HEALTH ADVANTAGES OF MARIJUANA TOUTED

Author Promotes Alternative

For maladies such as migraine headaches, arthritis and anorexia, marijuana
can at times be more useful than narcotics in bringing relief, accord to
Chris Conrad, author of a new book entitled "Hemp for Health."

Prescription drugs such as Demerol and Valium are legal, but the side
effects can be more debilitating than those from smoking or ingesting
marijuana, Conrad said. He maintains the federal government is suppressing
results of medical research on the salutary effects of cannabis sativa.

Studies released last month, however, showed that the active ingredient in
marijuana relieves several types of pain, without the risk of addiction.

"Cannabinoids, at least In animal models, can reduce pain," said
University of California, San Francisco pharmacology expert Ian Meng, who
is studying the painkilling properties of several synthetic cannabinoids.

Conrad visited Copperfield’s Books in Petaluma recently to talk about the
historical references to hemp and Its derivatives being smoked, ingested or
applied to the skin for health reasons.

Conrad, dressed in clothing and shoes made from hemp fibers, describes
himself as a "cannabis expert." His twopage resume lists his research,
writing, testimony before congressional committees, and organizations he
has founded or Involved himself with that pro mote hemp or hemprelated
businesses. He has taught classes on safely using medical marijuana and
been a panelist in drug policy workshops.

Conrad said he was motivated to write "Hemp for Health" after his father,
Robert, died in 1994 from cancer. He told the audience that when his dad
became ill and selfdiagnosed himself with cancer, his family discounted
the gravity of his sickness because he tended to be a hypochondriac He was
later diagnosed with the disease, and became a patient in a Veterans
Administration hospital. Like many cancer patients undergoing treatment, he
suffered from insomnia, irritability, lack of appetite and an upset stomach.

In bedside conversations with his son, Robert Conrad expressed an interest
in trying cannabis to relieve his discomfort, but didn't want to ask his
doctor about it, fearing the repercussions for him and his physician. His
daughter worked at the same hospital, and he worried that she could lose
her job if he tried marijuana.

"He didn’t believe it was worth taking the chance. He decided not to try
it and died," Chris Conrad said. "He wanted to try it but feared that if he
were the guinea pig, he could lose his benefits, be thrown In jail or his
doctor could jeopardize his career. He died in pain instead. But even
though he couldn't take the chance, he hoped I would take his story as a
wedge to change lives."

"Hemp for Health," published earlier this year by Healing Arts Press,
covers the nutritional and ecological uses of the cannabis plant. But
Conrad focused last week on therapeutic uses of cannabis worldwide, and how
it ended up becoming a drug banned by the United States in 1937.

Conrad contends it was a grave error—and a medical disservice —to ban
cannabis, thereby depriving people of relief from symptoms caused by
digestive, immunological, dermatological, and neurological problems. There
are 60 different components reaped from the hemp plant that have been
formulated into healing products such as topical ointments, antibiotic
extracts, tinctures and even suppositories, he said.

"Should it now be a medicine for the sick and dying only, when throughout
history it was used for common illness?" Conrad asked.

He maintains the government sanctioned studies that found positive effects
of marijuana have been kept secret from the public.

"I wouldn't count on the government changing the laws unless people
understand the importance and efficacy of medical marijuana," he said. "By
calling it a new drug, they overlooked history, so all the old studies
don't apply."

For thousands of years in Africa, hemp has been used to treat beriberi
and malaria, to alleviate cramps and to reduce the pain of childbirth. In
some cultures, its derivatives have been used to treat mucous infections,
bring down high fevers, and relieve eczema.

"Children were born from mothers smoking cannabis for thousands of years.
It was used in Israel and Germany. It was a normal part of the birthing
process," he said.

In Europe, cannabis was used for psychological and medical applications
in the 19th century and "even Queen Victoria’s personal physician
prescribed it for her," Conrad said

He talked about the nutritive value of hemp and how its seeds and oil are
a natural food source, providing protein and essential fatty acids Hemp
seed was once boiled and ground and eaten as gruel, Conrad said. Five
thousand years ago in China, hemp was considered one of the five essential
plants in the diet.

Conrad, a political activist, served as the statewide community action
coordinator for the petition drive that proposed the California Medical
Marijuana Initiative, known as Proposition 215. The initiative, which
became law after 56 percent of the voters approved the measure last year,
allows people suffering from serious illnesses, such as AIDS or cancer, to
get a doctor's recommendation for marijuana.