Song in my head: There's been a hoot-owl howling by my window now....for six nights in a row..................Michael Martin Murphy

ALTER-ABLED NEWS

The last week has been brutal. Attention grabbing knee pain debilitated me to my bed or couch as an ice packing, herb smoking cripple. I can only imagine the tortorous pain of two inflamed knees and not being able to walk and put pressure on your joints. It is weeks like the last that make me so grateful for social security disability. It is literally impossible for me to show up anywhere reliablly. Hell!! My blogging schedule is erratic at best, buts that just the way it goes.

My last visit to my primary care physician wielded me Bextra. I never took it though. Now, that it has been pulled from the market, -LINK-; it is one less arsenal for serious debilitating pain. I'll stick to my bong full of Apollo-11, my jar of tiger balm, and ice packs. For now, I have the security of being legal, and am comfortable with my choice of medicating a chronic condition (glaucoma, osteo-arthrits) with a plant. Medical marijuana is the safest method to treat serious, long term chronic pain for me. Here's some current medical marijuana events in the Oregon Area.

Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse

MAMA invites you to:

“Education Day”
at the State Capitol in Salem
Monday, April 18th
8am to 4pm

This is an educational opportunity for everyone about drug policy issues. During the lunch hour Mark Miller, drug information specialist and former Director of the University of Oregon Drug Information Center, will give a “Drug Consumer Safety” presentation. It is a primer on evaluating a drug for it’s risks versus benefits and sets the stage for informed decisions and policy.

There will be:

Information tables and space available for educational materials on drug policy issues. Contact us if you would like to help staff a table or have your group’s information available.

Birthday cake to celebrate the upcoming birthday of OMMA.

Opportunity for attendees to make appointments to meet with their legislators and build a face-to-face relationship with them.

A room reserved where presenters will speak on drug education and drug policy issues. There is on slot in the program (right after lunch) for representatives of Oregon drug policy groups to speak for 10 minutes each. If you are interested in speaking about your organization, please contact Sandee at mama@mamas.org or 503-233-4202.

A social event in the afternoon without charge, location to be announced.
Everyone is invited to attend.

For more information contact us at 503-233-4202 or http://www.mamas.org/

The 5th Annual Million Marijuana March

Saturday, May 7th, 2005

at Pioneer Courthouse Square, small Amphitheater behind Starbuck's at the corner of SW Morrison & SW Broadway, downtown Portland with a full Police escort! Event load in starts at 11:00am we begin to March at HIGH NOON!! THIS IS A NON-SMOKING event. Oregon Legal, Safe and Sane!

The Office of National Drug Control Policy is holding four Regional Drug Testing Summits, one in Portland on Wednesday May 11th.

Drug Czar John Walters is expected to attend. This is a great opportunity for Oregonians to learn and have impact on this issue.

Where: Portland, OR (Monarch Hotel, 12566 SE 93rd Avenue)
When: May 11, 2005 9am-5pm

Register for the summit, HERE.

Summits will be also held in Dallas, TX, Pittsburgh PA and St. Loius, MO

Below is a copy of the agenda and a link to information on Student Drug Testing. One is asked to choose two of three breakout sessions, which are repeated twice.

====Preliminary Agenda====

ONDCP School-Based Drug Testing Summit
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-9:30 Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:30-10:00 Presentation: Research on Student Drug Testing Programs
10:00-10:15 BREAK
10:15-11:15 Presentation: Developing a Student Drug Testing Policy
11:15-12:30 Breakout Sessions:
Session A: Current Drug Testing Technology
Session B: The Role of Student Assistance and Support Programs
Session C: Grant Writing
12:30-1:45 LUNCH (on your own)
1:45-2:45 Presentation: Legal History/Current Legal Issues
2:45-4:00 Breakout Sessions Repeated:
Session A: Current Drug Testing Technology
Session B: The Role of Student Assistance and Support Programs
Session C: Grant Writing
4:00-4:15 BREAK
4:15-4:30 Implementation: Department of Education grant program
United States Department of Education
4:30-4:45 Next Steps
4:45-5:00 Closing Remarks

Until we have can find a cure for arthritis, managing the pain and inflammation is the best the docs can do. It's unfortunate that the COX2 inhibitors ended up so risky because they helped with the pain tremendously. Until I get a knee and hip replacement I have hope in research scientists exploring new arthritis treatments. It is articles like this that give me hope.....for relief.

Australian scientists have identified an enzyme that destroys cartilage in mice and believe the find may lead to new drugs which stop cartilage joint deterioration and painful arthritis in humans.

-LINK-