Medical Marijuana

[Sandman]

[MtnBreeze]

It is far less dangerous than most prescription drugs. We, the public in general, view illegal drugs as bad.
A lady whose husband was in pain from terminal cancer said she would never think of giving her husband marijuana but if the Doctor prescribed morphine ...whe would definitely give that to him.
People take prescription and non prescription medicines on a daily basis that have all kinds of side effects and think nothing of it.
Personally I think the "war on drugs" is just that....a war....which will never be won as long as there is money to be made. If drugs were legal, and the huge profits were eliminated...it just might make a difference.

Whatever you do, Enjoy it!! http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/grin2.gif

[Barry]

MtnBreeze, I think there's a lot of truth in what you say. I'm on a few prescription drugs, and for tha last few months I've been on Warfarin which I will have to take for the rest of my life, and I know that drug scares some people, if you miss or overdose can be quite nasty.

On 'illegal' drugs they are something I wouldn't take, gave up smoking some years back and wish I'd never started, but I view marijuana as similar to tobacco or alcohol, and with the harder drugs although I would try to talk anyone out of taking them I find it hard to support them being illegal for the reason you give, and also because I've always believed a person should be free to do what they want as long as it doesn't interfere with the freedom of others.

[Mibrew]

I say to each his own, if you want to smoke it, I can't stop ya, but do it in your own home or descretely, and don't involve kids, I smoke pot when I was younger and I found it better than drinking, I was always able to maintain better than those drunk, and with no hangovers, and I know a lot of us grew up with Pot because of our age group, and didn't we grow up OK?
http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/grin2.gif
I dont considered Pot a hard drug like Cocaine or Crack.....

So my answer is for sure yes for Medical purpose, and if you want to try a hit once in awhile...I wont hold it against you http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/pleased.gif

[Tis Herself]

If it helps someone with pain or other issues, then I have to say I am all for it. I had an aunt who had termimal cancer a few years ago, & the drugs she was taking to fight it were so hard on her. I don't know if she had access to the drug or not, but it might have helped her out at least a little with the side effects. Sadly she passed away, but it should be available to anyone who needs it. Morphine is a far worse drug as far as I'm concerned.

I don't know what marijuana's effects are on a person (only tried it once & for me it wasn't a pleasant experience). I do feel that it is similar to alcohol, though.

[Tis Herself]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mibrew:
I say to each his own, if you want to smoke it, I can't stop ya, but do it in your own home or descretely, and don't involve kids, I smoke pot when I was younger and I found it better than drinking, I was always able to maintain better than those drunk, and with no hangovers, and I know a lot of us grew up with Pot because of our age group, and didn't we grow up OK?
http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/grin2.gif
I dont considered Pot a hard drug like Cocaine or Crack.....

So my answer is for sure yes for Medical purpose, and if you want to try a hit once in awhile...I wont hold it against you http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/pleased.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

LOL Mibrew, too funny! I agree with you 100%. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/yes.gif I don't care if someone uses it either as long as they don't do it around me. Nothing personal, but I'm very allergic to the stuff, & even if someone else is smoking it, I have to leave.

[Coldwolf]

"It's totally unsuitable for human consumption. It gave me a slight buzziness for about three to five minutes, and that was it. I got no other effect from it." ... "I threw up. It made me nauseous because I had to use so much of it. It was so weak in potency that I really threw up." ...
"I'm still smoking it - I would prefer better, but it's all I've got. I think Health Canada certainly should do better with the quality."



- A nation of suffering stoners has spoken, and the results are in... the medical marijuana grown by the Canadian Government officially is bunk. (http://www.canada.com/victoria/story.asp?id=E44893EA-3B83-48A5-9C06-E0FC3000DE15) Ironic, considering the near-nuclear potency of most British Columbia strains.

[Mibrew]

considering the near-nuclear potency of most British Columbia strains.[/i][/QUOTE]

Also Humbolte county

[Tis Herself]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Coldwolf:
"It's totally unsuitable for human consumption. It gave me a slight buzziness for about three to five minutes, and that was it. I got no other effect from it." ... "I threw up. It made me nauseous because I had to use so much of it. It was so weak in potency that I really threw up." ...
"I'm still smoking it - I would prefer better, but it's all I've got. I think Health Canada certainly should do better with the quality."



