Pain Patients Lose a Leading Advocate, Siobhan Reynolds, 1961-2011
As Radley has noted and as many others will doubtless note, Siobhan's work organizing media and legal support for patients, doctors, pharmacists and nurses was a courageous one. An article in the New York Times last year by Adam Liptak shows the degree to which prosecutors and even some judges felt threatened by the scrutiny Siobhan and PRN had drawn to their handling of certain cases, and the lengths to which they were willing to abuse legal process to shut her down. Perhaps the daring of riding in a small plane is a mirror of the daring she showed in her career taking on the government.
PRN did shut down last year, the organization's financial resources and Siobhan's own resources depleted by the struggle. But Siobhan was working on forming a new patient advocacy organization, Radley noted. I hope that others will take up that torch in her name. The under-prescribing of opiates to many patients who need them, and the injustice of lengthy mandatory minimum drug sentences being leveled at doctors and others over prescribing practices that at worst are debatable, is one of the most challenging problems in the drug war to take on. There is far too little help -- medical, advocacy, or otherwise -- for the people most deeply affected. Among those people were her husband, the late Sean Greenwood.
The Pain Relief Network still has an online presence, and its home page provides Siobhan's reasons for the organization's closure and her hopes of what could happen in the future. Our own web site has an archive devoted to the pain under-treatment issue, much of the material in it about Siobhan's work. Also, Siobhan wrote several articles this year on prohibition and the drug war's impact on the doctor-patient relationship, the articles linked to from her web site.
Last but not least, in the YouTube video posted below, "Being Unable to Help," Siobhan talks about what was impossible to do for her husband in the current medical and legal environment. Share it widely.
Federal Medical Marijuana Patient/Florida Stockbroker Returns to Montana to Help Save Medical Cannabis Laws (Press Release)
For Immediate Release: January 7, 2011
Contact: Patients Out of Time at 434-263-4484, www.medicalcannabis.com
Florida Stockbroker Returns to Montana to help save Medical Cannabis laws
Irvin Rosenfeld, the longest surviving patient of the four Federal Medical Cannabis Patients in the United States and a Director for Patients Out of Time will be flying to Montana on January 8th to speak before the Montana Legislature for a week. Irvin will be there to educate people of the importance of Medical Cannabis and its true value as a medicine. As a Federal Patient for over 28 years, he has knowledge and experience that no one has in this country which he will share with others. To him, Cannabis is a medicine like any other medicine and should be treated that way. As Senior Vice-President of Investments for Newbridge Securities in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, he also understands the economic aspect and how this medicine creates jobs for thousands of Montanans.
“Montana is being watched Nationally, and what happens in this legislative session could set precedence around the world” states Rosenfeld. “Medical Cannabis Patients are productive members of society. I am living proof. I have been a stockbroker for over 23 years handling millions of dollars on a daily basis.”
“One of the biggest problems in Montana now is, they have had very bad press. The media in Montana has focused its efforts on one specific individual, and that has bled over Nationally. There are some very experienced, professional, caring people in Montana working very hard to care for patients who have went virtually unrecognized in Montana. I know, I have met many of them.”
“My goal is to help educate the politicians in Montana. There are some very intelligent people in Montana, and I am sure they will see the science and facts, and consider what is best for the people of Montana. Montana has a proud history of pioneering. It is my hope they will take the lead, and be the true pioneers for Medical Cannabis, and a shining example of the true value of not only Medical Cannabis but Hemp as well.”
Supporters of Iowa Medical Marijuana Plan to Keep Pushing Their Case
2010 Nobel Prizewinner Mario Vargas Llosa Calls for Legalization of Drugs
Patient Starts 29th Year in Federal Medical Cannabis Program (Press Release)
For Immediate Release: November,19 2010
Contact: Hiedi Handford at 406-594-7932 or Irv Rosenfeld at 954-536-9011
Patient Starts 29th Year in Federal Medical Cannabis Program (11/20/2010)
{Fort Lauderdale, FL} -- Irvin Rosenfeld is one of only four medical cannabis patients in the country that receive cannabis legally from the federal government. Irv will celebrate his 28th anniversary in this unique program on Saturday, November 20, 2010.
Irv is a 57 year-old successful stockbroker from South Florida. Irv uses medical cannabis to relieve chronic pain and muscle spasms caused by a rare bone disease. When he was 10, doctors discovered that his skeleton was riddled with more than 200 tumors, due to a condition known as Multiple Congenital Cartilaginous Exostosis. Despite six operations, he still lives with scores of tumors in his bones.
After a long struggle with the federal government, Irv Rosenfeld won the right to access medical cannabis in 1982. Thirteen people with debilitating conditions were allowed into the Compassionate Investigative New Drug (IND) Program to receive federally-grown medical cannabis. In 1992, President George Bush discontinued the program, but Irv still receives 9 ounces of cannabis rolled into cigarettes every 25 days from the federal government. The cannabis is grown by NIDA at the University of Mississippi. Over the 29 years in the program, Irv has received more than 120,000 medical cannabis cigarettes and is in good health because of it.
Irv will be speaking about the federal program and his participation in it at KushCon2 in Denver, CO December 17-19, 2010.
Irv's book is called "My Medicine: How I Convinced the Federal Government to Provide My Marijuana and Helped Launch a National Movement". Copies of the book may be purchased by visiting www.mymedicinethebook.com. Proceeds from the book help to cover expenses while traveling to educate people about medical cannabis.
_____________________________________________________
*MORE INFORMATION ON IRV ROSENFELD*
http://www.mymedicinethebook.com/
*MEDIA CONTACT*
Irv is available for press interviews. Please contact Hiedi Handford: hiedi@hicannabissolutions.com
Senior US Appeals Court Judge Says Drug War 'Lost,' Country Should Try Legalizing Marijuana
Make the Call for Marijuana Law Reform (Action Alert)
Watch the instructional video and start making calls today!
Dear friends,
Using the Just Say Now call tool is easy and can be done from anywhere.
Call California Voters– about Proposition 19 which would regulate marijuana similar to alcohol.
Call Arizona Voters– about Prop 203 which would protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and prosecution.
Call Oregon Voters– about Measure 74 which allow the state to provide patients with safe access to medical marijuana through dispensaries.
Call South Dakota Voters– about Measure 13 which would protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and prosecution.
Help us end the war on marijuana - start calling voters and remind them to get to the polls vote for sensible marijuana reform!
Click here to start calling: http://go.firedoglake.com/
Each call just takes a few minutes, and you can start calling voters with just your email address or Facebook account. Check out our video that explains how to call, step by step.
With only a 48 hours left until the election, voicing your support for marijuana law reform has never been easier or more urgently important, so start calling voters today.
Thank you from SSDP!
Connect with SSDP
Medical Marijuana Advocate Michelle Rainey Dies from Cancer
A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs featuring Judge Jim Gray
Come hear Jim Gray, former Superior Court Judge of Orange County, CA, talk about why the "war on drugs" has failed, and what you can do about it.
James P. Gray was a trial judge in Orange County, California beginning in 1983. Before becoming a judge, he served as a Volunteer in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, a staff judge advocate and criminal defense attorney in the Navy JAG Corps, a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, and a civil litigation attorney in a private law firm, in addition to being a Republican candidate for US Congress in 1998, and a Libertarian candidate for US Senate in 2004. Judge Gray has discussed issues of drug policy on more than two hundred television and radio shows and public forums all across the country. Using his experience on the bench and elsewhere, he has also authored a book on the failed War on Drugs, another Wearing The Robe, about practical and ethical issues in being a judge.
For more information, see http://www.judgejimgray.com/
