February 6. 2008
Page B4
H ealth MATTERS
New Machine Dispenses Medical Marijuana
netic stripe. Once the card and
fin g e rp rin t are v e rifie d , a b rig h t
green envelope w ith the pot drops
Vending device created for patients
(A P ) - Los A ngeles patients
s u ffe rin g fro n t ch ro n ic pain, loss
o f appetite and other ailm ents that
m arijuana is said to a lle v ia te can
get th e ir pot w ith a dose o f co n
venience at the H erbal N u tritio n
Center, where a large machine w ill
dole out the drug around the clock.
“ C o n v e n ie n t access, lo w e r
prices, safety, anonym ity," inven
tor and ow ner Vincent Mehdizadeh
said, e xto llin g the benefits o f the
machine.
But federal drug agents say the
invention may need unplugging.
“ Somebody owns (it), it's on a
property and somebody fills it,"
said D E A Special A gent Jose
Martinez. "O nce we find out where
it ’ s at, w e’ ll look into it and see i f
they’ re vio la tin g laws."
A t least three dispensaries in the
c ity , including tw o belonging to
Mehdizadeh, have installed vend
ing machines to distribute the drug
to people who carry cards authoriz
ing marijuana use.
Mehdizadeh said he spent seven
months to develop and patent the
black, armored box. w hich he calls
the “ P V M ,” o r prescription vend
ing machine.
A s lid in g fence protects the
tinted w in d o w s o f his dispensary,
barely d istin g u is h in g it fro m a
busy th oroughfare o f strip m alls,
a utom obile dealers and fu rn itu re
shops. A box resem bling a large
re frig e ra to r stands in s id e the
nearly em pty shop, near a few
shelves stocked w ith vita m in s
and herbs.
A guard in a black T-shirt embla
zoned w ith the word "S ecurity” on
the fro n t stands at the door. A
poster o f Bob M arley decorates a
back room.
The com puterized machine re
quires fin g e rp rin t id e n tific a tio n
and a prepaid card w ith a mag-
Los A ngeles m e d ica l-ca n n a b is d is p e n s a ry ow n e r V incent M e h d iza d e h p o se s w ith h is n e w m a ri
ju a n a ve n d ing m a ch in e . B o lte d to th e floor, it d is p e n s e s m e d ic a l m a riju a n a to p a tie n ts who
p rovide a d o c to r's p re s c rip tio n , s p e c ia l id e n tific a tio n a n d th e ir fin g e rp rin ts. (AP p h o to )
Doctor Warns of Growing HIV Epidemic
Impacting African Americans
ra te so f HI V /A ID S ," observed Dr.
Laurencin. “ The intention o f our
published in last month's issue o f report was to heighten awareness
among healthcare
percent o f the U.S. population and the Journal o f the
p ro v id e rs
and
now account fo r about h a lf o f newly N ational Medical
com m unity lead
A ssociation. The
diagnosed cases o f H I V /A ID S .
ers and to provide
“ The HI V /A ID S epidemic in the study reviewed the
in fo rm a tio n that
A frican-A m erican com m unity has c u rre n t state o f
w ill help urgently
reached a state o f emergency and HI V /A ID S in A fr i
combat this crisis.
there are signs that it is only inten can Americans and
T o be e ffe c tiv e ,
sifyin g ," said Dr. CatoT. Laurencin, issued a call fo r
prevention strate
professor o f orthopedic surgery at action among c lin i
gies
must address
cians, researchers
the U n ive rsity o f V irginia.
the
ris
k factors,
Laurencin is chair o f the W. and the A fric a n -
com
m
unity
beliefs
Montague Cobb National Medical American com m u
and
healthcare
ac
A ssociation Health Institute, an n ity at large.
cess
issues
o
f
A
f
“
A
frican
A
m
eri
organization dedicated to address
rican Am ericans."
ing disparities in health among cans remain dispro
A c c o rd in g to
p o rtio n a te ly a f
A frica n Americans.
the report, many
He was lead author o f a report fe c te d by h ig h Dr. C ato T. Laurencin
A frica n Americans comprise 13
Are you a Woman with Asthma?
Receive $50 for being in a
Focus Group Discussion about Asthma
• For African American women
• Focus group lasts 90 minutes
• Portland location in February - date & location TBA
• Part of a research study to develop a computer-
based program to help women manage their asthma
CALL toll-free 1-877-366-3119
for info & to sign up
Research study funded by the National Institutes
Of Health; program developed by Oregon Center
for Applied Science (Eugene)
THE
factors co n trib u te to the H IV /
A ID S epidem ic among A fric a n
A m ericans. Key factors include
h ig h -ris k sexual co n ta ct, sub
stance abuse, s o c io -e co n o m ic
status, access to healthcare, and
undiagnosed H IV .
L o o k in g ahead, the re p o rt
called forexpanded H lV -p re v e n -
tio n in te rve n tio n s and the im p le
m entation o f new, im proved and
cu ltu ra lly-a p p ro p ria te HI V /A ID S
strategies. It also noted in itia
tives now underw ay at the C en
ters fo r Disease C ontrol and urged
the biom edical co m m u n ity to be a
m a jo r d riv in g force in the execu
tio n and success o f new programs
fo r the A fric a n -A m e ric a n co m
Parenting Classes -- Newborns do n 't come w ith instruction manuals
but parents and parents-to-be can learn about a variety o f topics from
pain and ch ild b irth to breastfeeding to infant CPR and much more. For
a schedule o f events, cal 1503-574-6595 or visit: providence.org/classes.
V egetarian S ta rte r K it — H ealthy vegetarian eating made easier
w ith in fo rm a tio n a l resources, samples, coupons and d e licio u s re c i
pes. K its are $7.50 each (in clu d e s sh ip p in g ). T o order, ca ll 503-256-
Cancer Resource C enter-- Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and
the American Red Cross have joined forces to create the first in-hospital
resource center providing books, printed m aterial, computer access and
more fo r individuals and fam ilies dealing w ith cancer. The center is open
Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Takca Moment for Your Heart - Saturday, Feb.9,from 11 a.m .to4p.m „
the Clackamas Tow n Center, w ill host this free expo w ith blood pressure
checks and expert advice to improve the health o f your heart.
.Stroke A lert Screening — Check your carotid arteries w ith a painless
ultrasound to assess your risk. Fee $40. T o schedule a screening, call
503-151-6137.
Newborn C are -- Saturday. Feb. 16, from noon to 5 p.m., expectant
parents w ill learn tips and techniques fo r caring fo r their newborn; $45
fee per couple. T o register, call 503-574-6595.
Feeling Forgetful; Women anti Memory Loss — Monday. Feb. 11, from
7 to 8:30 p.m.. a neurologist w ill
help women to sort out simple
memory loss from something pos
sibly more serious at this free
w om en’ s wellness forum. For in
form ation on additional location
and times and to register, call 503-
574-6595.
A
S tre s s
•
c a u se s
h ig h
b lo o d pressure, w h ic h
in tu r n is a m a jo r cause o f
stro ke s a n d he a rt disease. It
ca n lead to asthm a, a rth ritis ,
in s o m n ia a n d m ig ra in e s. It
im pairs th e im m u n e system and
is e s tim a te d to cost th e n a tio n
o v e r $ 100 b illio n each year in
lost p ro d u c tiv ity , absenteeism
a n d h e a lth care costs. T h a t's
p re tty serious.
. I have a very stress*
• full job. How can
Chiropractic help me?
W h a t's m o re , to d a y's C h iro -
M o d e r n C h ir o p r a c tic
such as yoga, message and v i
Q
A
• care c a n h e lp de stress
takes a trem endous to ll on O r
e g o n ia n s ,” sa id M e l K o h n ,
M .D ., state e p id e m io lo g is t in
D H S .“ W e m u s tco n tin u e to h e lp
people q u it and prevent kids
fro m starting to sm oke.”
K ohn said O regonians are
fo u r tim es more lik e ly to die due
to tobacco-related causes than
fro m m o to r-ve h icle accidents,
su icid e , A ID S and h o m icid e
com bined.
“ W ith nearly a quarter o f all
deaths in Oregon a ttrib u te d to
tobacco use, this is tru ly a health
e p id em ic,” he said. “ A n d unlike
m any diseases, th is situ a tio n is
e n tire ly p reventable."
H ealth W atch
Part 4. Stress: How Chiropractic can
help ease life's day*to*day pressures.
Q
Oregonians smoked an esti
mated 2.6 b illio n fewercigarettes
between 1996 and 2006 as con
sumption decreased 41 percent
during that tim e, according a re
port from the Oregon Department
o f Human Services Public Health
D ivision.
Oregon outpaced the nation
by 10 percent, as cigarette smok
ing dropped 31 percent in the
U nited States d u rin g the same
period.
Tobacco use has declined
among adults, youth and preg
nant wom en since 1996.
“ W e ’ ve come a long w ay in
10 years, but tobacco use s till
S m oke-Free Support (»roup -- meets Mondays, 7 to 8 p.m. For more
inform at ion, cal 1503-256-4000.
An ongoing senes of questions and answers about America's natural healing profession
. I hear a lot
* about stress
these days. Just
how serious is it?
Smoking Drops 41 Percent
m u n ity.
SPINA COLUMN
Dr. Billy R. Aowers
dow n a slot.
Mehdizadeh says any user ap
proved fo r medical marijuana and
registered in a computer database
at his dispensaries can pre-pur-
chase the drug and then use the
machine to pick up.
The process provides conve
nience and privacy fo r users who
may otherwise feel uncomfortable
about
b u y in g
m a riju a n a ,
Mehdizadeh said.
M arijuana use is illegal under
federal law, w hich does not recog
nize the medical marijuana laws in
C a lifornia, Oregon and .10 other
states.
The Drug Enforcement Agency
and other federal agencies have
been actively shutting down major
medical m arijuana dispensaries
throughout the state over the last
tw o years and charging their opera
to rs w ith fe lo n y d is tr ib u tio n
charges.
practors ca n also h e lp y o u w ith
Food fo r L ife : A Cooking and
N u tritio n Series - Learn about
the intluenee o f diet on eaneer,
in e lu d in g e o oking dem onstra
tions, f<xxJ samples and more. This
four-part series begins Thursday.
Feb. 2 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. To
register, call 503-256-4(XX).
4000.
Free Body Basics — T h is physician-recom m ended class is appro
priate fo r all ages and health co n d itio n s. Plan to attend th is one-
session class and learn the sim ple g u id elin e s fo r safe exercises,
in clu d in g stretching. C a ll 5 0 3 -256-4000 to register.
Osteoporosis Screening — A n ultrasound bone-density screening
w ith personalized education; fee $30. T o schedule an appointm ent,
cal 1503-261-6611.
M am m o graph y Screening — E a rly detection is a key fa cto r in the
prevention o f breast cancer. C a ll 503-251-6137 to schedule yo u r
high-tech, soft-touch m am m ogram .
M a te rn ity W a te r W o rk o u t -- H e lp in g new moms regain muscle
tone, strength and fle x ib ility , all in the support and freedom o f the
water. C all 503-256-4000 fo r more in fo rm a tio n.
Tenderfoot C a re -- Treat yo u r feet w ith a soak, nail trim , b u ffin g and
massage fro m a licensed nurse at one o f six c lin ic s o r at yo u r home.
C all 50 3 -2 5 1 -6303 fo r more inform ation.
N u tritio n a l S em inars — N ew Seasons M a rke t is presenting a series
o f n u tritio n a l seminars at various store locations along w ith a
n u t r it io n a l h e lp lin e . F o r m o re in f o r m a t io n ,
a skth e n u tritio n ist@ n e w se a so n sm a rke t.co m .
e -m a il
Senior Aerobics — A lo w -im p a c t w o rk o u t geared s p e c ific a lly to
ward seniors. C a ll 503-449-0783 fo r cu rre n t schedule.
C a rd ia c -R e h ab Exercise Classes — A m e d ica lly supervised e xer
cise program fo r people dealing w ith heart co n d ition s. For more
inform ation, call 5O3-25I-626O.
Leg A le rt Screening -- C heck fo r peripheral arterial disease w ith
this safe, sim ple screening using ankle and arm blood pressure. The
fee is $40. T o schedule an appointm ent, ca ll 5 0 3 -2 5 1 -6137.
n a tu ra l re la x a tio n te ch n ig u e s
s u a liz a tio n . F or less stress, o r
y o u r body. By h e lp in g y o u r n e r
m ore answers to any quest ions
vous system w o rk m ore smoot hly,
yo u m ig h t ha ve abo u t y o u r
C h iro p r a c tic helps assure th a t
h e a lth , y o u 'll fin d th a t C h i
a ll y o u r body fu n c io n s ( in c lu d
ro p ra c tic is o fte n th e answer.
in g t fie ones n e g a tiv e ly affected
C a ll us fo r an a p p o in tm e n t
by stress) are w o rk in g p ro p e rly.
trxlay.
F o r B ig B ro th e rs X B ig S ister-
To-B e—Saturday, Feb. 16. from 10
to 11 a.m., special sibling class fo r
children ages 3 to 6 helping to
prepare fo r their role as an older
s ib lin g :$ 2 0 fe e ( 2 adults, I child).
To register, call 503-574-6595.
Bereavement Support ( i roups -
Flowers' Chiropractic Office
Free, confidential group meetings
fo r those who have experienced the
2124 NE Hancock,
death o f a loved one offered on
various nights and locations. For
inform ation and registration, con
tact 503-215-4622.
Portland Oregon 97212
Phone: (5 03) 287-5504
Bereavem ent S upport - A bereavement support group meets each
second and fo u rth Tuesdays, fro m 10 to 1 1:30 a.m. T o learn more,
call 5 0 3 -2 5 1 - 6 192, extension 5670.
Better B reathers — A n asthma educational support group meets on
the firs t Tuesday o f the m onth fro m 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. at A d ve n tist
M edical Center. For more in fo rm a tio n , ca ll 5O3-25I-683O.
C hron ic Pain Support (»roup — meets the firs t W ednesday fro m 4
to 5:30 p.m. and the th ird W ednesday o f each m onth, fro m 7 to 8:30
p.m. Form ore in fo rm a tio n , ca ll 503-256-4000.
H eart T a lk S up p o rt G ro u p meets — on the second M onday o f each
month; fro m 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Form ore in fo rm a tio n ,ca ll 503-251-6260.
I