- A nation of suffering stoners has spoken, and the results are in... the medical marijuana grown by the Canadian Government officially is bunk. (http://www.canada.com/victoria/story.asp?id=E44893EA-3B83-48A5-9C06-E0FC3000DE15) Ironic, considering the near-nuclear potency of most British Columbia strains.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Interesting quotes, Cold Wolf. I thought that pot was supposed to help cancer patients. hmmmmmm.

[Mibrew]

Interesting quotes, Cold Wolf. I thought that pot was supposed to help cancer patients. hmmmmmm.[/QUOTE]

That just a cover up.....kiddin http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink2.gif

[Tis Herself]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mibrew:
Interesting quotes, Cold Wolf. I thought that pot was supposed to help cancer patients. hmmmmmm.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That just a cover up.....kiddin http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink2.gif[/QUOTE]

If you say so, Mibrew. I have no idea. Wouldn't know, since I can't smoke the stuff anyway. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink2.gif

[Mibrew]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tis Herself:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mibrew:
Interesting quotes, Cold Wolf. I thought that pot was supposed to help cancer patients. hmmmmmm.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That just a cover up.....kiddin http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink2.gif<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you say so, Mibrew. I have no idea. Wouldn't know, since I can't smoke the stuff anyway. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wink2.gif[/QUOTE]

Oh ok http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/wacko.gif

[Sandman]

Wow... just looking back on older polls... this one was voted on quite a bit and not many people think Marijuana should be illegal for medicinal purposes. Pretty liberal, wouldn't you say?

[TOT]

Well now, the mountain community is known for being pretty conservative except when it comes to pot...

http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/grin2.gif

[Raider]

It would seem only the Feds have a problem with it.

[Sandman]

http://medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/
This is pretty interesting stuff.

Also, http://www.cannabisnews.com/

and: http://www.norml.org/

I would like to encourage you to read more about the medicinal value of Marijuana.

[Yosemite_Wolf]

Im an oncology RN.... of course im for medical marijuana. I mean... the legal form of thc in pills is way safer than leukemics buying sh** off the street from anyone. if im dying from cancer or leukemia.. GIVE ME WEED!!

[Jimi]

I am for mEchidal Jarimayna oto ....

lol

[CatdaBrat]

I am all for medical use of weed. After all, we are allowed to buy and drink all the alcohol we want to ease pain and drown sorrow, and we all know the consequences of that, so it sure isn't "harmless." It doesn't make sense to me that we are free to become alcoholics or perform highway slaughter, but oh my God, you better not take any THC to ease the pain of cancer!!! Don't even get me started ...

[Keith]

I've been interested in this pain relief for a long time. I've heard bits of information from friends,but wasn't sure where to go to get facts,. I'm looking into this because I believe it will help me as well as others put up with pain that's not helped by perscription pain-killers. Thanx a lot for the info,it gives me a place to start. P.S. Believe it or not my birthday is ( 4-20-56) so its potdoc for meeee!

[duke]

We should just legalize it altogether. Howzabout going back to the days of (alcohol) prohibition. Maybe there'd be way fewer beer cans on the side of the road and a lot less violence in the world.

[Jimi]

fine by me

[chaoswoman]

I'm all for it... but then again I'm a hippie http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/nice.gif lol

[Sandman]

Although I also feel that Marijuana is a better choice then alcohol, I think that we should all be able to make these choices for ourselves, as adults, without government interference. Marijuana and alcohol should be legal. Making alcohol illegal would cause too many problems. It is up to parents to teach children that these are choices they can make as an adult and there should be a high price to pay for drinking and driving. That's my $.02 for the day.

[duke]

Even though it's more symbolic than effective, we should at least keep alcohol out of the gas stations. Yea right, that's just after we put seatbelts in school buses!

[Jimi]

Hey we have Braille in the drive throughs at banks

[Yosemite_Wolf]

but Jimi... even blind ppl need money!!

