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Jewish Journal

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March 18, 2014

Removing the Smoke from Medical Cannabis

Leave a Comment / Blogs /

When you walk past any of the numerous medical marijuana “caregiver” stores in our Pico-Robertson neighborhood, it’s hard not to think of hippies, rock concerts and Cheech and Chong, but there’s huge potential for a real medical use of marijuana, if we can get just get past all that smoke which obscures the issue.

A few years ago we asked about medical marijuana for our son because the anti-seizure medications he takes have the unpleasant side effect of suppressing his appetite, and we thought that medical marijuana could be a possible solution.  Our neurologist at Children’s Hospital cautioned against it, saying there’s no way to know how much potency is in each dose in the current un-regulated market in California.  Instead, she prescribed a sinus medication that has the side effect of increasing his appetite, and thus ended our brief encounter with cannabis, the scientific term for marijuana that advocates have begun to use to stress the medical nature of the substance.

But for a friend of ours who has a daughter with uncontrollable seizures, medical cannabis has been nothing short of a miracle. A new variety called “Charlotte’s Web” grown in Colorado is low in THC, the substance that gives the high, and high in CBD, which has medicinal properties for pain but no psychoactivity. Named after Charlotte Figi, who first developed seizures at 3 months old, and whose parents exhausted every other option, including seven different medications, stringent diets and high-dose supplements, the strain is now helping hundreds of children through a new non-profit, Realm of Caring.

There’s been very little research on this new variety of medical cannabis mostly because marijuana is currently classified as Schedule I, along with heroin and LSD. Advocates feel strongly that this classification stands in the way of federal funding for research into possible benefits of the drug.

Charlotte’s Web is ingested as an oil, not smoked or cooked, and has proven so beneficial to people with seizures and other chronic diseases from all across the country that over 100 families have left their jobs, homes, friends and family behind and moved to Colorado to get the medicine that is literally changing lives. And these new “refugees” can’t return home with the oil because crossing state lines with it can land them in jail for drug trafficking.

With the emergence of this alternative medical treatment, the Epilepsy Foundation last month recognized medical marijuana as a treatment for epilepsy, calling for better access to the drug and more research into its possibilities.

The most public champion of increased research into the beneficial properties of medical marijuana is probably Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN. He recently wrote in an editorial regarding his new documentary, “Weed 2: Cannabis Madness ” that “I am more convinced than ever that it is irresponsible to not provide the best care we can, care that often may involve marijuana.”

It’s time to leave the 1960s behind with the last season of Mad Men, and move on to a new federal policy on medical cannibis that reflects the true medical value and healing potential of this plant.

Removing the Smoke from Medical Cannabis Read More »

Mother of slain soldier presents Gilad Shalit with Spirit of Hope Award

Leave a Comment / Israel, Live from the Arab Spring /

This story originally appeared on themedialine.org.

The woman whose poignant pleas to the Israeli government to do whatever it would take to repatriate captured soldier Gilad Shalit – even releasing her own son’s killer – served as presenter of the Shalva “Spirit of Hope” award to the former hostage at the organization’s 24th Anniversary dinner in New York.

Esther Wachsman, whose son Nachshon was kidnapped by Hamas in 1994 and killed during a failed rescue attempt by an elite force, told successive prime ministers that she would support releasing her son’s killer in order to repatriate Shalit. Once liberated, Shalit joined Wachsman as a volunteer at Shalva, the Association for Mentally and Physically Challenged Children in Israel, the nation’s pre-eminent facility for special needs children.  

“When Nachshon was held by Hamas, they demanded the release of 200 terrorists and their spiritual leader, Sheikh Yassin. Then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin said at the time that under no circumstances would he ever negotiate with terrorists or yield to blackmail,” Wachsman told The Media Line. “And he put together a military action to save [Nachshon] and it failed and I never saw my son again.”

Wachsman said that she and her husband often visited the protest tent the Shalit family set up outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem and “saw the suffering of those parents.” She said it was there that she vowed “purely as a mother and with no political thought that I couldn’t get my son back but this mother had a chance of having her son come home and I was going to do everything in my power to make that happen.”

Philanthropist Stewart Rahr, a Shalva benefactor, underscored the impact of Wachsman’s words.  He told The Media Line that, “My ex-mother-in-law lost her son who was in his 20s and never got over it. She still speaks about him frequently and the pain is, even now, palpable. Through her own sacrifice, Esther heroically reminds us that burying a child defies nature and if someone can help prevent such a tragedy, it’s important to do so.”

Nevertheless, Wachsman said she encountered opposition from her own family. “My children were adamantly against it, asking, ‘What if 1,000 prisoners are released and one kills me?’”

As for Shalit, meeting and bonding with Esther Wachsman took him to Shalva, where he was a fixture in prayers for five years. “I wanted to give back to the Israeli people in return for all they did for me,” Shalit told The Media Line. “Esther introduced me to Shalva and I’ve been volunteering there with her ever since.”

