The Hemp Activist Times mailbox
Hemp Activist Times,
Do you think Seattle School Superintendent John Stanford would benefit from the use of medical marijuana to help relieve the pain, nausea and suffering from the chemotherapy treatments he is presently undergoing?
Moreover--and I hope this is not libelous--but do you think a man with such political power and acknowledged determination would deny himself such relief, which is, of course, available to anyone with the right connections? (From WSU’s research plot, for instance.)
Barbara Tomlinson
Barbara,
It is quite possible John Stanford would benefit from the medical use of marijuana. I am hesitant to speculate on the subject too much because, frankly, it’s none of my business. Even though John Stanford is a public figure, I believe his medical regimen is between him and his doctor.
Robert Lunday and I had a little debate about this issue. I thought people would be generally supportive of someone like Stanford using marijuana. Few people would dare to suggest that Stanford, of all people, is using medical necessity as an excuse to get stoned.
But Robert brought up a good point. Stanford is still superintendent of public schools. He is supposed to set an example for every student in Seattle. Would parents be concerned about the example Stanford was setting? After all, marijuana is still illegal and few parents want their children using it.
Who knows what someone in that position would do? I don’t.
Ben Livingston
Hemp Activist Times,
I didn't much like the "Marijuana Checkup" article. Roffman, at the U of W, has run a program that claims to "end marijuana addiction." As a Registered Nurse, B.S.N., I am well aware there is no such thing as "marijuana addiction." The whole thing is preposterous and an insult to every real practitioner and patient in the world of drug use. To see this blurb for Roffman’s latest escapade printed uncritically in HAT raises some real questions in my mind about who you are and what you stand for.
Terry Scott
Terry,
The Marijuana Check-Up (MCU) originally contacted us about running either an ad or a press release. I suggested they write an article explaining just what the MCU is, asking for specifics such as where their funding came from. I thought an ad would do nothing for them or HAT, seeing as how most hempsters would just laugh at it and wonder what it was doing in our supposed "activist newsletter." I included the final paragraph explaining who Doug Fisher is so people would know it was written by someone involved with the MCU.
A while back, I was at the Gay Pride Festival collecting signatures for I-692, helping man the Green Cross Patient Co-op booth and handing out Hempfest flyers. Magic from Washington Hemp Education Network and I got into a discussion with a man who's involved in the MCU. He considers himself a marijuana addict. I’m fairly certain he’s a minority when it comes to pot smokers. I’d think it a rough task to find a dozen "marijuana addicts" myself. After getting some more information from Dr. Roffman--who has been active in the fight for a saner drug policy and medical marijuana in particular-I found that the Universtity’s two marijuana projects currently have about 160 participants.
The way I see it, if people like the man I spoke with at Gay Pride and the 160 other participants consider themselves "addicts," they are. For people like that, the MCU might help. Although many people may laugh at the idea of treating "marijuana addiction," if someone feels they need help getting off pot, it’s probably nice to have somewhere to get that help.
I’ve never seen anything about a program that claimed to "end marijuana addiction." I’d love to get more info on it though. All the MCU ads I've seen refer to things like making "changes" in your marijuana use. I would definitely question and/or laugh at anything that claimed to "end marijuana addiction." Hell, I’d question any sort of study about marijuana. I suggested an article from the MCU so we could learn who their funded by and what goals they have.
Dr. Roffman explained the difference between the two programs the University of Washington is currently running.
The Marijuana Check-Up is intended for people who have questions about their marijuana use. It is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Marijuana Treatment Project is for people who want to cut down on their marijuana use. It is funded by a grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Roffman explained that most of the treatment programs around today are modeled after the twelve-step alcoholism program, which they’re trying to find an alternative to.
I hope you can gain a little comfort about who we are in knowing that it’s basically me, an activist and geek among other things as editor; Beth, an activist, poet, skater and sales rep for an embroidery company as publisher; and a handful of other folks contributing writing, photography and whatever else they can each issue. We receive no funding from tobacco companies or the mob. We’re not sure if we’ve received any money from marijauna dealers.
Ben Livingston