[Jimi]

but a blind drive through ..????

[Mibrew]

I don't think there the ones driving.. http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/smile.gif

[Jimi]

it is on the drivers side ....

[Sandman]

The people that voted "No" on this one are probably very healthy people that would not need Medical Marijuana or any other harsher medication. To those people, I say "Please be more compasionate to your neighbors that have to deal with disabilities. The Government has no place to tell us how to medicate ourselves when we are in pain, and you don't have that right either. It's a personal choice. I won't tell you to stop drinking your coffee and I certainly will not try to take medicationaway from you if it helps you. Especially if the alternative medications have more severe side effects. I'd just be happy you found something that helps you."

[shansard]

My uncle grows medical marijuana for himself. He is able to eat and sleep much easier than before he started using it. I have no problem with pot, medical or not.

[Sandman]

Right on shansard! My Grandmother (who recently passed) had Arthritis. In the late 90's or so she smoked some medical marijuana and it helped her. I know many people that can live their life everyday - be succesful in life - and smoke pot. It's not for everyone, but for the ones that it helps, I thank God for providing the plant. I would much rather put the natural substance in my body than take a pill created by man.

[Mibrew]

Legalize it, tax it, and its a done deal...

http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/yes.gif

[MtnEagle]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mibrew:
Legalize it, tax it, and its a done deal...

http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/yes.gif <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yep... http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/wink2.gif

I agree! http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/smoking.gif

[Jimi]

then you can post this on the 3 strikes poll ....

cause you take away the silliness of jailing pot users and dealers and the jail population goes down

[Jimi]

DeCriminalize it and fine the users and minor dealers ...... smash the major ones

[shansard]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Californi Girl

theres a few problems with that. one, the government then misses out on the money theyre making keeping it illegal through jails, etc. Tax wouldnt be enough to make up for the loss of a second income. two, the non smokers would raise hell because three, theres no way to control second hand dope smoke and four, it would only encourage younger & more smokers, not to mention a more lax attitude towards other drugs.

but hey, Im all for it. http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/smoking.gif <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Are you serious when you say the government wouldn't legalize pot because then they wouldn't make money off keeping people in jail? How does keeping people in jail generate income for the government?

[shansard]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jimi:
DeCriminalize it and fine the users and minor dealers ...... smash the major ones <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

how could we fine people for using it if it is legalized?

[Jimi]

big difference between decriminalize and legalize...

I htink if you legalize it it becomes another stat on the freeway ....more and more...

But decriminalize is like a ticket ... you get caught you pay a fine ... no arrest unless over a certian amount ... medical marijuana of course should be legal ....

Our jails and prisons are full of minor things .... this could help ... also will pay for rehabilitation of addicts

[LindaBo]

Does any one remember the movie ALICE B TOKLESS? she put the Marijuana in the brownies?Well i did that back then and nothing happened http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/sad2.gif Only 1 medical proublem it doesn,t work well with is Vigra. I know http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/shame.gif LindaBo

[TriDevotee]

With the exception of temporarily easing pain and creating hunger it has no medical purposes. I have seen what pot can do to a persons life and even though it may not happen for awhile it can hurt you.

Marijuana is a depressant, meaning that it slows your mind down. When your mind gets slower you get slower. I have heard people say "when I smoke pot I am a better driver." Not true, what happens is that the daily spinning of your mind slows down and gives you the illusion that you are concentrating more, but in actuality everything about you has slowed down as well. So if you have to act in a dangerous moment you are not able to respond fast enough. Do it long enough, everything starts to slow... in a downward spiral.

That is just my two cents. I hope it helps a little.

[Mibrew]

And your point is?

