William Brooke O’Shaughnessy is the Irish-born, Scottish-educated physician who, while working for the British East India Company in the 1830s and ‘40s, wrote the journal articles that introduced cannabis to Western medicine.
Backgrounder
By Fred Gardner
The Society of Cannabis Clinicians (SCC), was founded in 1999 by Tod Mikuriya, MD, to enable doctors monitoring their patients’ cannabis use to share findings and observations. The SCC was originally called the California Cannabis Research Medical Group.
O’Shaughnessy’s was launched in newspaper format in 2003 by Dr. Mikuriya and Fred Gardner, a former editor of Scientific American and public information officer for the district attorney of San Francisco. The goal was a journal that would enable SCC doctors to 1) publish findings and observations, 2) keep abreast of research in cannabinoid science, 3) review legal and political developments, and 4) share state-of-the-art information with colleagues and patients.
Tod died in 2007. The first section of our Winter/Spring 2008 double issue recounted his indispensable role in the medical marijuana movement. (Click on pdf at right to open it.) Other back issues can be viewed on this site as pdfs. The site will also feature:
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• O’Shaughnessy’s News Service —Original reporting and analysis.
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• Grand Rounds —Talks and papers that explain and advance the field of cannabis therapeutics.
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• The Medical Marijuana Movement —Our unpublished history.
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• A Housewife Reads the News —Items you might have missed plus commentary you might appreciate concerning our “healthcare system” and the society at large.
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• Music & Art —Gleaned from the field of cannabis therapeutics.
A double Issue recounting the history of Prop 215
and the 10-year struggle to implement it.
1 Medical Marijuana in California, 1996-2006, Survey by Mikuriya et al.
2 Ask Your Doctor if Cannabis is Right For You
3 Denney v. DEA: “Keep Big Brother Out of My Exam Room”
9 Lab Studies by Cannabinoid Researchers Help Explain Cilnical Efficacy
10 ICRS 2006: Increasing Focus on CBD by Dr. X et al
10 Acomplia Goes on Sale for Weight Loss
11 Emerging Clinical Applications of Cannabis by Paul Armentano
15 Dennis Peron and the Passage of Prop 215
19 A Stall in the Name of Science (The Institute of Medicine Report)
19 The DIS-implementation of Prop 215 —Pat McCartney
24 The Decade of the Cannabis Club by Dale Gieringer
32 Medical Board Targets Cannabis Consultants
For Violating Unrealistic "Standard of Practice"
34 My Civil Rights Suit vs. the Medical Board by David Bearman
36 California’s IID Card Program: Views by Hergenrather and Denney
38 Vaya Con Dios: Freddy Fender, Robert Altman, Clifford Antone, Anita O’Day
39 “Weeds” —a review of the first season
40 Medical Milk
41 Cannabis: The Anti-Drug (Implications of the Survey)
Spring 2006 Contents
1 A Day in the Life of a Cannabis Consultant by Philip A. Denney, MD
1 Continuing Medical Education at Patients out of Time Conference
3 Cannabis for Childhood Mental Disorders by Tod Mikuriya, MD
5 Melanie Dreher Discusses Cannabis Use in Pregnancy
5 Cannabis Relieves Morning Sickness by Phillipe Lucas
6 The Recurring Terror of Combat by Al Byrne
7 A Decent Society Protects the Vulnerable by Erin Hildebrandt
8 On Post Traumatic Stress by Christopher Largen
9 PTSD: A Clinician Ponders Mechanism of Action by David Bearman, MD
10 Oregon in Denial Over Cannabis as Antidepressant by Ed Glick, RN
11 Cannabis Eases PTSD by Tod Mikuriya, MD
12 Harm Reduction: The Cannabis Paradox by Robert Melamede
20 Counties Challenge Law Creating ID Card Program by Ellen Komp
21 Cloning Made Simple by Andrew Glazer
21 Oakland CBC Offshoot Will Run Alameda County Card Program
