parents not have to worry about being arrested considering everything else they have to deal with? For pediatric and juvenile patients under the age of 18, two doctors would have to approve. The growing rate of autism has just recently being identified as a significant public health issue, due to statistic provided by the Center for Disease Control's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, a nationwide federal program to identify, estimate, and track and compare autism rates around the country. Their estimates show an alarming trend: autism rates have risen in every report since tracking began in 2002, from 1 in 150 in 2002 to 1 in 68 in 2010. In years past, I said people who opposed the medical use of cannabis have never experienced a friend, family member, or person who was suffering from a medical condition. But to oppose the treatment of autism for patients afflicted with the disease is inhumane. To let the status quo remain and subject parents and the physicians who treat these children with exposure to arrest and criminal charges is a deplorable policy for the benefit and welfare of the public health for the citizens of Michigan. There is overwhelming scientific and medical evidence supporting the approval of the petition. There is probably more research supporting the use of cannabis as a treatment for autism than all of the research to support the other ten conditions currently on the registry. It is important to be mindful of an often overlooked aspect of the MMMA: that its purpose is to protect the serious ill persons who have been recommended to use cannabis with a doctor's (in this case two doctors) recommendation and a bona fide relationship, from arrest and prosecution. There should be no debate that those afflicted with autism are seriously ill, and the purpose of our law, and the compassion shown by Michigan voters in approval, was to protect parents, patients, and physicians. For the panel to not recommend that autism be approved as a condition of the program is to ignore their duty and responsibility. Additionally they should be mindful that the standard by which they are held, to a recommend or not recommend as outlined by LARA's own administrative rules, already requires that the condition in question be a debilitating condition: All too often the issues regarding medical marihuana and marihuana in general are politicized. Even at times using the propagandist's favorite imagery of protecting the children. Well this issue is really about the children, and the only thing that should be considered is that there is overwhelming evidence that cannabis can provide a safe alternative to the traditional medications and treatments currently used for those afflicted with cannabis, and parents and doctors live in fear of criminal liability. But more importantly, think about any parent that is at the end of the road with traditional treatments, when the physician has no alternative and there is absolutely no likelihood of anything changing for their child, wouldn't we want that parent to have these choices, and who are we to say otherwise? What would a parent do for their child? is really the question. It the answer is anything, as the testimony presented to the panel indicates, then it is clear parents will continue to treat their children; they will not stop. If it works for their children, the question is, do we want the parents arrested? It is called hope and every red blooded American is entitled to have it. Hope is needed here. Protect the children, do not let them or their parents get arrested for treating autism with cannabis. http://www.medicaljane.com/ailment/autism/ http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/46054-seeking-help-to-include-autism-as-qualifying-condition/?hl=autism

Newsroom Press Announcements 2013201220112010 FDA News Release FDA approves first combination pill to treat hepatitis C For Immediate Release October 10, 2014 Release The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir) to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. Harvoni is the first combination pill approved to treat chronic HCV genotype 1 infection. It is also the first approved regimen that does not require administration with interferon or ribavirin, two FDA-approved drugs also used to treat HCV infection. Both drugs in Harvoni interfere with the enzymes needed by HCV to multiply. Sofosbuvir is a previously approved HCV drug marketed under the brand name Sovaldi. Harvoni also contains a new drug called ledipasvir. “With the development and approval of new treatments for hepatitis C virus, we are changing the treatment paradigm for Americans living with the disease,” said Edward Cox, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Until last year, the only available treatments for hepatitis C virus required administration with interferon and ribavirin. Now, patients and health care professionals have multiple treatment options, including a combination pill to help simplify treatment regimens.” Harvoni is the third drug approved by the FDA in the past year to treat chronic HCV infection. The FDA approved Olysio (simeprevir) in November 2013 and Sovaldi in December 2013. Hepatitis C is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the liver that can lead to diminished liver function or liver failure. Most people infected with HCV have no symptoms of the disease until liver damage becomes apparent, which may take decades. Some people with chronic HCV infection develop scarring and poor liver function (cirrhosis) over many years, which can lead to complications such as bleeding, jaundice (yellowish eyes or skin), fluid accumulation in the abdomen, infections and liver cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 3.2 million Americans are infected with HCV, and without proper treatment, 15-30 percent of these people will go on to develop cirrhosis. Harvoni’s efficacy was evaluated in three clinical trials enrolling 1,518 participants who had not previously received treatment for their infection (treatment-naive) or had not responded to previous treatment (treatment-experienced), including participants with cirrhosis. Participants were randomly assigned to receive Harvoni with or without ribavirin. The trials were designed to measure whether the hepatitis C virus was no longer detected in the blood at least 12 weeks after finishing treatment (sustain ed virologic response, or SVR), indicating that a participant’s HCV infection has been cured. In the first trial, comprised of treatment-naive participants, 94 percent of those who received Harvoni for eight weeks and 96 percent of those who received Harvoni for 12 weeks achieved SVR. The second trial showed 99 percent of such participants with and without cirrhosis achieved SVR after 12 weeks. And in the third trial, which examined Harvoni’s efficacy in treatment-experienced participants with and without cirrhosis, 94 percent of those who received Harvoni for 12 weeks and 99 percent of those who received Harvoni for 24 weeks achieved SVR. In all trials, ribavirin did not increase response rates in the participants. The most common side effects reported in clinical trial participants were fatigue and headache. Harvoni is the seventh new drug with breakthrough therapy designation to receive FDA approval. The FDA can designate a drug as a breakthrough therapy at the request of the sponsor if preliminary clinical evidence indicates the drug may demonstrate a substantial improvement over available therapies for patients with serious or life-threatening diseases. Harvoni was reviewed under th e FDA’s priority review program, which provides for an expedited review of drugs that treat serious conditions and, if approved, would provide significant improvement in safety or effectiveness. Harvoni and Sovaldi are marketed by Gilead, based in Foster City, California. Olysio is marketed by Janssen Pharmaceutical based in Raritan, New Jersey. The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products. ### Inquiries Media Stephanie Yao 301-796-0394 Consumers 888-INFO-FDA The Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan(HFM) provides this information as a service only. HFM does not endorse or re commend the products and/or services mentioned in the enclosed materials. They are for your information only. It is the choice of the consumer whether to act on any of the information provided. Always consult your healthcare provider before making treatment decisions. Trix