[Jimi]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TriDevotee:
With the exception of temporarily easing pain and creating hunger it has no medical purposes. I have seen what pot can do to a persons life and even though it may not happen for awhile it can hurt you. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

and for those two reasons it is enough, chemo makes you nauseaus .... and pot helps ...also, if you cannot take a pill for pain ....

other that that I agree

[Yosemite_Wolf]

yeah.. i love offering my patients Marinol.. sometimes i ask them if they want it rolled or in a pipe http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/nice.gif

[LindaBo]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jimi:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TriDevotee:
With the exception of temporarily easing pain and creating hunger it has no medical purposes. I have seen what pot can do to a persons life and even though it may not happen for awhile it can hurt you. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

and for those two reasons it is enough, chemo makes you nauseaus .... and pot helps ...also, if you cannot take a pill for pain ....

other that that I agree <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>....I was a Home health Nurse and i saw what chemo can do to a person(you can,t eat!) besides you lose your hair EVERY WHERE! and i,m sorry but i wish i had SOMETHING to give to a chemo patient so they could eat,I,m sure if MOST of them could smoke it, they would have felt a little better.I,m sorry it makes you hungery to smoke the stuff, most of my patients starved to death or just gave up.BUT! i do not want to see being smoked out in publick,I draw the line there.It,s a private thing. BUT YA PASS IT!! SO i can have it when i need it for what ever,it,s my choice.....LindaBo

[LindaBo]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by LindaBo:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jimi:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TriDevotee:
With the exception of temporarily easing pain and creating hunger it has no medical purposes. I have seen what pot can do to a persons life and even though it may not happen for awhile it can hurt you. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

and for those two reasons it is enough, chemo makes you nauseaus .... and pot helps ...also, if you cannot take a pill for pain ....

other that that I agree <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>....I was a Home health Nurse and i saw what chemo can do to a person(you can,t eat!) besides you lose your hair EVERY WHERE! and i,m sorry but i wish i had SOMETHING to give to a chemo patient so they could eat,I,m sure if MOST of them could smoke it, they would have felt a little better.I,m sorry it makes you hungery to smoke the stuff, most of my patients starved to death or just gave up.BUT! i do not want to see being smoked out in publick,I draw the line there.It,s a private thing. BUT YA PASS IT!! SO i can have it when i need it for what ever,it,s my choice.....LindaBo <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>.....OK i was just thinking http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/idea3.gif if buy the time i get sick and they STILL have not passed it.....WHAT CAN I DRINK (drinking is not against the law) that well give me the same effect?????I would like to know! http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/anxious.gif

[Yosemite_Wolf]

yer out of luck on what you can drink to help the appetite.... decadron and pot are about it.
(or any of the steroids).

[Yosemite_Wolf]

cali girl. you are right.. alcohol cant help with nausea in chemo patients.... thats whats good about pot.

[Jimi]

So my wife should smoke it ..... when she sees me nekkid it makes her sick too ....

[Yosemite_Wolf]

wouldnt a blindfold work better? (Wolfy runs really fast)

[Jimi]

they have been known to fall off .....

[Yosemite_Wolf]

good reply Cali girl

[Jimi]

or nekkid

[TriDevotee]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Californi Girl:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TriDevotee:
Marijuana is a depressant, meaning that it slows your mind down. When your mind gets slower you get slower. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

With all due respect, Ive seen first hand what youre talking about, but pots a hallucinagen (sp). So youre minds not slowing down, its going over there ------> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I do apologize however, pot is not a hallucinogen. If a dangerous amount of it is cunsumed you can hallucinate. It is actually a depressant. You can ask any doctor or any drug counselor and you will hear that it is a depressant.

A very good description of the downfalls of pot can be seen here http://www.adavic.org/articles/marijuana01.htm

[Yosemite_Wolf]

alcohol is a depressant.. yet it actually does the opposite... and keeps ppl from sleeping.

[Jimi]

Hey I had a Morphine drip and convinced the Doc I was fine to drive home .... morphine and Diladid(sc) wire me .... make me happy ....I cant sit still ....

Actifed does the same ..... and Caffien helps me sleep...... I know ... I know ...

[Yosemite_Wolf]

a morphine drip?? Dayem!!! those are usually used for ppl at the end. You musta had kidney stones! LOL

[Sandman]

Here is a quotes from the link TriDevotee provided...
"Immediate effects of marijuana include feeling unusually well, laughter and talkativeness, difficulties in concentration and coordination, hunger, increased heart beat and red eyes. Consumption of large amounts may result in confusion, paranoia, restlessness, feeling distant from reality and anxiety or panic. Long term effects include increased risk of cancer and lung damage, decreased learning abilities, lack of motivation and problems in short-term memory."

