2 1 I Thursday, May 30, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com University study to examine effects of medical marijuana Thursday, May 30, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 11l 135,267 patients legally registered in Michigan By ARIANA ASSAF who has this position The use of medical marijuana as a pain reliever has long been of high interest to activists, scientists and policymakers. Appealing to these interests, a new study at the University will work to determine the exact benefits medical mari- juana may offer to those who suffer from various medical afflictions. Michigan, which legalized medi- cal marijuana in 2008, has 135,267 patients registered to buy and use the drug, according to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regu- latoryAffairs. The state is one of the 18, along with Washington D.C., to have legalized medical marijuana. Researchers plan to identify 800 participants by approaching new patients who have already made the decision to become a registered medical marijuana user in Michigan. Interested participants cannot contact the researchers. The National Institute on Drug Abuse donated $2.2 million towards the fulfillment of this project. The available funds will be used to compensate participants for their time, pay support staff and support the infrastructure needed to conduct such research. Data collection will occur over the span of two years, during which the researchers will follow up with participants about their pain and health levels since becoming registered medical marijuana users. The follow-up JENSON From Page 1 "It's absolutely hideous that this could happen," Boyle continued. "We have to hold people accountable or else you don't know what might happen. The more transparency the better to avoid further incidents from happening." University spokesman Rick procedures will take place every six months and will be conducted by researchers in-person. Mark Ilgen, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Medical School and leader of the study, said although researchers had been interested in carrying out this kind of study for a while, writing grants and scrutinizing the details delayed the procedure. However, now that plans to carry out the study have been made, he said his team was "very excited." Some studies already exist to determine the potential efficacy of medical marijuana as a pain reliev- er, but they are often similar to stud- ies that examine other pain-relief medications and do not take into account long-term results or the overall quality of life of participants. "We plan to identify people seeking a card for a first time, get data on how they're functioning and feeling when they show up to the clinic (for the first time), and track changes over two years," Ilgen said. Unlike other studies, this research methodology will not rely on a control group, but will instead identify subgroups of people by clustering those with similar characteristics- such as symptoms and levels of functionality. Given the lack of adequate information and guidelines for medical advisors when prescribing medical marijuana, Ilgen said there was all the more need for a "neutral information" standard. "Well-meaning providers felt that there wasn't a lot of data behind the use of medical marijuana as a pain reliever," he said. "(They found ) there aren't a lot of clear guidelines about what Fitzgerald said he shares Boyle's belief that the situation requires lucidity and accuracy, and said he feels their actions reflect that. Fitzgerald added that the Division of Public Safety and Security was created as a result of the incident and is designed to be preventative in nature. Fitzgerald said this case has been taken seriously and covered extensively, the administration has also created a website as a MARLENE LAcASSE/Daily Unisersity researcher Mark Ilgen studies the effectiveness of medical marijuana with help tram caregivers and dispensary tacilities such as Green Planet on Tappan Avenue. advice treatment advisors should give their patients." Ilgen added that a concern for the design of the study was the fact that a lot of the data-such as pain levels and how participants were faring in life-were self-reported, and hence subjective. However, in future studies, researchers will include more objective standards such as level of alcohol and other drug use, and number of visits to the emergency room to determine the effects of medical marijuana both on patient pain levels and overall functionality. To add to the existing data, researchers had considered includ- ing reports by family members regarding how participants were doing as part of the data collection but ultimately decided against it. "With all these approaches there are pros and cons, and one of the clear trade offs is the cost to confi- dentiality to involve anyone else in means for the public to access documents related to the case. "The approach with this case has been incredibly transparent, and we've released document after document after document," Fitzgerald said. "Many items have been tied up in the federal prosecution, but those were also made public after (the case ended)." He added that the decision to withhold the documents was in the study," Ilgen said. "We wanted to err on the side of respecting participant confidentiality, (but) there are a number of interesting directions this research could go in follow up studylike how medical marijuana use affects a family." Another idea was to test each participant's marijuana to deter- mine its potency, but Ilgen said that liability concerns, combined with the fact that participants may be using different strains, led researchers to decide against it. The breadth of available data and the lack of current information regarding the advantages of medical marijuana called for extensive research, Ilgen said. The research showed a unique potential as compared to other projects. "I've been e-mailed about patients who are really passionate about this, and that's never happened to me before,"he said."Itreally does feelso new and important." order to protect people's privacy and not reveal anyone's personal information. "As the primary University spokesperson for this issue, I feel the University has gone out of its way to answer questions and provide information regarding this issue," Fitzgerald said. "There's always been a wealth of information available and everything is in place for those who want it." 