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Tuesday, December 11, 2012 11:54 PM Marijuana as medicine? N.C. may consider legislation as national debate simmers By Corey Friedman | Times Online Editor John Cameron hasn’t been the same since sheriff’s deputies took his marijuana away. "I’ve lost seven pounds in seven days,” the 71-year-old Cameron said. "I have leg cramps, and my vision is starting to deteriorate a little bit.” Cameron, a pancreatic cancer survivor, said he uses marijuana for its medical benefits, chiefly pain management and increased appetite. He believes an acquaintance tipped off the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office over a golf grudge. Deputies seized 12.6 ounces of marijuana and 17 guns in a Dec. 4 search of Cameron’s house near Sims. They searched his home after stopping Cameron’s car and finding marijuana and a concealed handgun. Cameron said he’s been reading the Bible from cover-to-cover each year for 23 years. He’s been smoking marijuana for 50 years. "I knew that the Lord didn’t mind me smoking pot,” Cameron said. "He put it right there in Genesis, in the first chapter.” Cameron said the cannabis plant is part of God’s creation. In Genesis 1:29, God gives mankind "every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.” "I don’t have to justify any of my actions to mankind,” Cameron said. "I only justify myself to my Lord in heaven.” Marijuana legalization for medicinal and recreational use remains a hotly debated topic. Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that he supports legalization. "I’m in favor of it. I think it’s OK,” Carter said during a CNN panel discussion. EASING CANCER PAIN Cameron said he’s a six-year survivor of pancreatic cancer. Doctors diagnosed the ailment in June 2006, when he was 65. "The Lord has truly blessed me,” Cameron said. "When I had pancreatic cancer, I turned yellow as a school bus.” Doctors found a softball-sized tumor in Cameron’s pancreas. He underwent surgery that removed his duodenum, gallbladder, small intestine, 12 lymph nodes and one-third of his pancreas. "And to this day, I don’t know if I have a spleen or not,” Cameron added. After his surgery, Cameron developed diabetes, and his weight dropped to 150 pounds. He resumed smoking marijuana and said he was able to gain 35 pounds. "The marijuana, contrary to all the politicians’ stupidity, it cuts down on pain,” Cameron said. "It helps regulate my blood sugar. I’m 71 years old, and I still don’t need glasses to watch TV or read.” Eighteen states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana use for medicinal purposes. Last month, Colorado and Washington became the first two states to allow the recreational use of marijuana. While some state laws allow residents to legally possess and use marijuana, the drug still is forbidden under federal law. The U.S. Controlled Substances Act classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which is defined as a substance with no accepted medical use. A 2009 report by the American Medical Association’s Council on Science and Public Health cites short-term controlled trials showing that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and may relieve spasticiy and pain in multiple sclerosis patients. The AMA council called for increased study of marijuana’s health benefits, but it stopped short of endorsing legalization. "Our AMA urges the National Institutes of Health to implement administrative procedures to facilitate grant applications and the conduct of well-designed clinical research into the medical utility of marijuana,” the report states. MEDICAL MARIJUANA HERE? North Carolina lawmakers could consider a bill to allow medicinal marijuana use with a doctor’s recommendation. Sponsors introduced House Bill 577, the Medical Cannabis Act, in April 2011. The bill died in committee last year, but state Rep. Joe Tolson said the General Assembly will likely consider medical marijuana. "I’m sure it will come back up,” said Tolson, a Pinetops Democrat who represents a portion of Wilson and Edgecombe counties. "Somebody may introduce it because it has been passed in other states. There has been an effort to get it passed in North Carolina, but it just never goes anywhere.” Tolson said he hasn’t decided whether he would support a medical marijuana bill. "Right now, I don’t have a position on it one way or another,” he said. "Marijuana is something I’ve never messed with, never had a desire to. I’m certainly open-minded if we can get controls on it to be used that way. Maybe it ought to be looked at if it helps people medically.” State Sen. E.S. "Buck” Newton, a Wilson Republican, doubts leaders in the General Assembly would bring medical marijuana up for a vote. "My personal opinion is I just don’t think there’s any political will whatsoever to move a bill like that,” Newton said. "Whether it has merit or not, I don’t think there’s any political will.” Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, D-Wilson, is a member of the House Rules Committee, the body where HB 577 was referred. Farmer-Butterfield didn’t return phone messages in time for this story. In North Carolina, possessing one-half ounce or less of marijuana is a Class 3 misdemeanor, which carries a maximum of 10 days’ jail time and a $200 fine, Being caught with more than a half-ounce but less than an ounce and a half is a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries up to 45 days’ imprisonment. Possession of between one and a half ounces and 10 pounds is a Class I felony. Those convicted face 3 to 8 months in prison, according to state sentencing laws. NOT YOUR PARENTS’ POT The marijuana cultivated and smoked today is roughly 300 percent more potent than the cannabis of the 1970s, according to Partnership for a Drug-Free North Carolina. "It may not be what you’re thinking of as stereotypical ‘60s peace-love dope,” spokeswoman Robin Lindner said. "A counselor made the comparison that the ‘60s marijuana is a Ford Pinto and the marijuana of today is a GMC