Here is a link that I will provide for side effects for Vicodin: http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/hydrocod_ad.htm

SIDE EFFECTS

The most frequently observed adverse reactions include lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea, and vomiting. These effects seem to be more prominent in ambulatory than in nonambulatory patients and some of these adverse reactions may be alleviated if the patient lies down.

Other adverse reactions include:

Central Nervous System: Drowsiness, mental clouding, lethargy, impairment of mental and physical performance, anxiety, fear, dysphoria, psychic dependence, mood changes.

Gastrointestinal System: The antiemetic phenothiazines are useful in suppression of the nausea and vomiting which may occur; however, some phenothiazine derivatives seem to be antianalgesic and to increase the amount of narcotic required to produce pain relief, while other phenothiazines reduce the amount of narcotic required to produce a given level of analgesia. Prolonged administration of hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets may produce constipation.

Genitourinary System: Ureteral spasm, spasm of vesical sphincters, and urinary retention have been reported.

From Our Sponsors

Respiratory Depression: Hydrocodone bitartrate may produce dose-related respiratory depression by acting directly on the brain stem respiratory center. Hydrocodone also affects the center that controls respiratory rhythm and may produce irregular and periodic breathing.

If significant respiratory depression occurs, it may be antagonized by the use of naloxone hydrochloride. Apply other supportive measures when indicated.

Dermatological: Skin rash, pruritus.

DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE

Hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets are subject to the Federal Controlled Substance Act (Schedule III).

Psychic dependence, physical dependence, and tolerance may develop upon repeated administration of narcotics; therefore, hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets should be prescribed and administered with caution. However, psychic dependence is unlikely to develop when hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets are used for a short time for the treatment of pain.

Physical dependence, the condition in which continued administration of the drug is required to prevent the appearance of a withdrawal syndrome, assumes clinically significant proportions only after several weeks of continued narcotic use, although some mild degree of physical dependence may develop after a few days of narcotic therapy. Tolerance, in which increasingly large doses are required in order to produce the same degree of analgesia, is manifested initially by a shortened duration of analgesic effect and subsequently by decreases in the intensity of analgesia. The rate of development of tolerance varies among patients.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Patients receiving other narcotic analgesics, antipsychotics, antianxiety agents, or other CNS depressants (including alcohol) concomitantly with hydrocodone and acetaminophen tablets may exhibit an additive CNS depression. When combined therapy is contemplated, the dose of one or both agents should be reduced.

The use of MAO inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants with hydrocodone preparations may increase the effect of either the antidepressant or hydrocodone.

The concurrent use of anticholinergics with hydrocodone may produce paralytic ileus.

What's the better option here?

Let's look at the Marijuana side effects again...

Immediate effects of marijuana include
feeling unusually well (Cool! Sounds better then the vommiting)
laughter and talkativeness (This is bad?)
difficulties in concentration and coordination (This is worse with Vicodin IMHO)
hunger (This is an advantage for most that need to use this medication)
increased heart beat(don't smoke too much and get good medication - not all marijuana does this to you)
and red eyes (red eyes = no big deal).

Consumption of large amounts may result in confusion, paranoia, restlessness, feeling distant from reality and anxiety or panic.
Okay, too much of anything is bad. Moderation is good.

Long term effects include increased risk of cancer and lung damage, decreased learning abilities, lack of motivation and problems in short-term memory.
Use a vaporizer or eat it to avoid lung cancer problems. Don't smoke pot if you are going to school and studying or going to class. Sometimes short term memory loss is okay. hahahaha

In all, those Vicodin side effects look really bad to me. I see a better option with Medical Marijuana for the people that need it.

[MadScot]

When your in agony concentration and coordination are not too good to begin with. Marijuana helps you think by taking the pain off your mind.

Now the evidence that it is a weapon against fighting luekemia makes it even more of a blessing.

