CCJS418P Exam 2

Disadvantages of participant observation:

Takes time and money The danger of "going native" Ethical dilemmas Yields nonquantitative data (not measurable with numbers, needs to be operationalized)

What roles do subjective experience and anecdotal evidence play?

The only way marijuana can be researched and understood Requires this type of soft-science rather than objective science (I.e. clinical trials)

Winona LaDuke Quote (Page 4)

"Academics must address the question of, 'How will your research benefit the people you study?'"

Chapkis Quote (Page 4)

"It is my hope that a sympathetic but not uncritical account of the medical use of marijuana - and federal opposition to it - will help clarify what is at stake in the medical marijuana debates for policymakers, the American public, and most especially, for the patients who have entrusted me with their stories"

Judge Young:

"Marijuana in it's natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man"

Limitations of the Study (Page 9)

"Much of the material in this book is based on a single organization, one that has achieved an unusual degree of prominence within the medical marijuana movement. Furthermore, it is located in a very specific cultural context in a community highly supportive of medical marijuana use. The story of this organization and the accounts of it's members may not be broadly generalizable"

Chapkis Quote (Page 2)

"My understanding of medical marijuana as a social issue relies heavily on the research strategy of participant observation, an approach that inevitably and often usefully troubles the line dividing the researcher and the researched"

"Demon Drugs":

"Public discussion of drugs as a social problem thus began, primarily as a conversation about their medical - not recreational - use" Heroin, Percocet, pain relievers, are all psychoactive medications that can be abused recreationally Intoxication is a moral problem, not a medical problem - Minority drug users not considered equally innocent as White female users

The Wo/Mens Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM):

2 days after Prop 215 passed in CA, WAMM was incorporated as a nonprofit organization by Valerie and Michael Corral Marijuana cultivated by WAMM never sold for money, provided free of charge and grown by member volunteers More than 80% of members were living with a life-threatening illness - "dying to get into WAMM" Members volunteered or worked in the garden to pay for their medicine

How many Americans take at least one prescription drug?

44% Pharmaceutical industry most profitable industry in the United States

Liniment:

A balm or liquid known as "rub-a-dub" Produced by gathering pounds and pounds of leaf stems and fragments in a five-gallon jar and mixing in rubbing alcohol, then letting it sit in the dark for a month or more Rapid, topical pain relief for about an hour

Advantages of Participant Observation:

A direct connection to what is being studied Fun, interesting, sometimes a hint of danger A flexible way to investigate phenomena

The Randall Case in 1976:

A federal "medical necessity" case - the individual had glaucoma and cannabis was the only thing that effectively reduced the ocular pressure deteriorating his videos Successfully argued that marijuana was a medical necessity and won an individual exception to the federal prohibition of the drug Used common law doctrine of "compelling need" also known as "Necessity Defense"

Mother's Milk:

A soy and cannabis beverage that these days only a few members produce Developed by Cher Body high not a head high Diane is one of the only members that produces it today (expensive)

Titration:

A way to regulate dosage Involves taking one or two hits from a joint or vaporizer and pausing to gauge the effect Better to use a vaporizer so you don't burn plant matter

The Anslinger Era and the Marijuana Tax Act:

Anslinger pushed for the passage of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 The Marijuana Tax Act was the first federal legislation regulating cannabis on a national level He was first met with resistance about adding marijuana to the Harrison Narcotics act when he asked the AMA Dr. William Woodward was worried this may lose sight of the fact that future investigations may show that there are substantial medical uses for cannabis

Sociological field research began...

At the University of Chicago

Need to isolate cannabinoids:

Can't meet quality control standards due to the presence of other potentially active constituents in the natural substances Isolating cannabinoids can help to maximize the desired effects and minimized the undesired effects, allows for a more precise evaluation

Types of participant observation:

Complete participation Participant as observer Observer as participant Complete observation

Field research includes...

Direct observation Participant observation Case studies

The most natural form of data collection employed by social scientists:

Direct observation of social phenomena in natural settings

Is cannabis the modern day equivalent to "Snake Oil"?

Drug Czar Andrea Barthwell compared the two back when considering marijuana as a medicine It was never generally regarded as this by society

If the people being studied find out you are studying them, they might modify their behavior by...

