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CounterPunchers! We Still Mean It!
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CounterPunchers! We Still Mean It!
Please Read This, Then ActThese last days, assuming that you are among the tens of thousands of people around the world who check in at this CounterPunch site every day or two, we’ve been featuring our annual appeal for donations and saying that without the necessary $75,00 to be raised in these weeks, we’ll have to cut back drastically on what we do and what all you site readers who don’t subscribe to our newsletter, get every day for free.
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Today's Stories November 13-15, 2009 Tariq Ali November 12, 2009 Robert Weissman Franklin Spinney Nadia Hijab Afshin Rattansi Paul Craig Roberts Ralph Nader Belén Fernández Allan J. Lichtman Dave Lindorff Jayne Lyn Stahl November 11, 2009 Andrew Cockburn Mike Whitney Rev. Jesse Jackson Jeff Nygaard Stewart J. Lawrence James Ridgeway Eamonn McCann Michael Ortiz Hill Shepherd Bliss Walter Brasch November 10, 2009 Ellen Cantarow Dean Baker Rose Ann DeMoro Ramzy Baroud Peter Lee Dave Lindorff Roberto Rodriguez Winslow T. Wheeler Alan Farago Joseph Grosso November 9, 2009 Patrick Cockburn Linn Washington Carl Ginsburg Jeff Leys John A. Murphy John Halle Bouthaina Shaaban James Ridgeway Dave Lindorff David Macaray Stephen Fleischman Website of the Day November 6-8, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Mark Grueter Paul Craig Roberts Patrick Cockburn Gareth Porter Mike Whitney James Bovard Dean Baker Robert Lawless Saul Landau Jayne Lyn Stahl Stephanie Westbrook M. Shahid Alam Marc Levy Franklin Lamb Ron Jacobs David Ker Thomson John V. Whitbeck Julien Mercille Rannie Amiri John Ross David Michael Green Carl Finamore Farzana Versey Missy Comley Beattie Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement November 5, 2009 Pam Martens Vijay Prashad Brian Gallagher Norman Solomon Nadia Hijab Joseph Shansky Andy Thayer Tracy Rosenberg Website of the Day November 4, 2009 Stan Cox Andy Worthington From Gitmo to Palau: Who are the Uighurs? Robert Weissman Susan Galleymore Ralph Nader Michael Leonardi Bitta Mistofi Robert Bryce Martha Rosenberg Dave Lindorff Website of the Day November 3, 2009 Patrick Cockburn Mike Whitney Franklin C. Spinney Laura Carlsen Serge Halimi John Stanton Sophia Weeks Dave Lindorff November 2, 2009 Steven Higgs Ishmael Reed David Macaray Bouthaina Shaaban David Michael Green David Swanson Ellen Brown Adam Federman James McEnteer Stephen Fleischman Website of the Day October 30 - Nov. 1, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair / Carl Ginsburg Mike Whitney Joe Bageant Gareth Porter Saul Landau Anthony DiMaggio Dave Lindorff Rannie Amiri Niranjan Ramakrishnan Jayne Lyn Stahl Rev. William E. Alberts Alvaro Huerta Martha Rosenberg Binoy Kampmark Norm Kent Charles R. Larson Roth's "The Humbling:" Nothing Like a Novel From an Old Pro Ron Jacobs David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 29, 2009 Michael Neumann Mike Whitney Gary Leupp Conn Hallinan Marshall Auerback Laura Flanders Eamonn McCann David Macaray Mark Weisbrot Stephen Soldz Christopher Brauchli Website of the Day October 28, 2009 Moshe Adler Dave Lindorff Frank Joseph Smecker Alexandra Early M. Shahid Alam Vijay Prashad John Ross Franklin Lamb Gregory Travis Susan Galleymore Website of the Day October 27, 2009 Mike Whitney Patrick Cockburn Stewart J. Lawrence Alan Farago Ralph Nader Dave Lindorff Bouthaina Shaaban Brian M. Downing Elections in Afghanistan, the Second Time Around Iain Boal Carl Finamore Jayne Lyn Stahl Website of the Day October 26, 2009 Bill Quigley / Paul Craig Roberts Uri Avnery Mike Whitney Michael Snedeker Shamus Cooke David Michael Green Martha Rosenberg Patrick Bond Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day October 23-25, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Christopher Ketcham Jeff Gore Gareth Porter Jayne Lyn Stahl Saul Landau Mike Whitney Nikolas Kozloff Ron Jacobs Russell Mokhiber Missy Beattie Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Stephen Lendman David Ker Thomson Rannie Amiri Ronnie Cummins Norm Kent Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Ben Sonnenberg Kim Nicolini Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 22, 