Yukon.” Modern-day marijuana contains an average of 10 percent tetrahydrocannibinol, the plant’s main psychoactive compound, Lindner said. In the 1970s, THC levels ranged from about 1.5 percent to 3 percent. No documented marijuana overdose deaths have been reported in medical literature, according to a 2002 Brown University study published in the journal Pharmacology & Therapeutics. But Lindner says people shouldn’t consider marijuana use to be harmless. "Marijuana does have chemicals and carcinogens,” she said, adding that users also can get sick from smoking marijuana laced with other drugs. Effects of smoking marijuana can include lowered inhibitions, short-term memory loss, slow reaction time and anxiety, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Partnership for a Drug-Free North Carolina takes no official position on marijuana’s potential for medical use, Lindner said, but the group is concerned that wider acceptance of the drug will lead to more teens abusing it. "Because of all these questions and discussions about marijuana being OK, more and more and more teens especially are experimenting with the drug,” she said. "That creates confusion in the messaging for teenagers, and 90 percent of addictions start in the teenage years.” Lindner believes marijuana is a gateway drug that can lead users to experimenting with heroin and cocaine and abusing prescription painkillers. A recent Yale University study suggests there may be some truth to that hypothesis. Marijuana users were about two and a half times more likely than non-users to abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The study showed that drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes increased the potential for prescription drug abuse in men by 25 percent. ON THE LINKS A retired insurance salesman and real estate broker with an active North Carolina real estate license, Cameron spends his free time on the links at Wilson’s Willow Springs Country Club. Cameron said he’s won Legends and Super Senior championships at the club and is a team captain. He has a handicap of 3. Most fellow golfers know about Cameron’s marijuana use — his club nickname is Smokey — and the snub-nosed .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun he keeps in his golf bag for personal protection, he said. Cameron thinks a rival golfer alerted sheriff’s deputies to the gun and marijuana in his car. "I know who set me up, and I know why he set me up — because he can’t break 80 on his best day and he’s jealous of me,” Cameron said. Cameron said the deputy who stopped his car on his way to the country club last week told him that someone called the sheriff’s office and said Cameron had marijuana and a concealed gun. "He said, ‘We got a call that you were headed south on St. Rose Church Road and you had pot on you and a concealed weapon,’” Cameron recalled. Cameron handed over a wooden "joint box” with a marijuana cigarette inside. When deputies asked about the gun, Cameron quoted the Constitution — he keeps a copy in the driver’s side door of his car. "It says I have the right to bear arms,” he said. "I rest on the Constitution of the United States. I was not violating the Constitution, which is the primary law of the land. Regulations are not supposed to deny you the rights of the Constitution.” CAMERON: NO INTENT TO SELL Wanda Samuel, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office chief of staff, said Cameron signed a form giving consent to a search of his home. Deputies seized 12.6 ounces of marijuana and 17 guns. Cameron was charged with carrying a concealed gun, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana and maintaining a place for a controlled substance. He disputes the two drug charges because both imply he was trying to sell marijuana. Cameron said he kept the stash only for personal use. "Everybody at Willow Springs who plays with me knows I have never sold a joint,” Cameron said. "I do not sell pot. I use it. I don’t deal in the local underground market. It’s for my own purposes to keep my health up.” Having intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana is one of the four elements in Cameron’s first marijuana charge. North Carolina courts have ruled that authorities can infer intent to sell if a defendant has a large quantity of drugs. "Possession of certain kinds and amounts of drugs along with drug paraphernalia may be sufficient evidence to prove an intent to manufacture, sell or deliver,” states a UNC School of Government guidebook on the elements of North Carolina crimes. Cameron said a friend from outside the area gives him marijuana for personal use. In the past, he’s received large quantities of the drug once per year, he said. "It’s totally erroneous, because I’ve never sold a gram,” Cameron said. "Nobody can ever accuse me of selling anything, because I never have. It was only for my own usage.” Cameron said his health has suffered since deputies took his marijuana. He’d continue to smoke it if he had access to it. "I can’t get it, can I?” he said, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I would if I could, but I can’t.” A judge assigned Cameron a court-appointed lawyer, and he’s scheduled to meet with the attorney today to plan his defense. "I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I put it in the hands of the Lord,” Cameron said. "He has always protected me. He has protected me for 71 years.” corey@wilsontimes.com | 265-7821 |
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Colin said...
Poor John Smith (the most generic name ever; perhaps that was your point? As if you have one?) you don't see the point? Personal freedom is the point; your opinion doesn't matter, it's about the choice of people who ARE NOT you.
Sunday, December 23, 2012 at 10:57 PM
John Smith said...Poor John Smith (the most generic name ever; perhaps that was your point? As if you have one?) you don't see the point? Personal freedom is the point; your opinion doesn't matter, it's about the choice of people who ARE NOT you.