Expelling you from the group setting Changing their speech and behavior towards social norms Changing the overall social process itself ***Must maintain objectivity in research

Sativex:

First prescription drug made of botanical cannabis Already approved in Canada and on the "fast track" in the United States as of 2014 Users can use it and not get high by dosage through self-titration (symptom relief without intoxication)

Another ACLU lawsuit against the DEA:

For unreasonable delay to respond to an application for a license to produce small amounts of marijuana Held Dr. Craker's application for three years with no response Lawsuit win increased the number of FDA-approved research studies receiving marijuana

The IOM Study:

Found cannabinoids are moderately well-suited for some patients Cannabis is not especially dangerous; few develop dependence Diversity of chemicals isn't really a problem Most findings were ignored by federal policymakers Users won't overdose, withdrawal short-lived The issue of "medical purity" - too many different compounds in botanical marijuana Belief-based vs. Science based medicine

"Just Say Know":

Government threatening physicians - Conant v. McCaffrey - lawsuit over a first amendment violation Won a permanent injunction against federal interference with physicians who recommended marijuana to their patients "In short, since the early 20th century, the United States federal government - sometimes working in consort with organized medicine and sometimes challenging its authority - effectively stigmatized cannabis use"

Researched impeded:

Harry Anslinger actively impeded medical marijuana research No permission was granted to conduct research during Anslinger's 30-year tenure with the FBN FBN systematically blocked scientific research on marijuana

real medicine vs. botanical remedies:

Implication that botanical remedies are somehow impure Purity seen as a quality that can only be produced by isolating and extracting specific active compounds

From Patient to Outlaw:

In August 1992, a helicopter flyover noticed 5 marijuana plants growing on Valerie Corral's property and she was arrested Valerie Corral couldn't accept diversion into a drug program because she couldn't stop using it; her seizures would come back Her trial was right before Measure A, a medical marijuana initiative - her charges were dropped just before trial She was arrested again for cultivation but the D.A. refused to even file charges

Academic field research began...

In the late 19th century with Anthropology

Case studies:

In-depth, qualitative studies of one or a few illustrative cases

Tolerance:

Intensive medicinal use of any substance may create some measure of tolerance and diminished effect Many WAMM members report that the early euphoric effects diminish or disappear over time For members with a history of drug abuse and recovery, establishing a clear distinction between recreational and medical use is a priority Profound differences in the effects when used medically or recreationally - lower doses for medical use, also partially due to the behavior of users and attitudes toward use (Set and setting)

Synthetic drugs are not necessarily better

Isolating specific components allows for greater human control over what is ingested and in what quantity; but it also eliminates the "synergy" in which naturally co-occurring components interact The synergetic interaction can offer unique benefits that enhance therapeutic effects or diminish undesirable effects Therapeutic value of natural complexity Weil: Synthesis of natural plant products into pharmaceutical preparations increase the potential for adverse side effects, but may not increase therapeutic action

Should politics play a role in determining the value of marijuana as a medicine?

It does but it shouldn't Politics play an equal role to legitimate science in determining the value of marijuana as a medicine

The Muffin Man:

John Paul Taylor was known as "The Muffin Man" He used dried cannabis leaf to make muffins While he rarely used the muffins himself (preferred smoking), he found "pleasure and purpose in the weekly ritual of baking for others" Slow cooked the leaf powder for nearly 24 hours - longer it cooked, the more potent the resulting muffins would be

Capsules:

Known as "Mari-caps", produced twice a month by the "happy cappers" led by Jon The capsules contain a mixture of ground leaf and butter, cooked slowly at low temperatures Takes 30 to 90 min to feel the effects, but lasts longer than smoked marijuana (4-12 hours)

Proposition 215 passed in 1996:

Legalized medical marijuana in CA 4 years after IND Program suspended Federal government threatened to revoke the license and DEA prescription authority of any physician who recommended or prescribed their patients marijuana

Racial involvement in the prohibition of drugs:

Linked Opium, Cocaine, and then Marijuana to minorities - linking willful drug use to immigrants and racial minorities provided a convenient explanation for the unequal economic and social status of those groups

Is medical marijuana a contradiction in terms?

Marijuana seen a drug for recreation not a medicine, unrefined, promiscuous, made up of 400+ ingredients rooted in dirt Medicine seen as synthetic, standardized, pure, resting in the hands of men

Dependence and self-regulation:

Marijuana reduces dependence on more dangerous pharmaceuticals with more intense side effects Self-regulation though taking responsibility of your usage - WAMM members help themselves and other learn how to regulate usage and develop a practice of responsible use - intervene when they think other users are smoking too much No true dependence on marijuana and few strong withdrawal effects "The psychoactive effects of cannabis are experienced as both compelling and therapeutic by many patients but disturbing and unwelcome by others suggests that the medical use of marijuana will not be appropriate for all patients, even those who find effective physical symptom relief through use of the drug"

Dying in the embrace of friends:

Majority of the WAMM members were living with a life-threatening illness (80%) Death is a source of social cohesion but a painful aspect WAMM was a place for the sick and dying - informal hospice situation The common experience of mortality helps unite an otherwise disparate group of individuals WAMM's model was an alternative like hospice care for the terminally ill - intimate end of life care

Regulars:

Male physicians with formal education and training, seen as more professional than "root and herb" doctors "Good drugs dispensed by doctors" - emphasized prescriptions Distinguished themselves from midwives and herbalists through "Heroic Medicine" (bloodletting, blistering, purging, using toxic based mercury medicines) Excluded women Created the AMA - legislative success against abortion and other intersections of morality and public health

Social Movement Spillover:

Many of the features of WAMM actually mirror the vision of earlier health and social justice movements with grassroots supports (I.e. AA) Feminist women's healthcare movement and AIDs activism both inform WAMM's structure, mission, and practices Queer community also a critical ally Santa Cruz home of the "Clean Needle" program for IV drug users

Marijuana and the Modern Moral Panic:

Marijuana is proclaimed to be dangerous, halting all scientific research Use by racial minorities and political radicals Use by White, middle-class youth in the 1960s Medicinal value of cannabis was abolished by the Controlled Substances Act of 1970

Stoned realizations:

Members were facing difficult emotional issues with diminished anxiety Described increased introspection as a welcome side effect The absence of pain but also a "pleasure factor" Therapeutic use of marijuana targeted at more than physical symptom relief - emotional pain relief

Secret garden planting and harvest

Mike Corral plants hundreds of marijuana seeds from plants he has bred himself every year on March 21st Harvest occurs between early October and mid-november

Natural Cures:

Much interest in alternative approaches to health care (homeopathy) Less expensive The discovery of "wonder drugs" has fallen off a bit - less breakthrough drugs, growing interest in alternative therapies

Deserving patients and undeserving potheads:

Neat divisions between medical and social users are unworkable Can use medically and recreationally at different times

WAMM meetings:

No marijuana was smoked at weekly meetings - members go to pick up their prescriptions 90 minutes were spent on community building Such meetings were "frustrating" for members, but also "essential and life-affirming" - social support from other sick members Held every Tuesday evening

Dispensing with intimacy:

Not a group people chose on the basis of liking each other Mandatory attendance in order to pick-up the marijuana - emotional investment in WAMM develops through community building meetings; have to become familiar with each other and witness each other's suffering Its the medicine and the meeting - need the medicine for pain as well as people that understand your pain and suffering Meetings address the isolation that accompanies illness

Most striking difference between marijuana and "real medicine"

Not the physical effects, but the social effects the plant has on users and healers alike Social effects are where the politics become problematic - people that smoked marijuana for therapeutic relief were seen as illegitimate

What makes the high a side effect?:

Numerous prescription drugs also have psychoactive properties and appeal to recreational users (cough medicine with codeine) Mechoulam regards the psychotropic effect as a side effect in a medical context Becker reminds us "side effects are not the effects desired by either the user or the person administering the drugs" Both "main effects" and "side effects" as categories are socially constructed and subject to change

The LaGuardia Report:

Panel assembled by the New York mayor to examine the effects of Marijuana on individuals users and on public order Scientific study utilizing both sociological fieldwork methods and controlled clinical experiments Found "Marijuana use did not lead to addiction, was not common among children, and no causal relationship existed between marijuana use and urban crime"

"Going Native" means...

Overidentifying with the group being studied, beginning to align with the group you are supposed to be doing research on, getting in too deep - messes up the research

Eclectics:

People that support any kinds of alternative medicine, over the counter supplements, homeopathy, chiropracting, alternative routes to wellness "Bad drugs that are available directly to the public by unlicensed practitioners" Admitted women into their medical schools

Valerie Leveroni (Corral):

Plane turbulence caused a car crash in 1973 - she suffered up to 5 seizures a day afterward None of the prescription drugs she tried helped control her seizures - only Marijuana helped Her and her husband/primary caregiver Michael Corral read articles about marijuana helped to control seizures so she began using it and they started to cultivate their own

Beginning and end of the IND (Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program):

Randall was provided with medical marijuana monthly from the University of Mississippi through the IND Program At first, he was the only research subject - 7 other people eventually received it IND Program suspended in 1992 after influx of applications from people living with AIDs (guilty victims who did not deserve the reward of using cannabis)

Therapeutic horticulture:

Secret garden is more than a garden, "a healing space" Evokes a profound sense of privacy and security, despite existing in violation of federal law Gardening can help restore physical and mental health of people suffering from a variety of ailments Passive enjoyment of healing gardens exerts a restorative influence on cognitive functioning and on emotional centers in the limbic system of the brain Therapeutic gardening provides participants with a flow experience - a harmonization between demands and possibilities

Medical marijuana users:

Seen as those who have never used marijuana before recreationally or as pretenders/posers who really have a social relationship with marijuana (willfully bad and unworthy of protection) In reality, there are medical and social users - identities are not neatly dichotomous

3 principles of sociological field research:

Study people in their natural settings Study people by directly interacting with them Gain an understanding of the social world and make theoretical statements based on the members perspectives

Marinol:

