NSW to trial medical use of marijuana

[reprise]

Doctors to prescribe marijuana (http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,9353,7392158-28778,00.html)

Legislation allowing gravely ill people to use marijuana – most likely in the form of a pill or nasal spray – is due to be released within weeks.

It will be extremely interesting to see what percentage of marijuana prescribed for medical use makes its way onto the black market (there's a significant black market here for methadone).

[EvilYeti]

Originally posted by reprise

It will be extremely interesting to see what percentage of marijuana prescribed for medical use makes its way onto the black market (there's a significant black market here for methadone).

I would guess none of it. Its much easier just to grow the stuff and the consumers like the natural product better.

[Zep]

True. While "personal use" is technically illegal here, unless you are actually busted growing hundreds of acres of stuff, the cops really just don't bother much. Unless they want to use it as an excuse to pin you in the cells for something else (like break and enter, jaywalking, etc). Or well-known talkback radio rednecks want to push some rabid anti-drug line and the police want to be "seen to be doing something" as a political appeasement gesture.

[ssibal]

The fact that the marijuana will be in either pill or nasal spray form (as opposed to being smoked) adds legitimacy to this trial.

[reprise]

Originally posted by ssibal
The fact that the marijuana will be in either pill or nasal spray form (as opposed to being smoked) adds legitimacy to this trial.

As Zep said, possession of small (under 30 g) amounts of marijuana is discriminalised in many states here and even in those where it isn't decriminalised possession charges for that amount are usually only laid in addition to other charges. I can't recall the last time when I read about someone being charged with possession of that amount in the absence of charges for other offences being laid at the same time.

For many years now, the courts have tended to not record a conviction in respect of medical use of marijuana. The coming changes will simply ensure that those with the right paperwork will not be at risk of being hauled before a court on the whim of a cop who's having a bad day.

I suspect - however - that there will be some interesting legal battles in the future when those who have the right to possess and use medical marijuana are also found to be in possession of non-medical marijuana.

You can already get good quality dope in pill form. I can't be the only one who remembers hash oil caps from my university days. :D

[Yahweh]

Available as a pill or nasal spray?

A pill kids actually want to take... oh well, werent we the ones who invented chocolate eclair flavored birthcontrol bon bons...

[Zep]

Originally posted by reprise
I can't be the only one who remembers hash oil caps from my university days. :D Ahem, ahem...

Block hash? Hash oil? Sharing seeds with friends? Growing "personal plants" on the window-sills of residential colleges?

{looks at sky quizzically, whistles nonchalantly, backs away...}

[tamiO]

Originally posted by reprise
Doctors to prescribe marijuana (http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,9353,7392158-28778,00.html)



It will be extremely interesting to see what percentage of marijuana prescribed for medical use makes its way onto the black market (there's a significant black market here for methadone).

Nasal spray and pills are not marijuana. They do not "put" marijuana in a pill or spray; they will not be studying marijuana. There are many cannabinoids present in the plant that need to be studied, not just the THC.

I doubt there will be a black market for this low grade "marijuana."

[tamiO]

http://www.aegis.com/pubs/gmhc/1997/GM110101.html

Developers of Marinol tout the drug for its "purity" relative to marijuana, which contains many components other than THC. Yet it is precisely some of those other components or cannabinoids that certain researchers are interested in studying. Preliminary evidence suggests that the other cannabinoids help confer the benefits experienced by people who smoke (or eat) marijuana compared to those taking Marinol. There are no actual human trials, though, to confirm this hypothetical superiority of marijuana over Marinol. Ironically, the manufacturers of Marinol note that there have been over 25 human clinical trials of Marinol but no clinical trials of smoked marijuana's safety or efficacy, apparently implying that this lack is an indication of Marinol's superiority.

:)

I do wish that the smoking of marijuana could be legalized for people who suffer from the many conditions that marijuana smoking relieves.

[FutileJester]

Originally posted by tamiO
http://www.aegis.com/pubs/gmhc/1997/GM110101.html

Developers of Marinol tout the drug for its "purity" relative to marijuana, which contains many components other than THC. Yet it is precisely some of those other components or cannabinoids that certain researchers are interested in studying. Preliminary evidence suggests that the other cannabinoids help confer the benefits experienced by people who smoke (or eat) marijuana compared to those taking Marinol. There are no actual human trials, though, to confirm this hypothetical superiority of marijuana over Marinol. Ironically, the manufacturers of Marinol note that there have been over 25 human clinical trials of Marinol but no clinical trials of smoked marijuana's safety or efficacy, apparently implying that this lack is an indication of Marinol's superiority.

:)

I do wish that the smoking of marijuana could be legalized for people who suffer from the many conditions that marijuana smoking relieves.

Agreed! Another issue I've heard raised is that it's harder to accurately self-dose with pills; it takes a while to take effect, so you don't know if you need another one or not for a while, as opposed to smoking where the effect is almost immediate. Using a vaporizor instead of smoking theoretically gives those same advantages without the disadvantages of particulate smoke.

[Evolver]

My mistake. I thought the thread was about NTW and marijuana. That would have explained alot. :confused: