In Memoriam:
Washington, DC: Tod Hiro Mikuriya, MD, one of the world's
foremost authorities on the therapeutic use of cannabis, died on Sunday
after a multi-year battle with cancer. He was 73-years-old.
Dr. Mikuriya spent more than four decades investigating the
medical utility of pot, beginning with an appointment as the Director
for Marijuana Research for the National Institute of Mental Health in
1967. In 1972, he published Marijuana: Medical Papers 1839 – 1972, a
collection of essays documenting the historical use of medicinal
cannabis in Western culture. He later became an outspoken advocate for
marijuana law reform, and played a key role in persuading the
California legislature to decrim pot possession in 1975.
Mikuriya gained prominence among modern marijuana activists by
speaking in favor of the medical use of pot for a wide variety of
psychosomatic indications, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic
stress disorder, and alcoholism. Dr. Mikuriya was a co-author of
California's Proposition 215 initiative, and is credited with drafting
the language that authorizes physicians to recommend cannabis for "any
other illness for which marijuana provides relief," a clause which
remains unique to California's medical MJ law.
After Proposition 215's passage in 1996, Dr. Mikuriya became one
of the most prolific recommenders of medicinal cannabis – a stance that
made him a frequent target of both the California Medical Board and the
federal government. In the decade since the law's enactment, Dr.
Mikuriya recommended marijuana to an estimated 9,000 patients.
In 2006, Mikuriya was a recipient of NORML's "Lester Grinspoon
Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Marijuana Law Reform"
in recognition of his life's work in support of the legalization of
medicinal cannabis.
"Tod was a true pioneer of cannabis medicine," said California
NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer. "At a time when its medical use had
been abandoned, he rediscovered the forgotten medical literature on
cannabis and agitated to restore it to the pharmacopoeia. Tod later
campaigned to make this a reality by helping to draft Prop. 215, and
after its passage, he went on to found the modern practice of cannabis
medicine."
NORML and Odam Media express condolences to the friends and family of Tod Mikuriya.
| 
Lost Activists 
The Men's Wearhouse George Zimmer
Dr. Dale Gieringer received his Ph.D. at Stanford on the topic of DEA drug regulation. He is the author of articles on marijuana and driving safety, drug testing, marijuana health mythology, the economics of marijuana legalization, and DEA "drug enforcement abuse." He is presently working on a book on medical use of marijuana. He has also sponsored research on the use of water pipes and vaporizers to reduce harmful tars in marijuana smoke.
