It only takes a second at the Marijuana Policy Project's website! Email your legislators and urge them to support legislative action in 2011!!! To find out who else you should be contacting, click here.
Iowa Board of Pharmacy Scientific Review - Unanimous Recommendation!
After months of taking testimony through hearings across Iowa and through written submissions, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy unanimously recommended allowing medical marijuana in Iowa. There is a task force being created that will report back to the legislature in 2011 with recommendations on how to implement a program.
The board held hearings in Des Moines, Ames, Iowa City, and Council Bluffs. 126 out of the 132 people who spoke at the first three hearings spoke in support, and over 12,000 pages of written material was submitted.
House File 2179 & Senate File 293 Rep. Mary Mascher sponsored HF2179 last year, the Iowa House's first bill since 1998! Sen. Bolkcom's SF293 had the first subcommittee hearing since 1996 two years ago and the bill continued into this past session. Read more about these bills here.
Human Resources Subcommittee Members
Representative Baudler has publicly suggested taking opiates such as hydrocodone as an alternative to medical marijuana. If you have experience with painkillers, please tell him your story! Tell Representatives Smith and Baudler to support medical marijuana!
Opponent Clel Baudler clel.baudler@legis.state.ia.us
Home Phone: 641-743-6327
Capitol Phone: 515-281-3221 Mark Smith mark.smith@legis.state.ia.us Home Phone: 641-750-9278 Bill sponsor: Mary Mascher mary.mascher@legis.state.ia.us
Watch Part 2 of Dr. Allan Koslow's speech
or watch the Iowa Patients YouTube channel!
US Federal Government Has a Patent Validating Medical Marijuana
(2003) If our government giving medical marijuana to four patients isn't enough to show marijuana has accepted medical value, they also patented cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants. This patent refers to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and HIV dementia.
States That Allow Medical Marijuana (14)
Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington
The 11 states that have produced before and after data have reported overall decreases in teen marijuana use, even exceeding 50% in some states! (source)
Washington D.C. also has medical marijuana. At least 14 other states are considering medical marijuana laws, including Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Illinois.
Michigan Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative Vote (11/08) 63%; majorities in each of its 83 counties
Journal of Clinical Oncology Poll of Cancer Specialists (1990) 54% of those with opinion were in favor of medical cannabis 44% suggested illegally obtaining medical cannabis
WebMD Medscape Poll (2003) 76% of physicians and 86% of nurses support
HCD Research & the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (2005) 73% of doctors support 56% would recommend if permitted by state law but not federal law
Organizations that Support Medical Marijuana (source)
The Older Iowans Legislature, AIDS Action Council, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of HIV Medicine, American Anthropological Association, American Civil Liberties Union, American College of Physicians, American Medical Students Association, American Nurses Association, American Public Health Association, Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, Consumer Reports Magazine, Cure AIDS Now, HIV Medicine Association, Iowa Civil Liberties Union, Life Extension Foundation, Lymphoma Foundation of America, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse, National Association for Public Health Policy, National Association of People with AIDS, National Nurses Society on Addictions, Patients Out of Time, Physicians Association for AIDS Care, Republican Liberty Caucus National Committee, The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access
Churches that Support Medical Marijuana(source)
United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church of the United States, Unitarian Universalist Association, Progressive National Baptist Convention, Union of Reform Judaism
1988 DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge Francis Young
Ruling on Re-scheduling Marijuana on a Federal Level(1988)
“From the foregoing uncontroverted facts it is clear beyond any question that many people find marijuana to have, in the words of the Act, an "accepted medical use in treatment in the United States" in effecting relief for cancer patients.” (p. 26)
“Marijuana has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States for spasticity resulting from multiple sclerosis and other causes.” (p.54)
"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.” (p. 58)
“A smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response.” (p. 57)
“Based upon the facts established in this record and set out above one must reasonably conclude that there is accepted safety for use of marijuana under medical supervision. To conclude otherwise, on this record, would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious.” (p. 66)
“The judge recommends that the Administrator transfer marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II.” (p. 68)
National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine
Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base(1999)
The White House commissioned this study on all available scientific research of medical marijuana at the time.
“Nausea, appetite loss, pain, and anxiety are all afflictions of wasting and can be mitigated by marijuana. Although some medications are more effective than marijuana for these problems, they are not equally effective in all patients.” (p. 159)
“It does not appear to be a gateway drug to the extent that it is the cause or even that it is the most significant predictor of serious drug abuse; that is, care must be taken not to attribute cause to association.” (p. 101)
“There is no conclusive evidence that marijuana causes cancer in humans, including cancers related to tobacco use.” (p. 119)
“Epidemiological data indicate that in the general population marijuana use is not associated with increased mortality.” (p. 109)
American Medical Association Testimony to Congress (1937)
(testimony, floor) Cannabis was effectively made illegal in the United States in 1937. Dr. William Woodward, the Director of the Bureau of Legal Medicine and Legislation for the American Medical Association, testified to the House Committee on Ways and Means. He was not allowed to speak to the floor of the House.
"I did receive instructions from the executive committee of the board of trustees of the American Medical Association to appear here and oppose this bill."
"We ask cooperation on the part of the Federal Government by not imposing an unnecessary burden which in the end falls on the sick."
"We cannot understand yet, Mr. Chairman, why this bill should have been prepared in secret for two years without any intimation, even, to the profession, that it was being prepared."
The actual debate on the floor lasted only one minute and thirty two seconds.
A representative asked,
"What is this bill about?"
The speaker of the House responded,
"I don't know. It has something to do with a thing called marijuana. I think it's a narcotic of some kind."
The representative went on to ask,
"Does the American Medical Association support this bill?"
The speaker responded,
"Their Dr. Woodward came down here and supported this bill 100%."
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