Has Bob Barr Seen the Light on Medical Marijuana?

Former member of Congress Bob Barr once worked to block medical marijuana for people living with HIV and other chronic diseases in DC. He put language in an appropriations bill prohibiting medical marijuana in DC. These days, however, he's working for the Marijuana Policy Project trying to overturn the language he himself wrote 9 years ago. I'm not sure if Bob Barr has seen the light when it comes to Medical Marijuana, or if he is just the kind of guy who will do anything for money. Either way, he could play a key role in overturning this legislation. Read this story in the Examiner.

Medical Marijuana for the District of Columbia

In my February 14th blog post, I encouraged us to recommit to two important political struggles for living with HIV/AIDS in the District now that Democrats are in control of Congress: making medical marijuana legal for HIV/AIDS patients who need it, and challenging the congressional ban which prevents our city from spending any of our own money on needle exchange programs to prevent HIV transmission. While the issue of of needle exchange remains relatively dead in the water, the push for medical marijuana seems to be picking up a little steam. This week the Washington Blade published an article on the benefits of medical marijuana for HIV/AIDS patients. The same issue of the Blade has an op-ed by Bruce Mirken with this call to action: "We can be silent no more. The gay community must speak up, and LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations — some of which have taken supportive positions on medical marijuana but few of which have done very much about it — must make this a high priority, now." Bruce also points out that for patients being treated for the hepatitis C virus (HCV), the results are even more dramatic. Here in DC, we have a lot of folks living with HCV and a lot of folks with both HIV and HCV. I have many friends who've been treated for HCV with interferon. And let me tell you, it can be incredibly difficult. Here are the side effects as described by the CDC: Most persons have flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint aches, fast heart rate) early in treatment, but these lessen with continued treatment. Later side effects may include tiredness, hair loss, low blood count, trouble with thinking, moodiness, and depression. Severe side effects are rare (seen in less than 2 out of 100 persons). These include thyroid disease, depression with suicidal thoughts, seizures, acute heart or kidney failure, eye and lung problems, hearing loss, and blood infection. Although rare, deaths have occurred due to liver failure or blood infection, mostly in persons with cirrhosis. An important side effect of interferon is worsening of liver disease with treatment, which can be severe and even fatal. Can you imagine spending six months to a year of your life physically tired and mentally depressed? According to the CDC, fifteen percent of folks who start this treatment have to stop because they just can't handle the side effects. It's outrageous to me there is a drug out there that make this treatment easier for patients that is available in other parts of the world, but not to DC residents. What can you do to fight this? Take action: * Contact Bruce at the Marijuana Policy Project, and let him know you're a DC resident ready to get involved in this fight. * Join the Campaign to End AIDS Metro DC Yahoo Group for information about local HIV/AIDS Activism * Make sure HIV/AIDS organizations and other organizations you belong to have endorsed the use of medical marijuana, and share that information with MPP and C2EA. * Register for AIDS Watch, where you'll be trained on how to lobby members of Congress. Help educate congress members on this issue. * Contact members of the City Council Committee on Health and encourage them to show leadership on this issue.

Not while the Republicans are in Control

It's no secret that many of the things DC residents want to do to improve our lives and our city end up getting messed up, delayed, or just plain blocked by Congress. DC is not like any other city in the United States. Congress controls our money and exerts extraordinary control over how we spend it. When it comes to HIV/AIDS in the District, Congressional interference has had dire consequences. First, despite overwhelming evidence that needle-exchange programs are an effective HIV prevention strategy, Congress prevents DC from spending any money for needle exchange. This means that unlike any other city in the country hit by the epidemic, we can't even spend our own city funds to support needle-exchange programs. Our only needle exchange program operates without any government money. Second, Congress has prevented DC residents from deciding for themselves whether or not they support Medical Marijuana for HIV patients who would benefit from that treatment. Yet another study released today shows Medical Marijuana can benefit people living with HIV/AIDS. A few years ago we had a ballot initiative on this issue, and DC Voters supported the use of Medical Marijuana, yet we have been unable to move forward on this issue because of Congress. For several years now, when you brought up either of these topics, way too many folks would politely nod and inevitably reply "If only the Republicans weren't in control of Congress". At times it felt like too easy of an excuse for not continuing to stand up and speak out about these two issues. So I would like to point out to everyone in the District who has ever utterred those words: The Republicans aren't in control of Congress anymore. What are we going to do about it now? I'm glad to see that the Gay and Lesbian Activist Alliance continues to include both of these issues in their Legislative Agenda. We need more organizations in DC taking action on needle exchange and medical marijuana. Now is the time.

Time for DC to Rethink Medical Marijuana?

Imagine being sentenced to ten years in prison simply for using simply for using a medication recommended by your doctor. Think it couldn't happen in DC? Think again. Jimmy Montgomery, a parapalegic, used medical marijuana to control muscle spasms caused by his the pouch of his wheelchair, he was (incredibly) charged with intent to distribute. Montgomery was convicted and received a life sentence, which on appeal was reduced to ten years. This may be an extreme example, but it reminds us that patients that use Medical Marijuana do so at risk of imprisonment. Now this week, new research shows Marijuana can improve the effectiveness of drug therapy for Hepatitis C Treatment for Hepatitis C involves two drugs: interferon and ribavirin. These drugs have so many harsh side effects, it's hard for many people to get through the treatment. Side effects vary widely, but individuals can go through bouts of deppression, aching muscles and severe fatigue, and nausea that can be so severe that simply eating enough food every day can be a challenge. Find out more here. Well now research from University of California at SF and at an Oakland shows that marijuana can help address those side effects, and that folks who use marijuana during the treatment are more likely to finish the treatment, and more likely to have a succcesful treatment outcome. An estimated 4.1 million Americans have been infected with Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a major issue for DC, both for people who are HIV negative, and people who are co-infected with HIV and Hepatitis C. This is a disease that hits the African American Community hardest. African Americans are two times more likely than whites to have Hepatitis C. Further, African Americans don't respond as well to current available treatments. In light of this news about Hepatitis C, and what we already know about how medical marijuana can help folks with other conditions like HIV, Washington DC must revisit the issue of Medical Marijuana. As you may remember, in 1998 there was a DC referendum on medical marijuana, and polling data suggested that there was strong support for in DC. Unfortunately, the results of that vote were never released to the public. Here's what the DC Board of Elections said: "Under pressure and mandate from Congress, the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics today announced that the Board will not release the vote results of Initiative Measure No. 59, 'Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Treatment Initiative of 1998'. D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics Chairman Benjamin F. Wilson stated that 'a recent statute passed by Congress precludes the expenditure of any appropriated funds for Initiative Measure No. 59.'" That's right. After the vote took place, Congress blocked the release of the results. Read the whole press release here. It's been eight years since that happened, though. And now, we have even more valid scientific data about the benefits of Medical Marijuana. How do we get this issue back into the spotlight? Is there any hope? I don't know to be honest, but I hope that this post will spark the debate, and if you have suggestions or are interested in working on this, please let me know.