Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 22:26:49 -0400 From: [o--s--n] at [calyx.com] (Carl E. Olsen) Subject: NIDA HOLDS MARIJUANA CONFERENCE, MPP CHALLENGES .. from the MPP's August 1995 _Marijuana Policy Report_ This information and more can now be found on the MPP's World Wide Web page at "http://www.mpp.org/~mpp/". NIDA HOLDS MARIJUANA CONFERENCE, MPP CHALLENGES PARTY LINE On July 19 and 20, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) held the National Conference on Marijuana Use near Washington, D.C. The two-day event consisted primarily of the presentation of research findings regarding marijuana health effects, prevention, and treatment. Though many scientists presented some interesting and worthwhile findings, a good deal of the information was of dubious accuracy and value. Moreover, the context in which it was reported greatly distorted the relative harm of marijuana in society and ignored the failure and added harm of prohibition. Few comparisons were made to the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, or pharmaceuticals, and there was no discussion of the harmful effects of prison. The opening session featured keynote addresses by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala and Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Lee Brown. They left little doubt that the intent of the conference was to convince the attendees and the public that marijuana is a serious menace. The solution? More of the same prohibition-based strategy. "Marijuana is illegal, dangerous, unhealthy, and wrong," asserted Shalala. "We also are committed to domestic law-enforcement efforts," said Lee Brown, stressing that "we have to make it clear that marijuana is included in this prohibition." Fortunately, their message did not go unchallenged. Among the approximately 500 conference attendees were more than 35 marijuana law-reform advocates representing at least 10 organizations. The cooperation, focus, and respectability of the demonstrators reached an unprecedented level. This observation was frequently expressed by reformers and other attendees who had been involved with the marijuana issue for decades. Some called it "historic." Attendees with a wide range of perspectives told reformers, "I'm impressed," and "I like the way you're doing things." DEMONSTRATING The reform advocates started the day with a well-orchestrated, polite-but-firm demonstration inside the auditorium during the opening session. Precisely as Shalala remarked that policy should be "rooted in science and research," more than 20 reformers, seated around the perimeter of the room, displayed professionally made signs protesting NIDA's blocking medicinal marijuana research. The demonstrators -- including several marijuana-needing patients -- remained silent, letting the posterboards do the talking: ** PUT ME IN RESEARCH, NOT PRISON ** MY DOCTOR AGREES -- MARIJUANA IS MEDICINE ** ARREST MY SUFFERING, NOT ME ** NIDA BLOCKS FDA-APPROVED MEDICAL MARIJUANA RESEARCH ** SHAME ON NIDA These and other slogans -- and some signs depicting medicinal marijuana users -- captured the attention of everyone in the room, including the speakers. EDUCATING AND NETWORKING As the attendees left the auditorium after the opening session, they were greeted by articulate, courteous marijuana law-reform advocates wearing bright red, stop sign-shaped "Stop Blocking Medicinal Marijuana Research" buttons and distributing information. Attendees swarmed toward the reformers, asking questions and snatching up the handouts -- a "NIDA Obstructs Medicinal Marijuana Research" brochure and an 84-page booklet, "What NIDA Won't Tell You About Marijuana." The brochure told all about the ongoing struggle for medical access to marijuana, including efforts to go through the FDA approval process (which NIDA is thwarting by refusing to provide marijuana to researchers). The packet provided more detailed information about the medicinal marijuana issue, a section on marijuana's health effects, and information from the Netherlands Institute for Alcohol and Drugs which explains Dutch drug policy and responds to U.S. Rep. Gerald Solomon's (R-New York) erroneous claims that Dutch drug policy is a failure. The reformers told the rest of the story, explaining how the federal government puts politics ahead of science and medicine -- and misrepresents the data to justify its counterproductive prohibitionist policy. Many attendees relished the opportunity to talk with the patients. Some attendees enthusiastically shared their own ideas and experiences with the reformers, expressing serious concerns with the present punitive marijuana control efforts. A few of the scientists candidly told reformers that even the research which found some potentially harmful effects of marijuana did not necessarily justify prohibition. Such discussions continued throughout both days of the conference. During the question-and-answer periods, reformers consistently asked thought-provoking questions, prompting the scientists and other panelists to convey a more complete picture. For example, MPP Director of Communications Chuck Thomas asked NIDA's national drug surveyor, Lloyd Johnston, Ph.D., about his late-1970s study of adolescent marijuana