Patients Sought for Scientific Marijuana Study

Karen O’Keefe, Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) assistant director of state policies:

There is good reason to believe that marijuana can boost the efficacy of opioid pain drugs, allowing pain patients to get better relief with smaller doses of narcotic medications. University of California, San Francisco researcher Dr. Donald Abrams is looking for participants to take part in an important pilot study that could lay the groundwork for critical research in this area.

Dr. Abrams is conducting a trial of vaporized medical marijuana in conjunction with opioid medications in chronic pain patients. This is an opportunity for patients to try controlled doses of medical marijuana completely legally — under both state and federal law — for five days and for researchers to collect important data about the safety of medical marijuana.

The study will assess the clinical safety of using marijuana with opioids by monitoring the short-term side effects associated with combined therapy.

Participants in the study must:

• Have ongoing chronic pain
• Be 18 or older
• Be on a stable twice-daily dose of sustained-release oxycodone or morphine medication for at least two weeks before enrollment
• Not use marijuana for a month prior to entering the study
• Not be a cigarette and/or cigar smoker, or be willing not to smoke for two weeks before starting the study
• Meet some additional criteria

Participating patients will:

• Spend five days and nights in a clinical research center at San Francisco General Hospital
• Attend a screening appointment before the study begins
• Have blood tests and other measurements done
• Inhale vaporized medicinal marijuana three times a day

You can receive $520 for participating. For more information, call (415) 476-9554, ext. 315, or e-mail pcouey@php.ucsf.edu . The Community Consortium Positive Health Program of the UCSF Medical Service at San Francisco General Hospital is conducting the study.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this on to any chronic pain patients who might be interested in participating in the study.

The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 100,000 subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one financial donation to MPP’s work in 2007. Please visit http://www.mpp.org/donate to donate now.

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The Clare Foundation Art Auction: Art for Clare

The Clare Foundation
“Art for Clare” Art Auction at Bergamot Station

The CLARE Foundation is hosting its first annual Art for Clare art auction at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica

Buy tickets online now at the Clare Foundation Website

The CLARE Foundation Collaborates with the Art Community to Present ART for CLARE

(Santa Monica, CA) – The transformation of raw materials into a cohesive art form can mirror the transformation of an addict’s life from one of desperation and chaos to one of hope and recovery. In recognition of the healing power of art, on June 3, 2007 the CLARE Foundation, a major Westside provider of services to primarily homeless and low-income alcoholics and addicts, will collaborate with the art community to present Art for CLARE at Bergamont Station Arts Center.

Art for CLARE has invited over 35 local contemporary artists to participate in this one-day art auction and fundraiser, including Lisa Adams, Sophia Allison, Marcos Alvarez, Meredith Baxter, Quinton Bemiller, Judy Broumand, Rex Bruce, Richard Bruland, Mike Bullas, Jennifer Celio, Patrick Ceo, York Chang, Sarah Dunn, Carol Es, Colleen Flynn-Lawson, Judith Fox, Debi Gero, James Harrill, Susan Holcomb, Anthony Hopkins, Michele Jaquis, Gegam Kacherian, Sharon Kagan, Ursula Kammer-Fox, Jay Kelly, Elana Kundell, David Limrite, Larry Lytle, Meg Madison, Mela Marsh, Mery Lynn McCorkle, Bobbie Moline-Kramer, Doug Murphy, Glenn Ossiander, Ed Ruscha, Elizabeth Sadoff, Gina Stepaniuk, David Trulli, Kim Tucker, Jennifer Vanderpool, Claire Vesco-Felson, Ryan Villiers, Toni Waggoner, Susie White, and Leslie Yagar.

The afternoon will feature live entertainment, and actress and comedian Rachel Tomlinson will emcee festivities. Local Westside restaurants including Sushi Roku, Enzo and Angela, Le Chef Bakery, Piccolo Ristorante, and Pizzicotto, will provide a tantalizing array of food, with beverages contributed by Riven Rock Winery and Espresso Etc. Violinist David Wilson and musical stylist David Roberti will provide the afternoon???s musical backdrop.

Funds raised at ART for CLARE will make a significant impact in mending the broken lives of people suffering from addiction; a portion of the art sales will provide support to CLARE’s 11 recovery programs. Four tickets to the event can provide a week in CLARE’s Detox/Primary program for one client. The sale of a signed book of Ed Ruscha photography can sponsor a mother and her child in CLARE’s Women with Children program for five weeks.

For tickets to ART for CLARE or more information:

• call the CLARE events line at (310) 314-6212
• or visit ClareFoundation.com.
• Tickets are $25

Bergamot Station is located at

• 2525 Michigan Ave
• Santa Monica, CA 90404
• Parking at Bergamot Station is free of charge.