2009 Dan Pearson / Jonathan Cook Paul Craig Roberts The US as Failed State Mark Engler Johann Hari Brian M. Downing Eric Toussaint Tom Mountain Israel Shamir Charles Thomson Website of the Day October 21, 2009 Pam Martens Linn Washington, Jr. Liaquat Ali Khan D. K. Wilson Franklin Lamb Norman Solomon Stephen Fleischman Patrice Higonnet Binoy Kampmark Kevin Coval / Website of the Day October 20, 2009 Sharon Smith Tariq Ali Mark Brenner Bouthaina Shaaban Michael D. Yates Dean Baker Dave Lindorff John Ross Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Kevin Zeese Gilad Atzmon Website of the Day October 19, 2009 Mike Whitney Greg Moses John Ross Michael Donnelly Jayne Lyn Stahl Eric Walberg Russell Mokhiber Barbara Rose Johnston John V. Whitbeck Christopher Ketcham Website of the Day October 16-18, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Saul Landau Paul Craig Roberts Carl Ginsburg Ralph Nader Nikolas Kozloff Carlo Galli Dave Lindorff Catherine Rottenberg
/ Neve Gordon Marshall Auerback Nicola Nasser Windy Cooler James L. Secor Ron Jacobs Wes Jackson Jesse Lerner-Kinglake David Ker Thomson Against Leaders Missy Beattie Emily Ratner Stephen Martin Michael Snedeker Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Peter Stone Brown Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 15, 2009 Andrew Cockburn Brian M. Downing Ramzy Baroud Danny Weil M. Idrees Ahmad Margaret Kimberley Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Harvey Wasserman Nirmal Ghosh Charles R. Larson Website of the Day October 14, 2009 Michael Neumann M. Reza Pirbhai Gareth Porter Paul Craig Roberts John Strausbaugh Fortress Moon Ralph Nader Dean Baker Charles Modiano Nadia Hijab Walter Brasch Website of the Day October 13, 2009 Peter Linebaugh Shamus Cooke John Ross Brendan Cooney Frida Berrigan Yves Engler David Macaray Dave Lindorff Mark Weisbrot Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day October 12, 2009 Pam Martens Mike Whitney Martha Rosenberg Jessica Arents Eamonn McCann Bill Hatch Sen. Russell Feingold Niranjan Ramakrishnan Gideon Levy Iyad Burnat Alan Cabal Dan Bacher Website of the Day October 9-11, 2009 Alexander Cockburn James Bovard Kathleen and Bill Christison Andy Worthington Marc Levy Tariq Ali Mike Whitney Paul Craig Roberts Alan Nasser Jack Z. Bratich Steve Breyman David Michael Green Dave Lindorff Paul Buchheit Jim Goodman Missy Beattie Michael Leonardi Nadia Hijab Mel Packer David Macaray James T. Phillips Charles R. Larson Michael Donnelly David Yearsley Lorenzo Wolff Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend October 8, 2009 Saul Landau Paul Fitzgerald / Linn Washington, Jr. Marshall Auerback Dave Lindorff David Rosen Chris Darimont / Misty MacDuffee John V. Walsh Stewart Lawrence Charles R. Larson Website of the Day October 7, 2009 Brendan Cooney Paul Craig Roberts Dean Baker Jonathan Cook John Stanton Joanne Mariner Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada Stephen Lendman Sen. Russell Feingold Mary Lynn Cramer Website of the Day October 6, 2009 Mike Whitney Gareth Porter Jonathan Cook Boris Kagarlitsky Iain Boal Ron Jacobs John Ross Michael Dickinson Stephen Fleischman Ira Glunts Missy Beattie Website of the Day October 5, 2009 Pam Martens Mike Whitney Paul Craig Roberts Harry Browne Sara Mann Omar Barghouti Shamus Cooke Brenda Norrell Fred Gardner Binoy Kampmark Copenhagen Blues: McChrystal and the Afghan Trap Website of the Day October 2-4, 2009 Alexander Cockburn Saul Landau Diana Johnstone Greg Moses William Blum Brian Cloughley Russell Mokhiber John Ross Ellen Brown David Ker Thomson David Macaray Gary Engler Robert Fantina Lisa Stolarski / Naomi Archer Anthony Papa Joe Allen Harry Browne Ron Jacobs Charles R. Larson David Yearsley Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
