Archive for November 10th, 2009
Paul Armentano
NORML
The Schedule I federal classification of cannabis — which states that, by law, the marijuana plant and its natural compounds have “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” — has long since passed the point of farcical. Nevertheless, defenders of the so-called “Schedule I lie” have possessed, for nearly 30 years, one prestigious ally that they could always rely on to endorse their absurd position: the American Medical Association.
Not anymore!
Today the AMA voted to reverse its longstanding endorsement of cannabis’ Schedule I prohibitive status. The vote took place during the organization’s annual Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates in Houston, Texas, and marks the first time that the AMA has revisited its position on cannabis in eight years.
As newly amended, the AMA’s official position (see specifically pages 12, 13, and 14) regarding the medical use of cannabis no longer “recommends that marijuana be retained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.” Rather, the Association now resolves “that marijuana’s status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines.”
The AMA also today demolished long-held pot prohibitionist claim — frequently publicized by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and others — that “no sound scientific studies have supported medical use of smoked marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data support the safety or efficacy of smoked marijuana for general medical use.” To the contrary, the AMA has adopted a report drafted by its Council on Science and Public Health (CSAPH) entitled, “Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes,” which states, “Results of short term controlled trials indicate that smoked cannabis reduces neuropathic pain, improves appetite and caloric intake especially in patients with reduced muscle mass, and may relieve spasticity and pain in patients with multiple sclerosis.”
Now that the AMA has finally acknowledged reality, is anyone else wondering if David Evans (or the DEA) will finally update their talking points?
New Big Brother app now available…
Reports are coming in that Apple (in addition to rolling out a smaller capacity Droid-fighter) has plans to build RFID capabilities into its next iPhone. Why would Steve Jobs and the folks in Cupertino do that?
Most people think of RFID (not always viewed as the most secure of systems) as the cards and scanners used for corporate building access. But recent advances in “near-field communication” (NFC) have broadened the spectrum of RFID’s uses.
Think of NFC as enhanced RFID. With RFID, there is a distinct card and reader, and the card can be read when it comes into proximity with the reader. NFC does the same thing, but combines the card and reader functions, enabling two-way communication.
What does Apple want with NFC?
Einar Rosenberg, who runs the Near Field Communications LinkedIn group, shared this:
A highly reliable source has informed me that Apple has built some prototypes of the next gen iPhone with an RFID reader built in and they have seen it in action. So its not full NFC but its a start for real service discovery and I’m told that the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone.
So we could soon be ditching those RFID cards and using our iPhones to open doors, ride the subway, or rent Zipcars. Big whoop, right? Well, yes, but there’s more.
Bill Ray, writing for the Register, points out that Nokia owns many of the patents surrounding NFC technology, and has been pushing it without success for some time. It’s a chicken and egg problem: Without a network of applications, there’s no reason for device makers to (pay to) adopt the tech. And without a range of uses, there’s no reason for users to demand that device makers include it.
An Apple adoption of the tech, with its army of App Store-loving users, could give NFC a real kickstart, bringing innovation to the field.
What might that mean? How ’bout an app from Boston’s MBTA that not only displays location-aware maps, but lets riders do away with cards and payments? Or one that, along the lines of the barcode scanning apps out now, could read embedded RFID tags on products and instantly display a place to buy them for cheaper.
More mundanely, NFC could smooth Bluetooth pairings – instead of the tedious search, wait, pair, wait, authorize dance that must currently happen, two NFC-equipped devices could sense each others’ presence, display an approval screen, and be done with it.
The truth is, many of NFC’s possible uses haven’t been conceived of yet – and won’t be, until they get a little help from a big endorser like Apple.
Below, check out a video of an RFID card reader attached to an iPhone. It gives an idea of how the device could interact with tags in the wild. And be sure to follow us on Twitter for the latest in tech – we’re @CSMHorizonsBlog
On Friday the 13th. Ok.
Russ Belville
NORML
Riding on the wave of President Obama’s memo to end DEA interference in states’ medical marijuana laws and an unprecedented response from the media, Oregon NORML’s Cannabis Café opens at 4:20pm on November 13, 2009 at 700 NE Dekum St, Portland, OR 97211.
“The response has been overwhelming,” says Madeline Martinez, Executive Director of Oregon NORML. “We are excited to be able to provide a safe place for patients to medicate that is out of public view within the guidelines of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act (OMMA).”
Many patients travel to Portland for medical care and treatment and have no place they can go to use their medicine during those often exhausting and intensive trips. “Do they go out into an alley and hide in the back of their car?” Martinez said. “There needs to be a place, much like our meetings, where people can socialize and network.”
In the week since the announcement of the café’s opening, stories have appeared in most major Oregon newspapers and television stations. Martinez appeared on OPB’s Think Out Loud talk show and attended the local neighborhood association meeting to reassure the public that the café will be operated at the highest of standards and strives to be a positive addition to the area.
Members must be registrants of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) and members of Oregon NORML to gain entrance to the café. Please contact Oregon NORML for more information on the message line 503-239-6110. Details and information will also be available at www.ornorml.org as they become available.
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