The Releaf Center Blog Informing & Entertaining Since 2009

By Dan Even

Most cancer patients currently being treated with medical marijuana are advised of the option only in the advanced stages of the illness, according to researchers.

More than two-thirds of cancer patients who were prescribed medical marijuana to combat pain are reportedly satisfied with the treatment, according to a comprehensive study conducted for the first time in Israel.

The study – conducted recently at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, in conjunction with the Israel Cancer Association – involved 264 cancer patients who were treated with medical marijuana for a full year.

Some 61 percent of the respondents reported a significant improvement in their quality of life as a result of the medical marijuana, while 56 percent noted an improvement in their ability to manage pain. In general, 67 percent were in favor of the treatment, while 65 percent said they would recommend it to other patients.

The findings were presented earlier this month at an Israeli Oncologists Union conference in Eilat. The study was led by Dr. Ido Wolf, the director of oncology at the Sheba Cancer Center, with the assistance of researchers Yasmin Leshem, Damien Urbach, Adato Berliz, Tamar Ben Ephraim and Meital Gerty.

According to the study, the most common types of cancer for which medical marijuana is prescribed are lung cancer (21 percent ), breast cancer (12 percent ) and pancreatic cancer (10 percent ).

Researchers found that an average of 325 days passed between the time that patients were diagnosed with cancer and the time that they submitted permit requests to grow or possess medical marijuana. About 81 percent of those requests cited pain resulting from the illness. Some 8 percent of patients requested medical marijuana to combat nausea, while another 8 percent complained of weakness.

Most cancer patients who are currently being treated with medical marijuana are advised of the option only in the advanced stages of the illness, according to researchers. “The treatment should be offered to the patients in earlier stages of cancer,” the report notes.

The study shows that 39 percent of respondents were initially advised of the treatment by friends, other patients or the media, rather than by their doctors. According to the study, “The treatment should be offered to patients by trained medical teams because we are dealing with an effective treatment.”

Side effects resulting from the regular use of medical marijuana were defined in the study as “moderate.” Dizziness was the main side effect documented by the researchers.

According to Miri Ziv, the director of the Israel Cancer Association, “Medical marijuana has become one of the treatments available to cancer patients in Israel in recent years [and therefore] the association believes that the issue should be regulated by the professionals in the field.”

In recent years, the number of medical marijuana users in Israel has increased by some 66 percent per year, according to the study. To date, medical marijuana has been approved for use by about 6,000 Israelis suffering from various illnesses, the report states.

While many legal issues related to medical marijuana use remain unresolved, Health Ministry officials believe that once the issue is fully regulated, the number of patients treated with medical marijuana will reach 40,000.

Of the 12 farms authorized to cultivate medical marijuana in Israel, at least seven are currently active, according to the report. Under directives from the Health Ministry, the distribution centers currently in operation are entitled to NIS 360 a month, per patient, to supply medical marijuana. They are entitled to another NIS 24 for rolling cigarettes and NIS 100 for delivery.

Patients who hold medical marijuana permits issued before 2009 are entitled to grow up to 10 plants at home, with a maximum height of 1.5 meters. Permits issued during the past two years only allow patients to possess medical marijuana, in keeping with the quantities prescribed.

Original link: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-researchers-say-more-doctors-should-recommend-marijuana-to-cancer-patients-1.409918

This Wednesday join hundreds of medical marijuana patients, providers and supporters in making quick calls to your U.S. Congresspeople. Everyone should call both Colorado U.S. Senators and your specific U.S. Congressperson. Contact information is below. Help save safe access in Colorado!

(Sample Phone Script)

“I am a constituent in your new district who supports medical marijuana patients. I’m calling to say that our state’s medical marijuana system is working and we need to Stop Federal Interference in our state laws. The Colorado state government is doing an excellent job of safely regulating medical marijuana distribution and I ask that the US Attorney cease his actions in shutting down state-legal medical marijuana dispensaries. Please ask the representative to contact Colorado’s US Attorney John Walsh and tell him to cease interfering in Colorado’s tightly-regulated medical marijuana law. Thank you”

(Optional:) “Additionally, I would respectfully ask that Representative _______________ co-sponsor H.R. 1983 – the States Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act – which would protect our state’s medical marijuana patients and providers from federal interference. Thank you!”

U.S. Representatives
District 1 (Denver) – D-Representative Diana DeGette -
202-225-4431

District 2 (Boulder/Longmont/Loveland/Ft. Collins) –
D-Representative Jared Polis – 202-225-2161

District 3 (Western Slope, including Aspen, Grand Junction
and Pueblo) R-Representative Scott Tipton – 202-225-4761

District 4 (Eastern Plains including Greeley and Castle
Rock) R-Representative Cory Gardner – 202-225-4676

District 5 (Colorado Springs/Salida) R-Representative Doug
Lamborn – 202-225-4422

District 6 (Aurora/Douglas/Adams) R-Representative Mike Coffman – 202-225-7882

District 7 (North Metro/Arvada/Golden/Jefferson County) D-Representative Ed Perlmutter – 202-225-
2645

Senators
Entire State – Senator Mark E. Udall – 202-224-5941
Entire State – Senator Michael F. Bennet – 202-224-5852

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Larry Barnett

Written by Johnny Green

I don’t think it’s any secret that the internet has helped the marijuana movement. Using blogs, social media, news outlets, etc. the marijuana movement has grown significantly over the last decade. Take a minute and think about what the marijuana movement would be like without the use of the internet…Scary right?

Remember those days where we would have to stand long hours outside of malls and other high traffic areas in order to gather signatures. Remember when marijuana events were almost impossible to organize unless you had a long list of phone numbers? If SOPA and PIPA are approved by the United States Congress, the ramifications on the internet will be severe, and online marijuana efforts will be one of the first to get the chop. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a supporter of online piracy. However, I am a fan of common sense, and throwing the baby out with the bathwater is never a good idea, which is what would happen if SOPA and PIPA were passed.

Have you been using Twitter and Facebook to organize your rallies and protests? If SOPA and PIPA are passed, it’s almost guaranteed that you wouldn’t be able to use social media like you have been. Do you own a blog, or follow blogs to get your marijuana news and information? If SOPA and PIPA are passed, you will be forced to go back to newspapers and TV media, which let’s face it, newspapers and TV media are not marijuana friendly, which is why online marijuana efforts started in the first place! Don’t just take it from me, below are some things that I found on the net that others are saying:

Google – Fighting online piracy is important. The most effective way to shut down pirate websites is through targeted legislation that cuts off their funding. There’s no need to make American social networks, blogs and search engines censor the Internet or undermine the existing laws that have enabled the Web to thrive, creating millions of U.S. jobs…Too much is at stake – please vote NO on PIPA and SOPA.

Wikipedia – For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia. Learn more.

ACLU – We opposed SOPA in its original form mostly because the impact on non-infringing content would violate the First Amendment right to free speech of the owners and authors of that content, as well as the rights of Internet users to access that content. In fact, we were asked to present our views at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee scheduled for today and submitted our testimony in preparation for that hearing. But the hearing was postponed after SOPA’s proponents promised to significantly change the bill and after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor proposed not to bring any bill to the floor for a vote unless it represented a true consensus of those who support and those who oppose SOPA.

As you can see, this is as serious as serious gets.  If you like using the internet to gain marijuana information, or to spread awareness, or you just don’t like the federal government overstepping it’s reach, then FIGHT SOPA AND PIPA!  The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel.

Original Source: http://www.theweedblog.com/what-would-the-marijuana-movement-be-without-the-internet/