Sunday, December 23, 2012 at 10:57 PM
Whoever you are trying to bait for a debate is gone. I think you both are trolls. Naming yourself "colin" somehow gives your posts merit? My name is John Smith. I can see why you want to legalize marijuana. I could care less if its legal or illegal...I can get through life without it. Maybe you should give that a try. Besides, I stumbled onto this article trying to link to the current article about the person being stopped with pot. Time to move on dude; this article is no longer on the main page. And you are actually bringing Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson into your discussions? Who listens to them???
Friday, December 21, 2012 at 5:59 PM
I wish I knew what to call you, but you never post a name of your own. Therefore, I will refer to you by the most accurate title I can come up with; Anonymous Troll. At this point, you're basically tarnishing your own argument. While Al Sharpton's comment could be interpreted in a few ways, one thing it certainly doesn't imply is a desire for continued criminal prohibition. As for Jesse Jackson; why are you shooting yourself in the foot? I provided a link to HIS OWN website, where the article explains his DIRECT AND COMPLETE support of cannabis legalization. You want to talk about my reading comprehension level? You're discrediting yourself through your own blatant bias, and through your absolute refusal to accept facts.
Friday, December 21, 2012 at 9:19 PM
"Freedom" does not mean do anything anytime anyone wants. Also, you'll have to move out of the US. There are so many laws on the books to protect a person from themselves that you are making a debate that can't be won. Seat-belt laws is just a small example. Yet you pick a drug that has NOT been PROVEN to be safe as your cross to carry???? Why? there are so many more worthy causes out there than pot. Plus how do you know its safe to others (second hand smoke)? How do you know it doesn't impact others in car wrecks while driving impaired? How do you know the growing of marijuana is controlled and safe and would not kill people if done wrong? As stated previously almost all prisoners stated they were on marijuana when they did their crimes. Also the FDA certainly doesn't think its safe. This is a quote from the US Government Council on Drugs: "Dangers in the immediate effects of marijuana include distortions of time and space perceptions and impaired coordination, all of which may be contributing to the increased risk of traffic accidents recently discovered.
Particularly important for students to know about is the creation of difficulty thinking or problem solving and impairment of memory and learning. These difficulties can last for as long as four weeks after drug use.
Chronic marijuana use and higher dosages are found to correlate to greater incidence of psychosis and schizophrenia. This point is particularly significant due to the increases in drug potency over the last two decades. While the average potency has risen from 3% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol - the intoxicating ingredient in marijuana) a couple of decades ago to 9% now, there are some samples of weed that measure as high as 25%. These premium strains are normally grown hydroponically, are often smuggled in from Canada and demand a higher price than commercial-grade marijuana from Mexico.
Heavy abusers of marijuana were found to suffer damage to social life, work or career status and cognitive ability. Schoolwork and the achievement of goals were also found to suffer."
Sorry, but you can keep your pot and your cause. From the Harvard School of Medicine: "Smoking marijuana regularly (a joint a day) can damage the cells in the bronchial passages which protect the body against inhaled microorganisms and decrease the ability of the immune cells in the lungs to fight off fungi, bacteria, and tumor cells. For patients with already weakened immune systems, this means an increase in the possibility of dangerous pulmonary infections, including pneumonia, which often proves fatal in AIDS patients.
Studies further suggest that marijuana is a general "immunosuppressant" whose degenerative influence extends beyond the respiratory system. Regular smoking has been shown to materially affect the overall ability of the smoker?s body to defend itself against infection by weakening various natural immune mechanisms, including macrophages (a.k.a. "killer cells") and the all-important T-cells. Obviously, this suggests the conclusion, which is well-supported by scientific studies, that the use of marijuana as a medical therapy can and does have a very serious negative effect on patients with pre-existing immune deficits resulting from AIDS, organ transplantation, or cancer chemotherapy, the very conditions for which marijuana has most often been touted and suggested as a treatment. It has also been shown that marijuana use can accelerate the progression of HIV to full-blown AIDS and increase the occurrence of infections and Kaposi?s sarcoma. In addition, patients with weak immune systems will be even less able to defend themselves against the various respiratory cancers and conditions to which consistent marijuana use has been linked, and which are discussed briefly under "Respiratory Illnesses."
In conclusion, it seems that the potential dangers presented by the medical use of marijuana may actually contribute to the dangers of the diseases which it would be used to combat. Therefore, I suggest that marijuana should not be permitted as a therapy, at least until a good deal more conclusive research has been completed concerning its debilitating effect on the immune system."
Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 1:09 PM
At my most recent addressee: I have yet to argue any medical aspect. If you'll thoroughly read my post, you will see my argument. It is based on the freedom of individuals to do with their body as they will; as long as it does not directly harm anyone else, or their own freedom to enjoy themselves as they will. I characterized my argument on this American principle of self-determination; not on the specific field of medicine.
Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 12:16 AM
