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Medical Marijuana Stories, PLUS Rally for HB 1393 This Saturday
07/09/09 | Philadelphia City Paper | Matt Petrillo



Irvin Rosenfeld smokes marijuana ten times a day, but he doesn’t get high.

The Virginia stockbroker suffers from a rare condition that causes bone tumors to grow sporadically, often into the muscle and veins, which could potentially kill him. But it hasn’t — in fact, he has’t had a tumor for 33 years — and Rosenfeld credits medical marijuana, supplied directly by the National Institutes of Health. He’s America’s longest-surviving federal cannabis patient.

“Smoking is the only way to really get the medicine. The cannabis is the best thing that worked for me,” he says.

Every 25 days, he picks up a tin of 300 pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes. The “marijuanettes” are grown under NIH contract by the University of Mississippi. Scientists believe he doesn’t get high because his cannabinoid receptors, which include millions of tiny fibers spread throughout humans’ bodies that allow us to ‘get high,’ are deformed.

Rosenfeld fights for the legalization of medical cannabis for patients not as fortunate as himself. “When you have a disorder, it sucks,” he says. “I was lucky enough that I was able to discover the right medicine for me. I just can’t sit back and not try to help others.”

Others are joining him. A candlelight vigil for patients who have died waiting for medical marijuana will be held this Saturday, July 11 at the Independence Mall visitor center. The vigil will also serve as a rally for HB1393, a bill that would create Pennsylvania’s first legalized medical marijuana program. It will be from 8:30 to 10 p.m.

Introduced by State Representative Mark B. Cohen (D-Philadelphia) and endorsed by the National Lawyers Guild Philadelphia Chapter, the bill has been referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee with public hearings expected this summer.

Rep. Cohen believes that, aside from helping suffering patients, legalizing medical marijuana could increase the state’s revenue by at least $25 million in taxes. If the bill passes, PA could become the 14th state to allow medical marijuana.

Under HB 1393, Pennsylvanians would not only be permitted to be prescribed medical cannabis, but also grow it. This would be of particular interest to Bradley D. Walter, a Scranton native and HIV patient.* Walter uses marijuana to ease the side effects of his antiviral medication, which are, on some days “debilitating,” he says. He takes it in the form of Marinol, a synthetic THC pill.

“The pills are the only medication I found that allows me to live a normal life,” he says, “and removes most of my side effects,” which include intense stomach pains, extreme hunger and nausea.

But at $60 a pill, Marinol costs him an astronomical $1,297 a month. He suggests that for a few bucks, he could grow marijuana in his basement and eliminate a lot of his costs.

He continues to fight for access to the whole-plant cannabis, and will fly in from Florida to testify at Pennsylvania’s public hearings this summer.

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It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.

Buzzby

I'd like to know the names of these "experts" who don't even know that marijuana is a tolerance-forming drug and that nobody who smokes ten cigarette-sized joints a day would get high.

His cannabinoid receptors aren't deformed. They're exhausted.

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Train2Bangkok

Again, I really want to attend the Philly vigil on Sat. night...it's only a 45min drive for me.

One small problem...today, the rear power window on my car broke in the down position. I must find time to fix it before Sat night or its a no go. I refuse to park my ride downtown with the window open, sorry.

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My choice...because it lets me feel good.

Frylok

No doubt. Maybe his cannibinoid receptors are deformed because they've been overused so much?

It's interesting that the human organism has specific receptors for cannabinoids, isn't it? I mean we all have dopamine receptors that other drugs exploit to make us "high", but as I understand it, cannibinoid receptors are unique and only activated by cannibinoids. Why are our bodies hardwired to use cannabis, and why does this worldwide conspiracy exist to deny cannabis to humans that were designed and meant to use it?

Jericho99

I live in the Philly suburbs. Pass! Pass! If I have the time today, I'll definitely head out for the rally. I won't personally benefit it, but it could definitely help some fellow Pennsylvanians.

Buzzby

Other drugs don't activate dopamine receptors. Each hooks up with specific kind of receptors that the body uses for its own endogenous chemical purposes. Dopamine production is triggered by that.

Our bodies are hardwired to use anandamide, which they produce. All vertebrate life uses the same mechanisms. It just happens that cannabis produces a chemical which attaches to the same receptors.

We weren't.