Over 100 HIV Experts And Advocates May Have Been On Board Crashed Malaysian Plane July 18, 2014 | by Justine Alford The field of HIV/AIDS research has suffered a savage blow as reports suggest that as many as 108 leading researchers and advocates within the field were on board the Malaysia Airlines flight that that crashed yesterday. While the loss of any individual in such an instance is an extreme tragedy, the situation is particularly saddening given the loss of knowledge and expertise that was dedicated to tackling this dire global health problem. The Boeing 777 airliner, which took off from Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, was on its way to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed on the Ukraine-Russia border, carrying 298 passengers. According to US and Australian governments, the cause of the crash was a surface-to-air missile. There were no survivors. On board flight MH17 were a number of delegates headed to Melbourne for the AIDS 2014 conference which is due to start on Sunday. Over 100 attendees were scheduled to take this flight, but official confirmation of those on board has not yet been released. However, it is known that former International AIDS Society president and leading AIDS researcher Joep Lange was amongst those on the plane. Lange’s partner and ArtAIDS board member, Jacqueline van Tongeren, was also on board. “Joep had an absolute commitment to HIV treatment and care in Asia and Africa,” director of Kirby Institute David A Cooper said in a University of New South Wales press-release. Lange has been working on HIV treatments since 1983 and has made ground-breaking contributions to the development of affordable HIV treatments, in particular combination therapies. According to International AIDS Society president Francoise Barré-Sinoussi, the conference is scheduled to go ahead despite the tragedy, as “we know it’s really what they would have liked us to do.” The conference is held every two years and is designed as a platform for campaigners to highlight developments in the field, discuss challenges and share expertise. One particular focus this year is said to be the laws in place in some African countries that criminalize homosexuality, and those in the former Soviet Union that punish intravenous drug users. The situation has, as expected, hit home on the global AIDS community, and many members have expressed their sadness. “These people were the best and the brightest, the ones who had dedicated their whole careers to fighting this terrible virus,” HIV researcher Clive Aspin told Guardian Australia. “It’s devastating.” Prof. Richard Boyd, director of the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories described the situation as “gut-wrenching,” and said that the loss of research leaders will have global ramifications on the field. “That knowledge is irreplaceable,” he told Guardian Australia. Read more at http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/over-100-hiv-experts-and-advocates-may-have-been-board-crashed-malaysian-plane#qglUkw1b2dJSmDkM.99

State regulators are informing Colorado’s marijuana testing labs that they cannot analyze samples for individual users. This is particularly difficult for patients who relocated to the Rockies to access medical cannabis for their children and who would like to use marijuana-testing labs to better regulate dosage. The state's Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) requires every licensed recreational pot business to utilize Colorado's inventory tracking system to monitor all cannabis-related samples. The mandatory testing structure – established to specifically analyze recreational weed – commenced on May 1 by gauging edibles for potency, with any product failing a test barred from release into the marketplace. Colorado currently has seven licensed professional cannabis testing labs. As there is no state requirement for medical pot products to be tested, and because the MED only permits analysis of samples from licensed businesses, patients and their personal caregivers are prevented from having their medicine scientifically evaluated. While a provision in the law allows for labs to test for the medical cannabis industry, such product appraisal remains voluntary for dispensaries. Some of these labs had tested for individual users for years before being formally licensed as part of the regulatory process developed following Amendment 64's passage in 2012. The crackdown on individual testing is a setback for patients who desire pot and extract purity, as lab analysis reveals the presence of undesired residuals such as butane. Testing also gauges proper dosages – especially critical for child patients – as well as providing a cannabinoid profile to allow for the most effective treatment of a given malady. http://www.hightimes.com/read/colorado-prohibits-lab-testing-marijuana-individuals