In fact, during his captivity, two Shalva youngsters with an interest in journalism traveled to the United States where they interviewed many notables and elected officials, always asking what they are doing to secure Shalit’s release. When he was freed, the first and only interview Gilad granted was to the “Shalva correspondents.”

Rabbi Kalman Samuels, Shalva’s executive director, told The Media Line that Wachsman’s son, Rafael, who was born with Down’s Syndrome, has received care from the organization for most of his life. In fact, “Rafael stayed with us at Shalva during the time his brother was being held by Hamas until after the “shiva” mourning period. “Just as Gilad Shalit’s life took an unexpected turn he wasn’t expecting, all the lives associated with Shalva also took unexpected turns,” said Samuels. The honor bestowed on Shalit, he explained, was “for the hope that Gilad gives to everyone who knows him that nothing is impossible; and we could think of no one more appropriate than Esther Wachsman to make the presentation. She fought for him and didn’t want Gilad to have the same fate that her son had.”

Shalva itself resulted from the bond between parents and child when Samuels and his wife, Malki, fulfilled a personal pledge to give back after their son, Yossi, who lost sight and hearing upon receiving a defective DPT vaccination at 11-months of age, showed dramatic progress in his rehabilitation at the age of 8. The Samuels’ in 1990 set out to provide “peace of mind” (translation of the Hebrew, “Shalva”) to families with special-needs children.

The Shalva National Center expects to open its new 11-story facility in Jerusalem in 2015. It will offer 200,000 square foot of space on a 7-acre plot in the heart of the city.

Mother of slain soldier presents Gilad Shalit with Spirit of Hope Award Read More »

Israel says it might not carry out Palestinian prisoner release

Leave a Comment / Israel, Mobile, Mobile-Homepage, News /

Israel told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday it might not carry out a final stage of a Palestinian prisoner release unless he commits to prolonging peace talks beyond an April deadline for a deal.

A senior Palestinian official said there would be “big consequences” if the release did not go ahead as planned.

Israel's chief negotiator, Tzipi Livni, issued her warning just a day after Abbas, at a White House meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama aimed at keeping the talks alive, voiced hope the prisoners would go free by March 29.

“There was never any automatic commitment to release prisoners unrelated to making progress in negotiations,” Livni said in a speech in southern Israel that could complicate Washington's efforts to salvage peacemaking.

She was referring to Israel's agreement, as part of U.S. efforts to revive Palestinian statehood talks frozen for three years, to free 104 inmates jailed for attacks, many of them deadly, against Israelis before a 1993 interim peace deal.

Israel has freed more than 70 of those prisoners since the negotiations resumed in July. But the talks have made little progress and Washington is trying to set guidelines to keep them going beyond the original April 29 target date for a deal.

Abbas's spokesman said a failure to hand over the final batch of prisoners would represent a violation of an accord struck with the United States and Israel.

“Any violation of this agreement would bring about big consequences,” said Nabil Abu Rdainah, without giving further details.

U.S. officials fear the negotiations would collapse if Israel fails to free the final group of prisoners. Palestinians regard brethren jailed by Israel as heroes in a quest for an independent state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. Israel views them as terrorists.

“The key to the door for Palestinian prisoners is in Abu Mazen's hands,” Livni said, using Abbas's nickname.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Israel wanted assurances that Abbas wouldn't walk out of the talks once the prisoners went free.

Netanyahu, who met Obama in Washington two weeks ago, has said any peace deal with the Palestinians would take at least another year to negotiate should both sides accept U.S.-proposed principles to keep the talks going.

“We need to be sure the negotiations will last beyond the release of prisoners, and that they will be substantive, and on solid ground,” the official said.

Another stumbling block, the official said, is a Palestinian demand that Israeli Arabs convicted of deadly attacks on Jews be included among those due to go free this month.

Editing by Jeffrey Heller, Alistair Lyon and Crispian Balmer

Israel says it might not carry out Palestinian prisoner release Read More »

Four Israeli troops hurt in Golan blast, Israel blames Syria

Leave a Comment / Is Featured?, Israel, Lead Story, Mobile, Mobile-Homepage, News /

A roadside bomb wounded four Israeli soldiers patrolling the Golan Heights on Tuesday, and Israel retaliated with artillery fire on Syrian army positions, the army said.

It was not clear who had planted the bomb in an area where the Syrian military, Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas and Syrian rebels fighting President Bashar Assad all have a presence.

Violence in Syria has spilled over the Golan frontline in the past but Tuesday's casualties were the worst Israel has suffered in there since the Syrian uprising began three years ago, army spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said.

Noticing suspicious movement near the Golan separation fence, the soldiers left their patrol vehicle to inspect it on foot and were hit by an explosion, Lerner said. One was seriously hurt and the others had moderate to light injuries.

