“I’m delighted to see Gov. Cuomo take this step toward making medical cannabis available to state citizens, but I worry that the proposed arrangement will leave the vast majority of patients without any of the medicine,” wrote Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of clinical training at the state University of New York at Albany, in an e-mail to the Saratogian. “Relying on a mere 20 hospitals to provide for everyone in need seems unrealistic. Roughly one in four deaths in the state are related to cancer. Over 120,000 New Yorkers are living with HIV.” Earleywine has written more than 100 publications on addiction, including the book “Understanding Marijuana.”
Cuomo is using a 35-year-old existing statute, the Antonio G. Olivieri Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Program — PHL Art. 33-A, to bypass the state legislature. He will launch a pilot medical marijuana research program that lets up to 20 hospitals statewide provide the drug to patients being treated for such diseases as cancer and glaucoma. This program will let qualified eligible participants seek relief for their symptoms legally and safely, while administrators evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a medical marijuana system. Findings will be used to inform future policy.
“This process the governor has undertaken is not a huge step,” said Kevin Jones, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a group that lobbies political leaders for marijuana law reform. “It’s a political move, using a law that’s been on the books since 1980.” Jones said the earlier research program was cumbersome and difficult to get into. Still, he was hopeful that a new implementation of the law would further open up the national discussion about marijuana. “I also hope personally that this will further the legitimization conversation,” said Phil Sundling, owner of Prism Glassworks, an art gallery in Troy. “Prohibition isn’t working.” He calls marijuana a wonder plant with a million uses, such as in agriculture, food and medicine.
Research shows that medical marijuana may help manage the pain and treatment of cancer and other severe illnesses. Under state Department of Health regulations, the program’s prescriptions would be limited to patients with such serious illnesses. Other national and regional organizations argue that marijuana is not the best choice for medical purposes and can be easily misused. The Drug Free Schools Coalition of New York quotes statistics from a Colorado study that as of Dec. 31, 2012, 108,526 people received medical marijuana. Of those, 94 percent were treating pain, and 16 percent were treating muscle spasms. Only 3 percent got marijuana for cancer, 1 percent for glaucoma and 1 percent for HIV+/AIDS.
Twenty states allow marijuana use for medical purposes: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. Colorado and Washington state have gone on to legalize marijuana for recreational use, a more controversial legislation. Marijuana is still illegal in those states under federal laws. Earleywine said New York would be better served by a more formal program comparable to those passed by the 20 other states. He trusts all licensed physicians to prescribe as they see fit. Several medical dispensaries per county could relieve some of the burden on these hospitals.
“Compelling data reveal that medical cannabis can be a superb treatment for AIDS-related wasting; and the weight loss, vomiting and nausea associated with chemotherapy, as well as pain, insomnia, migraine, muscle spasms, certain types of seizures and some movement disorders,” Earleywine said. Jones said, “Marijuana is less toxic than alcohol and aspirin. International studies have shown marijuana not only stops pain, but may actually deter some kinds of cancer.”
His findings come from the National Cancer Institute, which cites several studies with rats and mice online. “Cannabinoids may cause antitumor effects by various ways, including cell death induction, cell growth inhibition and tumor angiogenesis invasion and metastasis inhibition,” its website posts. “One review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of cannabinoid action as antitumor agents. Cannabinoids appear to kill tumor cells, but not affect their nontransformed counterparts and may protect them from cell death.”
No clinical trials of cannabis as a treatment for cancer in humans have been found in the database maintained by the National Institutes of Health, Jones said. Cannabis and cannabinoids have been studied in clinical trials for ways to manage side effects of cancer and cancer therapies. Edward Przydapek, 38, a musician from Saratoga Springs, has been using marijuana every day since age 17. “I’d call it medicinal,” he said. “I’m incredibly high-strung. I don’t have attention deficit disorder, though, and I wouldn’t want to take a manmade synthetic medication even if I did. Marijuana balances me out the best.” Przydapek said he’s seen no ill affects from his use. “Except financially,” he said, smiling.
The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council of Saratoga County, a nonprofit that provides education, information and referral services on the subjects of alcohol, tobacco, other drug and violence prevention to individuals and local communities, addresses marijuana in its Too Good For Drugs program. Prevention Council Executive Director Janine Stuchin said such programs will continue to support young people in choosing a drug-free lifestyle.
Gov. Cuomo’s proposal is a narrow regulation, she said. What roles hospitals and the Food and Drug Administration will play is yet to be seen. “For our school programs, we’ll meet with educators and address common questions about medical marijuana that will come up,” she said. “We’ll then integrate the information into our class discussions, using it as a teachable moment.” Earleywine said reviews suggest that medical cannabis states do not see spikes in teen use.
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