[Coldwolf]

I guess I can add my 2 cents worth also.
I have pain also..not to the degree of MadScot or Sandman. I know each of them quite well, and my heart goes out to them. I suffer from BBS. (Broken Body Syndrome). I have an artificial hip and numerous bolts and screws (no loose screw jokes Jimi) in my left leg. I also have no ACL in my right knee, and early stages of arthritis in my hands.
There is more but those are enough to let you all know that I know pain pretty damn well. I'm sure that just about any doctor will prescribe vicoden or some other addictive and liver destroying chemical narcotic for me. They have in the past, and my body isn't healing so they will in the future. Problem is the addiction rate, the resistance rate and the deterioration rate. I don't want to be addicted to any narcotic, taking more and more to reach the same level of painlessness, and destroying what is left of my liver while doing it.
I choose pot instead, and I can control the pain, and make a choice on what level of pain I am willing to bear.
Does any of you think that because medical marijuana users experience some initial euphoria when we smoke that our pain is gone? Its under control for a while, and hell yeah I have some euphoria.
Whats the biggest problem with smoking pot for pain control? Could it be that its a drug that the federal government can't truly regulate, and they do like to regulate, don't they?

[MtnBreeze]

It's misinformation of the public that keeps it illegal. AND fear. Once we all found out how useful the plant really is, we (American people in general) would wonder why it's been banned all these years. It is sad that what once was an honorable country has so much propaganda and misinformed citizenry that we allow so much good to slip by us while the MONEY mongrels rule us. Pharmeceutical companies send us drug messages daily, hourly and by the minute via radio, TV magazine, newspaper adds urging us to ask our Dr. about this or that drug. We have become a society of pill poppers. http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/sad2.gif Yet we continue to ban one of the most harmless "drugs". We tell our kids to say "NO to Drugs" then give them drugs so they will be calm in the classroom. It makes no sense to me, but then I don't pop pills.

[Sandman]

All of these commercials say "Tell your Dr. you want to try blah blah blah". The doctors are your drug dealers at that point. They should be telling you, not the other way around. I think everyone can agree with that.

It seems that the majority of Americans are compasionate about medical marijuana. It should be legal on a federal level.

I'd like someone to step up and give an argument against medical marijuana. Use an alt screen name if you wish. I want to debate this. LOL

[Sandman]

All of these commercials say "Tell your Dr. you want to try blah blah blah". The doctors are your drug dealers at that point. They should be telling you, not the other way around. I think everyone can agree with that.

It seems that the majority of Americans are compasionate about medical marijuana. It should be legal on a federal level.

I'd like someone to step up and give an argument against medical marijuana. Use an alt screen name if you wish. I want to debate this. LOL

[shansard]

I'll bite and play the devil's advocate, though I am for the use of medical marijuana. I think it is important to be able to see both sides of an issue, so here goes:

1. Marijuana is illegal for a reason, next thing you know, people will be using speed as a medication against obesity or lethargy. Where do we draw the line?

2. Marijuana doesn't treat any illnesses, it just masks symptoms.

3. What happens if people who use medical marijuana need to have emergency surgery? What if they can't have the surgery because the MJ would interact badly with anesthesia?

4. What happens to people who work but use medical marijuana, and their employer conducts employee drug testing? Should those employees be exempt from testing?

That's all I can think of right now.

[Mibrew]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by shansard:

Hi ya Shanard, good morning to ya http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/smile.gif

1. Marijuana is illegal for a reason, next thing you know, people will be using speed as a medication against obesity or lethargy. Where do we draw the line?
people are already using speed as weight loss and from doctors also there are so many on the market I think the most popular is Phentimine.

2. Marijuana doesn't treat any illnesses, it just masks symptoms.

there are using it for cancer victims to make them eat, it also relieves the pressure your eyes for glocoma as to name a few

3. What happens if people who use medical marijuana need to have emergency surgery? What if they can't have the surgery because the MJ would interact badly with anesthesia?
I dont think that was proven to interact badly with Anesthesia, ive heard that but no cases have discovered that?