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Weekend Edition Dr. Assad Loses His LicensePot Doc DownBy FRED GARDNER Hany Youssef Assad, MD, who has approved cannabis use by some 40,000 patients over the past seven years, is having his license revoked by the Medical Board of California. The board issued its order Oct. 23. Assad can no longer see patients after Nov. 23. The state medical board is under the Department of Consumer Affairs. It has 21 members, 12 of them MDs appointed by the governor for two- or four-year terms. The board is staffed by more than 100 career investigators —gun-carrying "peace officers" whose proper mission is to bust quacks and incompetents. The investigators act on complaints by patients —or made on behalf of patients by third parties— alleging improper treatment by a doctor. When the investigation of the doctor's practice turns up serious infractions, a lawyer from the Attorney General's office files an accusation and proposes disciplinary action. If the doctor chooses not to accept the punishment, he or she defends his or her practice standards at a hearing held by an Administrative Law Judge appointed by the board itself. (That's right, the accuser employs the judge. Welcome to the world of regulatory law.) The practice standards that must be adhered to by Assad and other doctors approving cannabis use in California nowadays were defined in a 2004 case involving Tod Mikuriya, MD, the most prominent clinician in the field. In prosecuting Mikuriya the board employed as an expert witness a UCSF psychiatrist who had never once approved a patient's use of cannabis. She opined that Mikuriya's failure, in various cases, to conduct a physical exam and to keep adequate records, constituted "extreme departure from the standard of practice." Mikuriya's expert witness was Philip A. Denney, MD, who at that time had monitored cannabis use by some 7,500 patients. Denney reviewed Mikuriya's files and concluded that in every case there was enough information to support a recommendation for treatment with cannabis. Every patient had told Mikuriya that they were successfully self-medicating. ("Conferring legitimacy is a cannabis consultant's most important role," Mikuriya himself testified.) The Administrative Law Judge ruled against Mikuriya and the board promptly made its decision "precedential." NorCal Healthcare Hany Assad has been operating a chain, "NorCal Healthcare," with offices in Oakland, Ukiah, Bakersfield and Arcata. He employs nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants to examine patients. He flies from city to city in his own small plane, reviews records prepared by his aides, signs letters of approval, and addresses large groups of patients on the use of marijuana as medicine. NorCal Heathcare is now up for sale. Interested parties should contact Assad’s lawyer, Tim Aspinwall, at the Nossaman firm in Sacramento. Seller strongly motivated. News that Assad’s license was being yanked reached employees in his Oakland office on Monday, Oct. 26, causing consternation. A call to the medical board led to a policy decree: letters of approval issued by Assad post-Oct. 23 would be valid only through Nov. 23. Some patients demanded refunds, others took the approval letters and went immediately to get ID cards that would be good for a year. (There are various kinds of ID cards. County-issued state cards can get you a pass from law enforcement. Privately issued cards get you past security at the dispensary door.) NorCal staffers have been telling patients that new ownership is imminent and that other doctors will be taking Dr. Assad’s place —but it’s not known when, so please call back to make an appointment. Assad is a tall man in his mid-50s with an eager-to-please manner. He was born and educated in Egypt, graduating from medical school in 1979. He moved to the U.S. in 1992 and did a residency in Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Medical School, then went to work for Kaiser Permanente in Vacaville. When two women complained that Assad made sexual moves on them, the medical board filed an accusation. Assad, who says he was framed, accepted a probation deal from the medical board that barred him from treating female patients for seven years. Assad began issuing cannabis approvals in October, 2003. He was employed initially by a dispensary operator in Oakland. In July 2004 he launched NorCal, employing nurse practitioners and PAs to make possible a high-volume practice. He thus got around the ban on seeing women. “He was trying to get away with as much as he could,” according to a healthcare worker who followed Assad’s career. He was reportedly seeing 30 or more new patients per day at the Oakland office alone, and issuing almost as many renewals. (Physicians usually specify that approvals expire after a year, but there is no legal obligation to impose a time