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University at filates are suhject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a memher of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press. By MICHAEL KESSLER Daily Sports Writer Fifth-year senior Amanda Eccleston won the Big Ten indoor mile title in her first year on the Michigan women's track and field team. She then won the Big Ten outdoor 1,500-meter run. So it should come as no surprise that in the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds this past weekend in Greensboro, N.C., Eccleston won her heat in the 1,500-meter run, setting a new personal-best time of 4:17.75 to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Eccleston was one of four Wolverines to advance to the NCAA championships, in what willbe her last meet ofthe season. Eccleston's record time was even more impressive given the initial sluggish pace of the heat, which ran markedly slower in the first 400 meters than the second heat. Maintaining her position in the middle of the pack for the balance of the race, Eccleston turned it on in the final two laps to win the heat going away. "I'm very excited to have the opportunity to run [at Nationals], and I'm definitely hoping to make the final and go for an All- American spot," Eccleston said. "I don't really know what to expect for Division I nationals yet, but I think the way that I've been racing, I have a really good shot at making finals and placing really high in the nation." Eccleston knows athing or two about competing on the national stage, though. She spent the first four years of her collegiate career at Division II Hillsdale College, where she was the Division II national champion in the mile run in2012.One yearlater,she returns to the national championships, this time at the highest level of collegiate competition. "The competition at Division I is so much tougher,it's alittle hard to compare, but I think doing so well last year gives me confidence that I can at leastget in a race and be very competitive and go for that top place," Eccleston said. "I don't really know exactly how it's going to play out, but I'm looking forward to it." Eccleston wasn't the only Michigan athlete to thrive in the 1,500-meter run. Fellow senior Rebecca Addison also qualified for nationals in a personal-best time of 4:15.81, to win her heat with the top overall time. "I was really excited, because I knew to make it I would probably have to run a PR (personal record), so with it being a little faster it helped to have so much pushing in some sense," Addison said. "I'm really excited to finally make it to nationals, it's been a goal of mine the whole year and I've never made it to nationals before." Eccleston and Addison's dueling first-place finishes in the two heats continued a trend of dominance this season for the pair in the 1,500-meter run. The pair came off first and third place finishes in their last meet, the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, where they were key catalysts for Michigan's overall fourth place finish. "That was so exciting to have Michigan athletes win both heats, it shows a lot about how hard we work and especially how well we are at finishing races strong," Eccleston said."I'm really excited that we both made it, to be able to train together the next couple weeks and run together, so I think that made it more special." Eccleston and Addison were the only Wolverines competing in track events to qualify, but they will be joined by a pair of Michigan field athletes who impressed as well. On the first day of competition Thursday, senior Erin Pendleton qualified in the discus throw with a season-best toss of 53.13 meters, good for third overall. Then, on Friday, redshirt junior Kiley Tobel qualified in the pole vault, clearing 4.10 meters to finish in the top group of athletes. The four Michigan athletes will have a week and a half to train and prep for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which begin June 5 in Eugene, Ore. WDME'S TRACK & FIELD Michigan sends four to NCAA Championships MEN'S TRACK & FIELD Aratsu leads men's qualifiers By ZACH SHAW best race, but it was a solid race and Daily Sports Writer enough for another chance." Arastu will be joined by In arguably its most crowded freshman Mason Ferlic in the track meet of the year, the Michigan events. Ferlic, who qualified in the men's track and field team had 3,000-meter steeplechase, ran a its work cut out for it. Teams as 8:41.83 for to automatically qualify far as Louisiana to Florida came for national championship. After to compete in the NCAA East competing the 3,000-meter run for Preliminaries at Greensboro, N.C. much of the year, Ferlic dropped over the weekend. ten seconds from his career-best And when all was said and time to place fourth in just his done, five athletes secured spots third-career attempt at the event. to stay alive for one final chance to The field portion of Michigan's compete next week at the NCAA team will be represented by junior Championships in Eugene, Ore. Ethan Dennis and sophomore "This is a very tough meet, and Cody Riffle. The school record- advancing is even tougher," said holders will compete in the Michigan coach Fred LaPlante. hammer throw and shot put, "But after being in the Big Ten, respectively. Additionally, senior we're pretty battle-tested, and Kurt Reichenbach will compete in we showed that. We made a the decathlon, which was based good account of ourselves and off of regular-season scores rather Michigan, and I'm proud of all of than prelims due to the demanding our performances." nature of the event. The highlight for the Wolverine's Aratsu is the only returning came in the 400-meter hurdles, quailfier this year, after he was where junior Ali Arastu qualified joined by 2012 graduate Craig for the national meet. Arastu - Forys in the steeple chase and the who will compete in his third 4x400-meter relay. outdoor NCAA championship After a disappointing tenth- meet - clocked a time of 51.17 on place finish at the Big Ten Friday, good for fourth place. The championships, the Wolverines second-fastest hurdler in school had an opportunity to reset in history and reigning All-American Greensboro. The top 48 athletes will now focus on putting his name from the region in each event all in Michigan track lore with an year qualify for the event. But outside shot at a national crown. using a system installed in 2009, "(Arastu's) got alotofexperience all previous times are disregarded now in the big meets," LaPlante once the race begins. said. "He's been to Olympic trials "Some of our guys had a and the national championship disappointing Big Ten meet," twice before, so his emotions were LaPlante said. "But every one of very under control. It wasn't his them was totally reset by Monday. They put Big Tens in their rearview mirror and were focused on preparing forthis meet and looking to do well, and they did that." The five athletes advancing to the national stage won't turn many heads in the track world, but that doesn't bother coach LaPlante. With a hurdler, a distance runner, a shot-putter, a thrower and- the most balanced event of all-a decathlete, the Wolverines will be represented across the board on the national stage. "When you go to championships you always see teams that are all distance-oriented or sprint- oriented, or all focused in a few e events," Laplante said. "We've got a little bit of everything heading in, and we'll have all of our coaches around to help us do what we need to do." While the diversity of the remaining five pleases Coach LaPlante, it may present a problem in this week's practice. Traditionally, competition is the ultimate motivator in practice; sprinters race each other, distance runners push each other through the long workouts, and field competitors are always looking to be that day's champion. With no one left to compete against, LaPlante is looking for self- motivation within his team. "All year you've been sweating it out with your teammates and your buddies, and now those guys are gone and it's just you and the coach," LaPlante said. "It's an adjustment to make, but I think these guys can handle it." 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