Medical Marijuana

• People undergoing cancer chemotherapy have found smoked cannabis to be an effective anti-nauseant - often more effective than available pharmaceutical medications.

• Cannabis is also smoked by thousands of AIDS patients to treat the nausea and vomiting associated with both the disease and AZT drug therapy. Because it stimulates appetite, marijuana also counters HIV-related "wasting," allowing AIDS patients to gain weight and prolong their lives.

• Many people suffering neuro-muscular disorders such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Parkinsons, paraplegia and tetraplegia, phantom limb pain, and arthritis report significant improvements in motor control and spasms from their use of cannabis.

• The active ingredient in cannabis, THC, has been shown to be effective at limiting brain damage from stroke, halting the growth of usually-fatal glioma brain tumours, and is more effective than morphine for the relief of chronic pain.

Danuiel Clarke page

Medical Cannabis News

What does New Zealand law say about medical marijuana?

Several people have made applications to various Ministers of Health, including Danuiel Clark and Greg Soar, but so far all have been rejected. The excuse has usually been that no clinical trials have been conducted in New Zealand, even though most registered medicines have also not had local clinical trials. It seems that for every other drug the government accepts the results of overseas clinical trials, but these trials must be repeated in New Zealand for cannabis. More recently, the latest Minister of Health, Annette King, has rejected an application by Greg Soar on the grounds that a medicine that is smoked cannot be safe. To that we argue that potential harms from smoking cannabis are far from proven, and even if that were true, seriously ill patients and their doctors are more concerned about current suffering that potential future lung damage. Concerns about cannabis smoke are nothing but a diversion. Ministers have also objected on the grounds of not having a ready supply of cannabis to make available. This is simply not true - medical-grade cannabis is available from GW Pharmaceuticals in the UK, the Dutch Office of Medicinal Cannabis, HortaPharm in Israel, Health Canada, or NIDA in the USA, or it could come from police seizures of cannabis, or more simply, patients could be allowed to grow their own supply. The continuing ban on medicinal cannabis is based more on political than scientific considerations. Let's restore medical decision-making to those who are trained to make medical decisions - doctors and health professionals - and get the politicians out of the way.

Even though all applications for medical marijuana permits have so far been rejected, that is no reason for us to give up now. If you use cannabis as a medicine, you should first discuss your use with your doctor, and seek their written backing. You will also need backing from a relevant specialist. Visit your MP, and ask them to help you obtain a permit from the Minister of Health. Contact us, and we can help get your formal application together. We want to hear from all seriously ill people who use cannabis as a medicine, as the more people who demand it be made available, the greater the likelihood this will happen. Don't wait until you get busted to say your use is medical - make a stand now and you may never get busted!

What about Marinol, or synthetic THC pills?

What is the rest of the world doing about medical marijuana?

• The Canadian government has recently contracted a Manitoba firm, Prairie Plant Systems, to grow standardised cannabis to be made available on prescription by the end of this year. This follows rulings in Ontario and Alberta that cannabis prohibition laws are unconstitutional and would be stuck down unless the government allowed the medical use of cannabis. In the mean time, the Minister of Health has so far issued permits to over 100 patients allowing them to grow their own cannabis until the official prescription supply is ready.

• The UK Government has licensed GW Pharmaceuticals to breed cannabis strains to treat specific illnesses. The company has begun clinical trials of a strain intended for those with MS and epilepsy. More details of the UK trials. The UK Police have stopped prosecuting patients using cannabis as medicine for fear of breaching the Human Rights Act.

• The NSW ‘Working Party on the Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes’ found that "Advances in cannabinoid science suggest that there are opportunities to develop medically useful cannabinoid-based drugs to relieve: pain; nausea; and stimulate appetite. In patients with HIV/AIDS or who are undergoing chemotherapy, cannabinoid drugs may provide relief for a range of symptoms that is not provide by any other drug". The report recommended a "compassionate regime" whereby patients would be allowed to grow their own cannabis until the government can begin prescribing it.

• In the United States, over half the states have passed laws allowing the medical use of cannabis. Many states now have "compassion clubs" - small non-profit clubs that supply medical-grade cannabis to patients with a written recommendation from their doctor. Maine is about to begin distribution of medical cannabis through pharmacies.

For more information, see:

• NZ Medical Cannabis Users Group: www.greencross.org.nz
• UKCIA Medical Cannabis Information: www.ukcia.org/medical
• NSW Working Party Report on Medicinal Uses of Cannabis: www.druginfo.nsw.gov.au/druginfo/reports/medical_cannabis.html
• Alliance of Cannabis Therapeutics: www.marijuana-as-medicine.org
• How to use medical marijuana: www.cures-not-wars.org/nycbc.html