For more information or to have your questions answered, feel free to contact Julie Edens at jedens@clarefoundation.org or call (310) 314-6212

The CLARE Foundation is dedicated to providing services to all those suffering from alcoholism or substance abuse. An organization that began in 1965 with community members providing sobriety resources to the homeless alcoholics along Santa Monica’s beaches, last year CLARE provided recovery-oriented services to more than 25,000 men, women and children.

Hallucinogenic Psychedelia, Without Drugs!

Don’t waste your mind!

You can have hallucinogenic effects without polluting your body with compounds. Don’t let your mind go to waste!:

Try this mind-bending strobe generator

You might want to turn down your speaker volume as the accompanying music track is rather awful…. On the other hand, the visual treat you will experience… Yowza!

Treating Stimulant Addiction With Prescription Drugs in Canada

Treating Stimulant Addiction in Canada

When will the good old USA finally begin to adopt proven, sensible, and compassionate policies regarding drug use and abuse? When is enough enough? I’m all for the ideas such as the one in Rio regarding the legalization of drugs as a means to fight crime. Also, I’m absolutely in favor of programs such as the new pilot program in Vancouver, BC, Canada, which seeks to treat those unfortunate souls who have become addicted to stimulants.

Read more here:

Treating Stimulant Addiction With Prescription Drugs

Legalizing Drugs to Fight Crime in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Legalized Drugs in Rio?

Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, calls for Legalizing Drugs to Fight Crime from Drug Trade

Rio???s Governor Joins Latin American Leaders in Call for International Dialog on the Harms of Drugs and Drug Prohibition

Contact: Tony Papa (646) 420-7290

Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral on Friday called for legalizing drugs as a strategy to fight the ongoing drug-related gang violence that is devastating his state. He expressed hopes that this would reduce the violent crime caused primarily by drug prohibition. Rio de Janeiro has one of the highest murder rates in Latin America, due primarily to outbreaks of violence among different gangs, and between gangs and the police in the slums of Brazil???s favelas, where urban drug lords rule.

???The governor is merely saying out loud what so many more think but fear to say.. Rio today is like Chicago under Al Capone ??? times ten. Reforming drug prohibition won???t be as quick and easy as repealing alcohol Prohibition was, but there???s no hope for breaking the drug-crime nexus unless many more elected officials heed Governor Cabral???s call.???

Ethan Nadelmann:
executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance

Governor Cabral???s comments add to a growing list of Latin American leaders who are questioning drug prohibition and calling for new strategies, including legalization, to address the violence created by the illegality of drugs. Former Central and South American presidents, including Mexico???s Vicente Fox and Uruguay???s Jorge Batlle, among others, have called for an international dialog on how best to deal with the disastrous prohibitionist policies that are costly, futile and counter-productive.

Governor Sergio Cabral, who took office two months ago, promised that a priority of his administration would be to combat the crime stemming from these drug gangs. Several months ago, one of the governor???s first acts was to ask the federal government to send a special security force to Rio following the eruption of gang violence that caused civilian and police deaths.

Cabral questions current U.S. drug policy. When he asked, ???Is the United States correct in its conservative policy on drugs???? he responded, ???In my view???absolutely incorrect.???

America’s Drug War & Ninja Bachelor Party Screenings

You’re invited to a double feature of

“America’s Drug War”

&

“Ninja Bachelor Party”

At the DRUID film Festival in Los Angeles CA.

Sacred Cow Productions

Anyone who knows me is very familiar with the fact that I’m a huge fan of the late great, prophet, comedian, social commentarian Bill Hicks. No one has come close to the kind of truth and brutal honesty that Bill Hicks laid out on a day to day basis. Bill was a uniquely hilarious and gifted individual. In fact, I feel that one of my jobs in life is to Spread the Word of Bill. In that mission, I have remained true.

The filmmaker of the above featured film America’s Drug War is Kevin Booth, Bill’s best friend from childhood, and one of his business partners up until Bill’s unlikely and untimely death in 1994 at the young age of 32 (he died of pancreatic cancer). In fact, we just had the 13th anniversary of his passing on February 26th. It should be a national holiday. It is for me, anyway. Celebrate Bill’s life accordingly.

In any case, I hope you can make it to the screenings. It should be a hoot, and it’ll be good to give Kevin all the support I’m sure he could use! Plus, half of all the proceeds will be donated to “The Bill Hicks Foundation for Wild Life” (I love THAT play on words!)

Many thanx,

Twan

P.S. Click on the flier above to go to a great interview with Kevin Booth on Ain’t It Cool News. It’s a really good read.