Cannabis Patient Seminar
Illinois Chapter of the National Organization
to Reform Marijuana Laws
Medical Cannabis - What is it?
Introduce yourself to one of your neighbors
that you don’t know and tell them what you
know about medical cannabis
Cannabis: Safe or Dangerous
Lethal Dose-50 Rating: ??????????
Zero Documented Human Cannabis
Overdose Fatalities
Estimated LD-50 1:20,000 or 1:40,000
(equals consuming ~1,500lbs in about 15
minutes)
Cannabis: Safe or Dangerous
"There is no conclusive evidence that the
drug effects of marijuana are causally linked
to the subsequent abuse of other illicit
drugs."
Institute of Medicine 1999 ReportMarijuana & Medicine: Assessing the
Science Base
Cannabis: Safe or Dangerous
2009 there were 354,159 admissions to
treatment with marijuana reported to be the
primary substance of abuse, out of a total
1,963,089 admissions for all substances that
year= 18%
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Admn.
Treatment Episode Data Set 1999-2009
Cannabis: Safe or Dangerous
Federal statistics show that 56.2% of all
primary marijuana admissions in 2009 were
referred through criminal justice/DUI.
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Admn.
Treatment Episode Data Set 1999-2009
Methods of Cannabis Consumption
• Smoking
• Vaporizing
• Edibles
• Oils
• Tinctures
Medical Research on Cannabinoids
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Cannabinoids (CBs) are the compound
found in the cannabis plant
There are over 70 known cannabinoids that
interact with the Endocannabinoid System
(ECS) through two cannabinoid receptors,
CB1 receptors & CB2 receptors
Medical Research on Cannabinoids
Cannabinoids include:
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
cannabidiol (CBD)
cannabinol (CBN)
anandamide (AEA)
2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG)
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Medical Research on Cannabinoids
"[S]lowed the growth of lung cancers, breast
cancers and a virus-induced leukemia in
laboratory mice, and prolonged their lives by
as much as 36 percent."
Aug. 18, 1974 Washington Post story
covering Medical College of Virginia study
done for the U.S Government
Medical Research on Cannabinoids
1974 Medical College of Virginia Study
published in Journal of the National Cancer
Institute in 1975
-Antineoplastic Activity of Cannabinoids
JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst (1975) 55 (3): 597602. doi: 10.1093/jnci/55.3.597
1.
Medical Research on Cannabinoids
“Cannabinoids possess ... anticancer activity
[and may] possibly represent a new class of
anti-cancer drugs that retard cancer growth,
inhibit angiogenesis (the formation of new
blood vessels) and the metastatic spreading
of cancer cells."
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal
Chemistry
October 2005
Medical Organization Endorsements
American Nurses Association & IL Nurses
American College of Physicians
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Medical Student Association
American Public Health Association
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Medical Organization Endorsements
American Medical Association,
“Our AMA urges 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, and
alternate delivery methods.”
Nov. 10, 2009
Illinois Medical Cannabis Timeline
Jan. 1, 2014 - Effective Date
Apr 18, 2014 - Final Rules submitted to JCAR
~90 day review (45 days for public
comments)
Fall 2014 - IL Dept. of Ag. Accepts Apps
Sept-Oct. Patients with last name beginning
with A-L apply to DPH
Nov-Dec. Patients with last name beginning
with M-Z apply to DPH
Illinois Medical Cannabis Timeline
~Jan. 2015 IL Dept. of Ag. Issues Licenses
~120 days to grow medical cannabis
~Late Spring/Early Summer 2015 Medicine
Available
What does the new law do?