22 Urziceanu Ruling Protects Sales, Distribution by Pebbles Trippet
22 Advantages of Orally Ingested Cannabis by Mollie Fry, MD
25 The Undertreatment-of-Pain Crisis by Frank Fisher, MD
26 The Remarkable W.B. O’Shaughnessy
30 The Prohibition of Marijuana: The 1937 Congressional Hearing
Winter/Spring 2008 Part 2 Contents
1ICRS 2007 Meeting —Studies on CBD, Terpenes
1 The Naulls Case: Nanny State Snatches Kids From Devoted Mom and Dad
2 CB-2 Receptor Research —Healing Without the High By Martin Lee
2 Oaksterdam University Offers Cannabis-Oriented Curriculum
5-6 ICRS Talks of Special Interest by Dr. X and Dr. Mirage
7 Raphael Mechoulam on CBD (IACM Report)
8 Ethan Russo on Terpenes (IACM Report)
9 Surprising Cases Involving Cancer Patients by Jeffrey Hergenrather, MD
9 On Being Called a “Potdoc” by Randolph Clark, MD
10 Grinspoon on Cannabis and Schizophrenia
10 On Joseph Biederman (Why “Bipolar” Diagnoses are Soaring)
11 Donald Abrams’ Landmark Study published by Neurology
11 Cannabis Use in Adolescence by Tom O’Connell, MD
12 Denney V. DEA Heading for Trial
14 Shasta County’s Harassment of Kimberly Olson
16 San Diego’s Frivolous Investigation of Dr. Robert Sterner
17 Federal Jury Finds Mollie Fry, MD, and Dale Schafer Guilty of Cultivation
19 Claudia Jensen, MD, Mae Nutt, Anita Roddick, Evel Knievel —Obits
21 Politically Motivated DUI Charges By Bill Britt
22 Medical Board Makes Mikuriya Ruling “Precedential” by Frank Lucido, MD
23 DEA Raids Escalated in 2007 by Dale Gieringer
27 Appeals Court Orders Police to Follow State Law in Kha case
27 ... And to Stop Faking Expertise in Chakos Case
28 The Ross Case —Employer's Right to Fire Held Sacred
30 Mikuriya Obituaries --History Rewritten
33 Seattle Hempfest —World’s Biggest PC Rally
34 25 Years of Federal “Compassion” by Irvin Rosenfeld
Autumn 2005 Contents
1 Smoking Cannabis Does Not Cause Lung Cancer, Tashkin Finds;
Data Suggest Possible Protective Effect
2 A Cooling Effect from Cannabis? —Tod Mikuriya, MD
3 Cannabis for Crohn's Disease—Jeffrey Hergenrather, MD
4 JAMA Acknowledges the Endocannabinoid System ("ECS")
4 Lessons from a California Practice (outline by Philip Denney, MD)
5 Marijuana and Impairment by Rick Bayer, MD
7 Rational Guidelines for Dosing by Greg Carter, MD, et al
7 Extreme Sensitivity to Marinol —Note by Mikuriya
8 Implications of Early Cannabis Initiation By Tom O'Connell
8 Use by Teens Declines in MMJ States —O’Keefe and Earleywine
10 ICRS 2005 Report plus Talks of Special Interest by Dr. X
11 US Supreme Court Ruling in Raich Case Leaves Doctor-Patient Relationship Intact; DEA Targets Some Growers, Dispensaries
12 California Resumes Issuing ID Cards to MMJ Users
13 Confidentiality Concerns May Keep Patients from Getting ID Cards
14 NIDA Blocks Vaporization Study; Researchers Appeal to DEA
15 Doctors Respond to Raich Ruling
16 Spurt of Medical MJ Cases Follows Raich Ruling by Dale Gieringer
17 Feds Take Over Prosecution of Merced Organizer Dustin Costa
18 The "Professional Bust" of Fred Demchuk
20 Don't Lie to Your Doctor By Frank Lucido
21 Wide Range of Responses to Dispensaries By Dale Gieringer
23 Pain Specialists' Warning by Joe Talley
26 Rick Steves' Internationalism
What's the Matter with Canada? By Richard Cowan
25 Oregon Bills Dr. Leveque, Steve McWilliams Says Goodbye
f29 Costs of Prohibition Calculated (Jeff Miron study)
31 Ricky Williams Takes a Late Hit from “60 Minutes”
Spring 2005 Contents
1 Ashcroft v. Raich: Background and Arguments
1 Clujbs Opening Despite Local Restrictions by Dale Gieringer
2 Vioxx Deaths = 55,000 (19 times mores than 9/11)
3 Reduced use of Pharmaceuticals by Jeffrey Hergenrather, ME
3 Letter to a Chief Probation Officer —Philip A.Denney, MD
5 On the Prosecution of Pain Specialists by Frank Fisher, MD
6 Medical Board Watch by Frank Lucido, MD
8 A Cautionary Tale by Frank Lucido, MD
9 A Pro-Cannabis Doctor "Comes Out" by Carol Wolman, MD