Synthetic THC in sesame oil Once Marinol was developed in the early to mid 80s, smoked cannabis became unnecessary Looked better to doctors because it was in a capsule/pill form Users said it was too strong Used to treat nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy

Golden Bullets (prescriptions, pills):

The "widespread popular support for marijuana at the turn of the 21st century is less a reflection of changing views on drug prohibition than it is of changing attitudes towards medicine" Health care and prescription drugs are very expensive Americans pay more for healthcare per person than citizens elsewhere in the world Prescription drug costs have gone up at least 15% every year since 2005

Smoking is hazardous to your health:

The best established risks of sustained use of botanical marijuana are not associated with the plant, but with the effects of the most popular route of administration: smoking" Botanical marijuana reduced to a smoked product although there are other less harmful, non smokeable forms In 2004, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jocelyn Elders mentioned edibles and vaporizers as alternatives to smoking Long-terms risks of smoking are not really of concern to patients that are terminally ill or have debilitating pain - but for some it is a serious concern

A dangerous drug with no medical value:

The consciousness altering properties of cannabis were seen by policy makers as an impediment to thinking of the drug as a medicine Little evidence of harm associated with cannabis beyond the route of administration (smoking) - bad for the lungs regardless of the substance WHO - no evidence of biological harm, psychological impairment, or social dysfunction as a result of most cannabis consumption

Free Riding:

The free rider problem is when someone doesn't contribute enough to the collective Some members were in disagreement about what they need or want - don't need or want to contribute, just want to live their own separate lives and receive free marijuana Unequal contributions to the collective - some members didn't care, others were angry and resentful

Tincture:

The mildest, least psychoactive of the orally administered nonsmokables Called "dragon's blood" because of it's tint Made with ground leaf and 151-proof alcohol stored for at least 2 weeks, longer if possible It has a mild sedative effect due to alcohol rather than a pronounced high - recommended for new users or those who don't like the "high"

Santa Cruz, CA:

The success and survival of WAMM depends in part on it's social setting and the cultural and political mindset of the people of Santa Cruz, CA Supportive of the medical marijuana movement - an outspokenly progressive community College students contributed to the progressive leftist atmosphere

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM):

Therapies used in conjunction with or as an alternative to conventional care Relieve pain and suffering but aren't a cure Used by more than a third of adult Americans Herbal and botanical remedies are the most commonly used form of CAM

Obstructing science:

Through the late 90s and early 2000s, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of federal authority over cultivation and possession of marijuana - even for medical use The government agencies involved included the DEA and NIDA blocking even carefully designed research One one source of marijuana at this time could be used in research - University of Mississippi (Not as potent as other marijuana)

Tobacco:

Tobacco was seen as a gateway to cannabis use The cigarette is a psychoactive drug delivery system, similar in route of administration to cannabis (Smoking) Cigarette was a gateway to cannabis experimentation and contributed to the proliferation of cannabis smoking because it taught people how to absorb drugs through their lungs by smoking

Servant leaders:

Valerie's loving and charismatic persona positions her somewhere between selfless organizer and celebrated diva A respected advocate and foremost authority on medical marijuana Insists members access to marijuana grown by the collective is based on medical need, not on ability to pay The garden was on the Corral's property - they were the ones at risk of losing their property and freedom, not the members

Collective contributions:

Voluntary participation in WAMM but members must contribute to a certain extent in the garden, through supplies or donations The stress of uneven participation due to illness - poor health and poverty prevent some members from making material contributions A kind of honor system, everyone is supposed to pitch in - the work you put in is returned by the care of other members when you are too sick to contribute anymore Need assistance in the form of time and energy, not money

WAMM member and non smokeables:

WAMM members have developed a variety of innovative methods of creating non-smoked forms of cannabis Addresses the most significant health risk associated with medical marijuana use Low-cost, low tech production techniques Members involvement increases their sense of patient empowerment

Grassroots alternatives to smoking:

WAMM members themselves produced a range of nonsmoker products for those who don't enjoy smoking or don't need a rapid onset Smoking isn't effective for all members Both eating and smoking cannabis for therapeutic purposes requires a process of learning how to consume the plant-based medicine and how to recognize an effective, but not overpowering, dose "Start low and go slow" - experimentation required to see how much cannabis you need to eat to feel better While the buds are reserved for smoking, every other part of the plant is utilized in non smokeable alternatives

A sense of wellness:

Whether it is called a high, euphoria, or simply psychological benefits, the psychoactive effects of marijuana are a frequently commented on aspect of the drugs medicinal value in interviews with patients" Distances the person from the pain even if it doesn't eliminate it - focus on the ailment, not the life-threatening illness

"Accidental addicts":

White, middle-aged females dependent on morphine Rural, middle-class, considered innocent (not blamed for their addiction)