Allows doctors to recommend cannabis for a
specific list of qualifying conditions
Provides a legal way for approved patients to
purchase medical cannabis*
*Still ILLEGAL federally
Feds vs. State
“The US Congress has determined that cannabis
is a controlled substance. Illinois has placed
cannabis in Schedule I of the Illinois Controlled
Substances Act. Growing, distributing,
transporting and possessing cannabis in any
capacity, other than as part of a federally
authorized research program, is a violation of
federal laws. The State of Illinois’
Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot
Program Act does not authorize any permittee to
violate federal or state laws.” -Dep Ag. Rules
Qualifying Conditions
1) Cancer
2) Glaucoma
3) HIV (positive status for Human Immunodeficiency
Virus)
4) AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
5) Hepatitis C
6) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
7) Crohn's Disease
8) Agitation of Alzheimer's disease
9) Cachexia/Wasting Syndrome
10) Muscular Dystrophy
Qualifying Conditions
11) Severe Fibromyalgia
12) Spinal Cord Disease - including but not limited to:
13) Arachnoiditis
14) Tarlov Cysts
15) Hydromyelia
16) Syringomyelia
17) Rheumatoid Arthritis
18) Fibrous Dysplasia
19) Spinal Cord Injury
20) Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Concussion
Syndrome
Qualifying Conditions
21) Multiple Sclerosis
22) Arnold-Chiari Malformation and Syringomyelia
23) Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA)
24) Parkinson's
25) Tourette's
26) Myoclonus
27) Dystonia
28) Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
29) RSD (Complex Regional Pain Syndromes Type I)
30) CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndromes Type II)
Qualifying Conditions
31) Causalgia
32) Neurofibromatosis
33) Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
34) Sjogren's Syndrome
35) Lupus
36) Interstitial Cystitis
37) Myasthenia Gravis
38) Hydrocephalus
39) Nail-Patella Syndrome
40) Residual Limb Pain
Adding qualifying conditions
• Petition DPH
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Jan. & July - petitions accepted for new conditions
 Patient & Dr. petition for condition to be added
 Medical Cannabis Advisory Board recommend or
deny new condition
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1 Patient advocate/caregiver
2 nurses
3 patients (1 being a veteran)
9 doctors
Director of DPH has final decision making
authority
• Work with Legislature
Senate Bill 2636
• SB2636 passed the Illinois Senate Apr 2 49-5
• Pending in the House - Hearing soon
• Adds seizure conditions including epilespy
• Allows for ONLY minors with seizures
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conditions to be patients
May give authority to DPH to allow minors
with other conditions to be patients
Who Cannot be a Medical Cannabis Patient
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Law Enforcement Officers & Firefighters
Anyone with a school bus permit
Anyone with a Commercial Drivers License
Anyone under the age of 18
Anyone convicted of a felony violation of the
Cannabis Control Act, Controlled Substances
Act, Methamphetamine Control &
Community Protection Act
Patient Registration Requirements
• Bona fide doctor-patient relationship
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Waived for VA patients
• Doctor’s recommendation
• Background check
• Fingerprinting
• Designated dispensing organization
How will patients get medical cannabis
21 Cultivation Centers will produce the
medicine & then sell it to 60 medical
cannabis dispensing organizations.
How will patients get medical cannabis
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Patients will NOT be allowed to grow their
own medicine or have their caregiver grow
their medicine
Patients cannot bring in medicine from other
medical cannabis states
Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
• Patients can obtain up to 2.5 ounces of
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cannabis every 14 days
Limits include the weight of cannabis used to
make infused products, not final weight
Illinois Medical Cannabis Caregivers
• Patients that are unable to obtain their own
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medicine can have a registered caregiver
obtain it for them
Each caregiver must be 21 and can have no
more than one patient that they support
Caregivers must purchase medicine from a
dispensary
DPH Rules
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$100 fee for patients, $25 for caregivers
o Patients on SSDI/SSI - $50
FOID restriction removed
Health Care facilities not considered public
places for purposes of consumption smoking will be prohibited but other
methods will be allowed
What to do moving forward
1. Talk to YOUR doctor for a recommendation
2. Let lawmakers know how you feel about the
Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis
Pilot Program Act
3. Learn more about cannabinoids
4. Educate others about the program &
medicine
IDPH Needs to Hear from Patients!
Public Hearings on Proposed Rules
May 5, 9:30AM
Thompson Center, Concourse Level, Assembly Hall
Auditorium
100 W Randolph St, Chicago
May 21, 9:00AM
UI Springfield
1 University Plaza, Springfield
Medical Cannabis Organizations
Americans for Safe Access
International Cannabinoid Research Society
International Association for Cannabinoid
Medicines
Illinois Cannabis Patients Association
Official Website for MCPP
http://mcpp.illinois.gov
- Proposed Dept. of Public Health Rules
- Public Commentary Email:
DPH.MedicalCannabis@illinois.gov
http://www.ilga.gov/commission/Jcar
Q&A
Questions?