4. What happens to people who work but use medical marijuana, and their employer conducts employee drug testing? Should those employees be exempt from testing?
If it is legal, yes.. but the fact goes if your not doing a good job because of it you should be warned by your employer or let go, just like people that drink to much alcohol

That's all I can think of right now. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[shansard]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mibrew:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by shansard:

Hi ya Shanard, good morning to ya http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/smile.gif

1. Marijuana is illegal for a reason, next thing you know, people will be using speed as a medication against obesity or lethargy. Where do we draw the line?
_people are already using speed as weight loss and from doctors also there are so many on the market I think the most popular is Phentimine._

2. Marijuana doesn't treat any illnesses, it just masks symptoms.

_there are using it for cancer victims to make them eat, it also relieves the pressure your eyes for glocoma as to name a few_

3. What happens if people who use medical marijuana need to have emergency surgery? What if they can't have the surgery because the MJ would interact badly with anesthesia?
_I dont think that was proven to interact badly with Anesthesia, ive heard that but no cases have discovered that?_

4. What happens to people who work but use medical marijuana, and their employer conducts employee drug testing? Should those employees be exempt from testing?
_If it is legal, yes.. but the fact goes if your not doing a good job because of it you should be warned by your employer or let go, just like people that drink to much alcohol_

That's all I can think of right now. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Morning!

Let's see what else I can come up with....Here are the cons with my thoughts in parenthesis. How silly is it to be debating yourself? I'm bored at work and trying not to fall asleep.

The risk of having homes and pharmacies broken into by people searching for drugs is too great. (This already happens with people looking for Oxycontin.)

My uncle grows MJ for himself and his girlfriend. He only needs a little bit, and he won't tell anyone what he does with the extra. How do we know he isn't peddling it on the street? (He isn't, I think he gives it to his friends who are similiarly afflicted.)

[MtnEagle]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by shansard:
1. Marijuana is illegal for a reason, next thing you know, people will be using speed as a medication against obesity or lethargy. Where do we draw the line?

2. Marijuana doesn't treat any illnesses, it just masks symptoms.

3. What happens if people who use medical marijuana need to have emergency surgery? What if they can't have the surgery because the MJ would interact badly with anesthesia?

4. What happens to people who work but use medical marijuana, and their employer conducts employee drug testing? Should those employees be exempt from testing? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/wink2.gif

1. Comparing Oranges and Apples in my opinion.

2. The same can be said for Vicodin, etc.

3. Just give 'em more Marijuana for the pain of the surgery.

4. That is kinda a self-evident question. If they are taking medical-marijuana, they are going to test positive, so why test them?

[MtnBreeze]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by shansard:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mibrew:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by shansard:

Hi ya Shanard, good morning to ya http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/smile.gif


Morning!

Let's see what else I can come up with....Here are the cons with my thoughts in parenthesis. How silly is it to be debating yourself? I'm bored at work and trying not to fall asleep.

The risk of having homes and pharmacies broken into by people searching for drugs is too great. (This already happens with people looking for Oxycontin.)

My uncle grows MJ for himself and his girlfriend. He only needs a little bit, and he won't tell anyone what he does with the extra. How do we know he isn't peddling it on the street? (He isn't, I think he gives it to his friends who are similiarly afflicted.) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There is little crime associated with MJ use...it is non addictive for one thing.
And as far as your uncle peddling it on the street...if it were legal...who cares? Oh, you mean someone without a prescription might get a hold of it? Oh my. http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/wink2.gif Like THAT doesn't happen with prescription drugs anyway and far more addictive ones.....MJ is not physically addicting and has few if any harmful side effects.

[Mibrew]

So the question is:

where does Shanard's uncle live ; )???

[MadScot]

2. Marijuana doesn't treat any illnesses, it just masks symptoms

The medical aspects of marijuana are just now starting to be researched.
They have already found it kills 3 types of luekemia cells and can stop the growth of certain brain tumors.

[shansard]

I just want to make sure everyone knows that I was arguing the cons just for the hell of it, that's why my arguments are weak.