Washington, D.C. -- The federal government just ordered all the marijuana it wants -- something it would send most Americans to prison for doing. On Monday, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a new rule that increases the U.S. government's production quota for medical marijuana from an annual 21 kg to 650 kg. That's about 1,433 pounds of pot in total. The U.S. government grows marijuana for research purposes at the University of Mississippi in the only federally legal marijuana garden in the U.S. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) oversees the cultivation, production and distribution of these crops. "NIDA recently notified the DEA that it required additional supplies of marijuana to be manufactured in 2014 to provide for current and anticipated research efforts involving marijuana," reads a recent Federal Register's statement from the DEA. The statement goes on to specify a production quota of 650,000 grams of pot for the current year. The DEA decided to grant NIDA access to more marijuana "in order to provide a continuous and uninterrupted supply" of cannabis for research, according to the statement, which also says that the federal government was "unaware" of NIDA's need for additional marijuana when the initial production quota of 21 kg was set in 2013. Read More...

Washington, D.C. -- The Obama administration handed backers of medical marijuana a significant victory Friday, opening the way for a University of Arizona researcher to examine whether pot can help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress, a move that could lead to broader studies into potential benefits of the drug. For years, scientists who have wanted to study how marijuana might be used to treat illness say they have been stymied by resistance from federal drug officials. Read More...

Veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, rely on medical marijuana to treat a variety of symptoms including haunting nightmares and sleeplessness. The good news: Research to explore marijuana as treatment for PTSD was recently approved. The bad: Study cannot begin until the US Public Health Service gives scientists permission to buy pot. Several months ago, a Food and Drug Administration and University of Arizona Institutional Review Board gave researchers approval to begin studying the effects of marijuana on US military veterans with PTSD. However, the study, which is being financed by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), has been in limbo for the past 14 weeks because the Public Health Service has not authorized them to purchase “study” marijuana. MAPS Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D. says his team intends to investigate the safety and effectiveness of both smoked and vaporized marijuana on a group of 50 US veterans suffering from “chronic, treatment-resistant” PTSD. Interestingly, previous animal studies have suggested that marijuana effectually offers silence to an overactive fear system, but federal prohibition laws have kept scientists from conducting clinical trails on patients suffering from PTSD. “This groundbreaking research could assist doctors in how to recommend treatment for PTSD patients who have been unresponsive to traditional therapies,” said Dr. Doblin. Before the study can receive the official green light, the Public Health Service must first conduct a special review for the requested marijuana. Although there is a hefty supply of government marijuana allotted for FDA-regulated research, disbursement of this “science weed” is big brothered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Drug Enforcement Administration, who have specifically mandated additional reviews be administered for study marijuana -- no extra review is required for any other substance with a Schedule I classification. After having their research rejected in 2011, MAPS resubmitted revisions to the project in October of last year, but they are not holding their breath for timely response. While the FDA is required to respond to inquiries within 30 days, the Public Health Service has no time constraints. Therefore, until the agency decides they are ready to respond, potentially life saving research is on hold. “If the PHS review requirement was removed,” said Dr. Sue Sisley, who would lead the study, “we would gather information that could help veterans today. The stifling of medical research on marijuana stands in the way of our vets returning to a normal life.”

More Research Is Needed Before Medical Marijuana DUI Laws Are Proposed And Passed All 50 states have laws that say driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs is a crime punishable by law. However, these laws become hazy when it comes to the use of medical marijuana and driving. Over the past couple of years, around 14 states have set laws for this issue, coming up with a threshold for deciding when a driver is too high to be driving. The decision was made that if a driver is caught with more than 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood, they are technically intoxicated and too high to be driving. Just like a regular DUI, the driver would then receive a fine, lose their license temporarily, face increased insurance fees, and possible jail time. This can all cause a driver fees up to $10,000. Some of these states are even adopting a zero tolerance law for driving under the influence of marijuana, which would result in an automatic conviction. The problem with these laws is how exactly the medical marijuana smoker decides when he or she is too intoxicated? How would you know when smoking, if you have consumed enough marijuana to have more than 5 nanograms of THC per millimeter of blood in your system? The answer is not as simple as waiting one hour to drive, after every drink you consume. All drivers know the guidelines for drinking alcohol and driving. But for marijuana, the guidelines remain hazy. Through toxicology, marijuana is detectable in tests of blood, hair, urine and saliva. But how quickly does the THC pass through one’s system? In smokers who don’t smoke regularly, the THC may remain in their system for several hours. However patients who smoke every day, the THC remains in their system for days. This means a heavy marijuana smoker may not smoke for days and be fully alert at the wheel, but will still have very high levels of THC in their blood. Tests have been conducted on drunk drivers versus drivers who are high, and the results are incredibly different. Whereas a drunk driver displays incredibly aggressive behavior behind the wheel, a driver who is high on marijuana has heightened awareness, and therefore tends to drive more cautiously. All of this information points clearly to the fact that more research needs to be conducted before DUI medical marijuana laws are proposed and passed. As it stands now, these laws are discriminatory against medical marijuana users. http://bigbudsmag.com/lifestyle/legal/article/more-research-needed-medical-marijuana-dui-laws-are-proposed-and-passed-july Trix