consumption. Johnston had to admit to the audience that there was no difference in usage rates between decriminalized states and states in which personal possession of marijuana remains a crime. (If penalties do not deter use, then no new health-effect discoveries could justify imprisoning marijuana consumers.) Throughout the conference, attendees could be spotted skimming their booklets and discussing more responsible policy alternatives. The party line had been broken -- by a gentle presentation of the truth. On July 20, Chuck Thomas had the opportunity to interview Sue Rusche, leader of National Families In Action. Rusche and her organization have been battling adolescent marijuana consumption for nearly 20 years. Though she adamantly opposes decriminalization for recreational use and remains skeptical of marijuana's medicinal value, she indicated potential support for medicinal marijuana research. "We are never opposed to research," she explained, "provided that [it is] well-designed and well-controlled ... and peer reviewed." LOBBYING The reformers' efforts had other positive effects. When planning for the event, MPP Director of Government Relations Robert Kampia sent a letter to NIDA Director Alan Leshner to request a meeting. Knowing in advance about the demonstration -- and probably fearing that things would get ugly if he would not even meet with patients -- Leshner agreed to meet. At the private meeting on July 19, several medicinal marijuana research advocates -- including Peter Reuter of RAND and Jeremy Stone of the Federation of American Scientists -- got Leshner to specify what would be necessary to allow medicinal marijuana research to go forward. Having seen that the reformers don't bite, Leshner made himself even more available throughout the rest of the conference. On July 20, for example, he posed for a photo shoot with the Cannabis Action Network's collection of 50,000 postcards from across the nation in support of medicinal marijuana. The day after the conference, the MPP, patients and other reformers traversed the halls of Congress, meeting with staffers for their senators and representatives about medicinal marijuana research and possible legislation. Some important inroads were made. MEDIA COVERAGE The one area that was somewhat disappointing was media coverage. The print and televised news coverage overwhelmingly stuck with the spoon-fed format from NIDA's news releases and Shalala's and Brown's opening remarks. Most coverage made the following claims: ** Marijuana use is increasing among youth; ** Marijuana is frequently mentioned in emergency rooms; ** New evidence verifies that marijuana is addictive; ** New evidence shows that marijuana use during pregnancy may have long-term negative effects on the cognitive abilities of children. The media consistently failed to report that most of these findings are seriously methodologically flawed and/or the scientists themselves described the results as "preliminary" and the effects as "subtle." The media also consistently failed to report that alcohol and tobacco fare far worse on all of these measures -- and that these problems occur in spite of (and often because of) marijuana prohibition, which doesn't work and only creates more problems of its own. The media overwhelmingly ignored the reformers, except to briefly mention that "a dozen protesters ... called marijuana a benign drug that eases pain and some additional symptoms of AIDS and other fatal diseases" (Associated Press, July 19) -- and to feature a brief segment of John Morgan, M.D., criticizing the financial costs of the drug war in two of several CNN pieces. Only one television station broadcasting in the D.C. area, WRC-TV (NBC), showed the demonstration, though it did not adequately explain the issue of NIDA's blocking FDA-approved medicinal marijuana research. The NIDA demonstration did succeed in piquing the interest of the attendees, which was the primary objective from the earliest planning stages. That it did not generate positive media coverage demonstrates the need to develop more creative, innovative ways to get the message out in the future. ----------------------------------------------- To obtain information about purchasing the audiotaped conference sessions, please write Transcripts, Ltd., 335 South Patrick Street, Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22314, or call 800-338-2111 or 703-549-7334. ------------------------------------------------- HOW TO SUPPORT THE MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT: To support the MPP's work and receive the bimonthly newsletter, "Marijuana Policy Report," please send $50.00 annual membership dues to: Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) P.O. Box 77492 Capitol Hill Washington, D.C. 20013 202-462-5747 TEL 202-232-0442 FAX [M P Project] at [AOL.COM] http://www.mpp.org/~mpp/ -- end -- ******************************************************************** * Carl Olsen * [c--o--n] at [dsmnet.com] * * Post Office Box 4091 * http://www.calyx.com/~olsen/ * * Des Moines, Iowa 50333 * [Carl E Olsen] at [commonlink.com] * * (515) 262-6957 voice & fax * [73043 414] at [compuserve.com] * ********************************************************************