10 Petitions 'R' Us: ASA Goes to Washington, Gettman Tries Again
(Again); Dr. Craker of UMASS Seeks License to Cultivate
12 Medical Marijuana and Biochemical Balance by Robert Melamede
13 Scientific American on Cannabinoids as “Retrograde Messengers"
15 Cannabis Use as Self-Medication for Anxiety by Tom O'Connell, MD
16 Approval as a Botanical Drug by Dr. R., an FDA consultant
17 Marijuana and AIDS: WAMM study (Brown et al)
21 Robert Raich on the Supreme Court ruling
22 Activists' Cases Riding on Raich by Ann Harrison
27 Landmark Prop 215 Cases —Pebbles Trippet and Omar Figueroa
30 California to Issue ID Cards for Medical MJ by Ellen Komp
30 The Allowable Quantity Expert (a profile of Chris Conrad)
31 "Orgies of the Hemp Eaters" reviewed by Michael Aldrich
32 Cannabis Trimmer Attributes Illness to Pesticide Exposure
33 Can MMJ Trade Group Set Safety Standards? By Jane Weirick
33 San Francisco Police return cannabis to patient
36 Ricky Williams Does '60 Minutes'
37 Dennis Peron Will Run English Hotel
Autumn 2004
1 Ricky Williams Protests Drug Testing by Quitting Football
1 Cannabinoid Antagonist (Rimonabant) Will be Sold as Diet Drug
2 Privacy Wins in Bearman Case
2 Why I'm Starting MedBoardWatch by Frank Lucido, MD
3 Honor Complexity by Andrew Weil
3 "Marijuana Use Disorders" Note by Tod Mikuriya
4 The International Cannabinoid Society Meets in Paestum, Italy
plus Talks of Interest by Dr. X
5 California MJ Research Program Stretches Mandate
to Hold "Cannabinoid Therapeutics" Event in Italy
7 The Prosecution of Tod Mikuriya by Fred Gardner
11 Medical Board Got Dr. Fry’s Records From DEA Illegally
12 The Conspiracy to Block Prop 215f by Pat McCartney
Spring 2004 contents
1 Encouraged by 9th Circuit's Conant Ruling, More California Doctors Approve Cannabis Use (Denney and Sullivan Open Orange County Office)
1 Cannabis in the Curriculum (Claudia Jensen's syllabus)
2 Cannabis Specialists Agree on Health History Questionnaire
(turned out to be wishful thinking)
3 Implementation of the Compassionate Use Act in a Family Medical
Practice: Seven Years' Clinical Experience
by Frank Lucido, MD, and Maria Mangini, PhD, FNP
5 Volcano is to Vaporizer as Porsche is to Automobile
8 Case Notes:
Atrophie Blanche Treated With Cannabis And/or THC --Tod Mikuriya, MD;
Three Consecutive Patients --Philip A. Denney
8 California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research
Has 18 State-funded studies in pipeline by Dale Gieringer
9 Notes re Pattern of Use by Tom O'Connell, MD
10 The Regulatory Role of Endocannabinoids by Robert Melamede, PhD
11 Which Conditions are Treatable with Cannabis?
17 "Therapeutic Potential" in Spotlight at International Cannabinoid
Research Society Meeting
18 Requiem for the Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics
19 Succession of Successes (Pebbles Trippet on seven court cases)
Summer 2003 Contents
1 Mikuriya Asks Medical Board to Drop Charges and Clarify
Practice Standards re Cannabis
2 The International Cannabinoid Research Society Meets At Asilomar (What Every Doctor Should Know About Cannabinoids)
3 Which Medical Conditions Are Californians Actually Using Cannabis to Treat?
4 Notes on Learning What to Look For by Tom O'Connell, MD
5 Cannabis as a Substitute for Alcohol by Tod Mikuriya, MD
9 Recommendation to Patients: "Don't Smoke, Vaporize"
by Dale Gieringer, PhD
9 Marijuana Smoking Doesn't Lead to Higher Death Rate
(account of a study by Kaiser researcher Steven Sidney, MD)
10 CMA, Patients Join Push for Guidelines
14 The Marijuana Problem by Lester Grinspoon
17 Bayer Buys Rights to Market GW's Cannabis Extract
Sidebar: Bayer's Original Blockbuster
19 1873 Tax Survey —Predecessor to the Indian Hemp Commission Report
SCC President Jeffrey Her- genrather and Secretary Randy Clarke are among the pro-cannabis MDs who distribute O’Shaughnessy’s print edition.
To order, contact
O’Shaughnessy’s
The Journal of Cannabis in Clinical Practice