City moves forward on its ban of blunts

http://philly.metro.us/metro/local/article/City_moves_forward_on_its_ban_of_blunts/5387.html

CITY HALL — The city’s war on drugs yesterday became a war on blunts.
After a City Council hearing that was more an anti-drug public service announcement, the loose cigars available at most inner-city convenience stores and Chinese takeout joints — typically emptied out and filled with marijuana — may soon become illegal to sell.
Council’s Committee on Licenses & Inspections unanimously approved a bill yesterday to outlaw the sale of “loosies” and other drug paraphernalia, including cigarette wrapping papers. The full Council is expected to approve the measure next month.
“I think it sends the wrong message when you can get a blunt or rolling papers with your Now and Laters or Lemonheads or pretzel sticks,” said Stephen Clay, the medical director at the Gaudenzia drug treatment facility.
Clay said that those coming to Gaudenzia for treatment are asked to write a life story. Many, he said, start their stories at the age of 7 or 8, when they smoked their first blunt.
Activists say the blunts come in more flavors than soda and their easy availability on the streets helps lead to a feeling of “lawlessness.” Blunts are sometimes laced with PCP or cocaine, activists say, for an even greater high.
“It just seems outrageous what’s going on in the city,” said Councilwoman Joan Krajewski. “It is a serious problem plaguing our city.”
According to one major retailer, they would stop selling small packages of blunt cigars if the bill passed. The bill outlaws sales of cigars in packages of fewer than six, except by specialty tobacco shops.
“We have a long history of not selling items of that nature, especially the rolling papers and so forth,” said Lori Bruce, a spokesperson for Wawa. “We certainly will continue to work with City Council and comply with whatever it is that they mandate.”
City Council in brief
• CULTURE City Council approved Mayor John Street’s plan to borrow $150 million for arts and cultural groups in the city. The plan to issue bonds was approved, 11-3, with Councilman Brian O’Neill, Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco and Council President Anna Verna voting against the plan that some say is just a way for Street to boost his “legacy.”
• ELECTIONS City Council approved a ballot question yesterday that will allow voters in May to decide whether to appeal the city’s “right to run” rule. Those hoping to run for elected office in the city must now resign from their current positions. One person caught up in the rule was former Councilman Michael A. Nutter, who was forced to resign from Council last summer in order to run in next year’s mayoral race.
• ELECTIONS Councilman Wilson W. Goode amended his campaign finance bill yesterday, adding language to clarify just who counts as a “candidate.” Anyone who forms a political fund-raising committee, even if not officially declared as a candidate, would be a “candidate” under the new rules.
• PRISONS Council also approved Goode’s ex-offender employer tax credit bill, which grants employers a $5,000-per job credit against business privilege taxes for jobs created for ex-cons. Mayor John Street is expected to sign the bill into law, Goode said.

Marijuana-Like Compound May Ease Stomach Cramping





http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/10/24/hscout535642.html

TUESDAY, Oct. 24 (HealthDay News) -- A synthetic form of a chemical component found in marijuana may help relax the colon and reduce stomach cramping after eating, says a Mayo Clinic study.
Researchers compared the effects of dronabinol and a placebo on colonic motility and sensation in 52 health adults. Dronabinol is a synthetic version of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana.
The study found that dronabinol relaxes the colon and reduces post-eating contractions and cramping. The effect was most apparent in women.
"The potential for cannabinoids to modulate colonic motor function in disease deserves a further look," study leader Dr. Tuba Esfandyari said in a prepared statement.
Currently in the United States, dronabinol is used to prevent nausea and vomiting for cancer patients after chemotherapy. But it's used only when other kinds of medicine for nausea and vomiting don't work. It's is also used to increase appetite in AIDS patients.

Baby on bong: Court upholds mom's conviction
September 22, 2006 - CNN.COM






http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/09/22/baby.bong.reut/index.html

SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- A Montana mother who allowed her 18-month-old baby daughter to inhale from a marijuana water pipe was properly convicted, but should not have to spend five years in jail, a U.S. appeals court ruled Friday.
Jessica Durham was photographed allowing her toddler Michala to suck from a marijuana water pipe, also known as a bong, in 2004 by a friend upset about the activity.
"Ms. Durham allegedly remarked that smoking improved Michala's appetite and left Michala lethargic and mellow - a manner she found consistent with her own experience smoking marijuana," Judge Louis Pollak of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in summarizing the case.
In 2005, a lower court sentenced Durham to five years in prison for unlawful marijuana distribution. She appealed both the conviction and the sentence.
In its ruling Friday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit upheld the conviction but said the sentence exceeded the applicable federal law which calls for punishment of no more than two years in prison.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Marijuana may stave off Alzheimer's
October 5, 2006 - CNN.COM



http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/10/05/pot.alzheimers.reut/index.html
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) -- Good news for aging hippies: Smoking pot may stave off Alzheimer's disease.
New research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function.
Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California found that marijuana's active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from breaking down more effectively than commercially marketed drugs.
THC is also more effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer's patients, the researchers reported in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.
The researchers said their discovery could lead to more effective drug treatment for Alzheimer's, the leading cause of dementia among the elderly.
Those afflicted with Alzheimer's suffer from memory loss, impaired decision-making, and diminished language and movement skills. The ultimate cause of the disease is unknown, though it is believed to be hereditary.
Marijuana is used to relieve glaucoma and can help reduce side effects from cancer and AIDS treatment.
Possessing marijuana for recreational use is illegal in many parts of the world, including the United States, though some states allow possession for medical purposes.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.