limit.) Assad’s downfall stemmed from his approval of cannabis use by SW, an 18-year-old (male) whom he diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder in February 2007. The case was unusual in that Assad had examined SW himself. SW's parents complained to the medical board. The ensuing investigation focused on whether Assad "departed from the ‘standard of practice’ in reaching his ADD diagnosis and cannabis recommendation (which does not require parental approval for patients over 18). A hearing was held in August of this year, in Oakland, before Administrative Law Judge Mary-Margaret Anderson. Phil Denney appeared as an expert witness for the defense but could not bring himself to say anything positive about Assad’s record keeping or his physical exam, which consisted of a handshake. Denney contended that an ADD diagnosis did not constitute an “extreme departure” from the standard of care, given the symptoms described by the patient, which included insomnia, stress, and Intermittent Explosive Disorder. Denney also defended Assad’s decision not to notify SW’s regular doctor that he was issuing a cannabis approval. (SW did not want word getting back to his parents.) Although Denney had treated some 20,000 medical cannabis users, the judge assumed that highest truth resided in the pages of journals funded by drug company ads. “When asked about medical literature concerning the use of medical cannabis,” Anderson wrote in her opinion, “Denney was dismissive. He finds patient reports concerning efficacy to be more useful, in part because the political climate in the United States inhibits meaningful research… Dr. Denney’s opinionswere not very helpful.” The judge had nothing but admiration for the prosecution expert, Dr. Barbara Neyhart, an expensively coiffed member of the faculty at UC Davis who limits her clinical practice to women between the ages of 40 and 60. Neyhart has issued exactly one medical-marijuana recommendation during her career, “for an elderly patient with unremitting arthritic pain in both knees who requested the recommendaton.” Anderson wrote that Neyhart’s “analysis was objective, thoughtful, and well grounded in the facts of this case and in her education and experience. Her explanations were consistent with the standard of practice. Accordingly, Dr. Neyhart’s opinions were persuasive and significantly informed the factual findings.” The judge was especially impressed by Neyhart’s citation of a study linking cannabis use to mental health problems in adolescence. The 'Script Mill Rationale On one occasion in 2005 Hany Assad accepted Tod Mikuriya's invitation to attend a quarterly meeting of a pro-cannabis doctors group. (The group is now known as the Society of Cannabis Clinicians). Some of Mikuriya's colleagues grumbled about Tod's asking Assad, whose operation they characterized as a "script mill." In introducing himself to the group, Assad said:
Assad recalled that when working as a doctor in Dakahualia, a state in Eastern Egypt, "I never had to admit a patient for an overdose or withdrawal. The only time I was called to admit a patient was an overdose of hashish when the patient had overeaten and was constipated." The remarkably benign safety profile of marijuana, Assad concluded, gave him courage him to recommend it readily. Way too readily, it turned out. Fred Gardner can be reached at plebesite.com. He edits O'Shaughnessy's, the journal of cannabis in clinical practice.
Inside the New Print Edition of Our Subscriber-Only Newsletter! Obama and Black America Ten months into Obama-time, the plight of black Americans is terrible. Yet overwhelmingly they rally behind the president. In a powerful report from the Deep South Kevin Alexander Gray asks the question: what should the black political agenda be? Mark Rudd counterposes “organizing” with “activism” and describes what it will take to build a movement. H. Bruce Franklin gives a chronology of the march into Afghanistan. Get your new edition today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! CounterPunch books and t-shirts make great presents.Order CounterPunch By Email For Only $35 a Year !
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Now Available from CounterPunch Books! Yellowstone Drift:
"Powerful and shocking ..
Waiting for
Lightning
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