Israeli artillery shelled Syrian army positions on the far side of the fence in retaliation, Lerner said.

“We see the Syrian army as responsible, and that is indicated by our response to the attack,” he said.

His language suggested Israel was blaming Damascus because it had formal authority over the Syrian-held side of the Golan.

Lerner declined to be drawn on whether Israel knew who specifically had planted the bomb. Two weeks ago, Israel said it foiled a similar attack when its forces shot two Hezbollah men near the Golan fence. Hezbollah has fighters in Syria helping Assad combat a rebellion led by Sunni Islamist insurgents.

In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the Syrian-held side of the Golan was “filled” with al Qaeda-linked rebels and Hezbollah guerrillas who, while at each other's throats in Syria, shared deep enmity for the Jewish state.

“This presents a new challenge for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu told his Likud faction.

Israel has accused Hezbollah of setting up positions on the other side of the boundary fence. On Friday, an explosive device was detonated against Israeli soldiers patrolling the nearby border with Lebanon, causing no injuries, the army said.

Hezbollah accused Israel of carrying out an air strike on one of its bases on the Lebanon-Syria border last month and vowed to respond. Israel said it would hold the Beirut government responsible if Hezbollah attacked it from Lebanese territory.

Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Alistair Lyon

Four Israeli troops hurt in Golan blast, Israel blames Syria Read More »

Guam: “The Hub of Micronesia” Hafa Adai

Leave a Comment / Travel /

” target=”_blank”>Outrigger Guam Resort located on the eastern side of Tumon Bay with sparkling white sand beaches lining the lengthy coastline. The spacious rooms are modern and comfortable with outstanding ocean views elevated over the bay. Recommended is the upgrade to the Voyagers Club Lounge where guests enjoy a free tasty buffet breakfast from 7:00-10:00am and entrance to enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres from 5:00-7:00pm nightly while taking in stellar views from the 21st floor overlooking Tumon Bay.” target=”_blank”>Underwater World Guam, a large pristine aquarium where a variety of sharks, rays, turtles and tropical fish inhabit the spacious tunneled aquarium. It showcases over twenty sharks including black and white tip, leopard, and nurse sharks who menacingly bump large puffer fish and groupers that live among the schools of jackfish. Relaxed tourists can enjoy the aquarium seated underneath the tunnel with a cocktail in hand or the more daring can submerge themselves in the tank using the Sea Trek system that permits individuals to watch the aquatic world from within the tank 8-12 feet beneath the surface. Since the air is not compressed, travelers can fly within four hours of having swam with stingrays and a variety of sizeable sharks. ” target=”_blank”>Sea Grill where fine filets of fish and tasty lobster is available in a room that overlooks the neon lit street below at night. Chamorro seasonings, spices, and sauces add unique flavors to quench demanding appetites.

“Our students come from across the religious, political spectrum, and Chen Klein's film stands out not only for its artistic virtues, but for its daring, refreshing portrayal of such a loaded scene on the political stage,” said Eyal Boers, head of Ariel University's Film/TV Track, at the screening.

I caught up with Chen Klein, 22, a few days after her big win.

Why did you choose to study film?

I love film. I'm very connected to it and the industry. I studied photography before studying film. One reason comes from a sense of mission, idealism, to make films that have a unique cultural perspective, not necessarily political, but more religious, value-oriented, softer. Films that give hope, optimism – not merely to entertain.

Did you hope to present “settlers” differently than how they're portrayed in the media?

Usually, news media see the people in Judea and Samaria only in political terms. They live beyond the 'Green Line.' They're anonymous. They have no face. You don't hear from them, only about them, and when you hear from them, they'll focus on the politics, messianism. In art and film, this subject matter practically doesn't exist. And when it does, it's treated very flatly and two-dimensional. You don't see personality. I think it comes from the fact that they really aren't familiar with this world, because the art and film world is influenced by news media, or they have no one who'll sound the voice of the people themselves, so they portray them as they see them. No one really comes out to counter those portrayals.

Was that your intention in making this film?

I start with the story, not with how I'll represent anyone. I'm a filmmaker and I want to tell a good story, and to introduce my viewers to a new reality. The power of film is that it introduces you to a reality you don't know – you can enjoy it, think about it. I think there's power in looking at things very honestly, without trying consciously to say, “it's not like that.” I'm looking at the issue straight in the eye, and not wondering if I should do it in a certain way. It's a process. When you don't to uphold the ideal, you're more honest. That breaks the stigma. You actually give it a place that's real and true.

What kind of responses have you gotten?

People are really seeking this story. I've discovered that people see a story that's interesting, special, something they haven't seen before. It's also very human. People can connect to it. The film essentially deals with the search for home. People all over the world seek a place where they can rest their head and belong. It's something everyone can relate to.

Film about Life on a Samarian Hilltop Takes Top Prize Read More »