I don't want to be thought of as anything less than a MASTER DEBATOR. http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/tongue2.gif

[shansard]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mibrew:
So the question is:

_where does Shanard's uncle live ; )_??? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

He lives in N. California, near Placerville. The funny thing is that my dad (his brother of course) is a retired law enforcement officer and really wants to share my uncle's stash, but he'd never let my uncle know because it would change how my uncle sees my dad.

[MtnEagle]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by shansard:
I just want to make sure everyone knows that I was arguing the cons just for the hell of it, that's why my arguments are weak.

I don't want to be thought of as anything less than a MASTER DEBATOR. http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/tongue2.gif <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Careful how fast you say that... heh hehhttp://oakhurstforums.com/icon/laugh3.gif

... and that is why I winked before I responded...

http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/nice.gif

[shansard]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MtnEagle:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by shansard:
I just want to make sure everyone knows that I was arguing the cons just for the hell of it, that's why my arguments are weak.

I don't want to be thought of as anything less than a MASTER DEBATOR. http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/tongue2.gif <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

yeah, i said that on purpose. hence the tongue sticky outy

Careful how fast you say that... heh hehhttp://oakhurstforums.com/icon/laugh3.gif

... and that is why I winked before I responded...

http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/nice.gif <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[LindaBo]

Well i wish i had some today http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/sad2.gif I have a bad tooth ack! I HATE Dentest! http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/snobby.gif NO POT! http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/cry2.gif so i,ll try to look at this on the bright side* I,ll lose some weight because i can,t eat.Pot makes you eat. With my mouth hurting at times WORNING!!!! I,M GOING TO BE A BIT--! AT TIMES. I have to wait until After Christmas to do any thing about it. LindaBo in Vegas with a tooth ack http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/shout.gif

[Curious]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MtnBreeze:
It is far less dangerous than most prescription drugs. We, the public in general, view illegal drugs as bad.
A lady whose husband was in pain from terminal cancer said she would never think of giving her husband marijuana but if the Doctor prescribed morphine ...whe would definitely give that to him.
People take prescription and non prescription medicines on a daily basis that have all kinds of side effects and think nothing of it.
Personally I think the "war on drugs" is just that....a war....which will never be won as long as there is money to be made. If drugs were legal, and the huge profits were eliminated...it just might make a difference.

Whatever you do, Enjoy it!! http://oakhurstforums.com/icon/nice.gif <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

By all means. Make it legal for all adults, regulate it and tax it. I have never used the stuff and I don't intend to, even if it is legalized.
But for those who want to use it, let them. Let's do the freedom thing.

[Dodgergirl]

Marijuana eases pain in HIV-infected people: study.
By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Smoking marijuana eases a type of chronic foot pain in people with the
AIDS virus, according to a study published on Monday that the researchers touted as demonstrating marijuana's medicinal benefits.

But the White House drug policy office said the research was flawed and offered only "false hope."

The study, appearing in the journal Neurology, focused on sensory neuropathy -- a kind of severe nerve pain usually felt as aching, painful numbness and burning in the feet -- associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

HIV-infected people who smoked marijuana reported a 34-percent reduction in daily pain from this condition, compared to a 17-percent decline among those who smoked placebos.

Fifty HIV-infected adults, mostly men, who had this pain but otherwise were in stable health took part from 2003 to 2005. All were previous marijuana smokers but not considered drug abusers. They were told to stop using it prior to the study.

Half of them smoked marijuana cigarettes three times a day for five days. The other half smoked placebo cigarettes that were identical other than having had the cannabinoids -- the primary active components of the plant -- extracted.

Half the marijuana smokers said their pain level had declined by more than 30 percent, while a quarter of the placebo group reported similar pain reduction. The volunteers had no serious side effects.

Sensory neuropathy affects about a third of HIV-infected people, making walking or standing hard.

'SMOKE SCREEN'

Lead researcher Dr. Donald Abrams, one of the first doctors to study AIDS at the start of the epidemic, said the research demonstrated in a carefully conducted clinical trial that smoking marijuana provides some benefit to these patients.

"I think that there are people out there who say there is no evidence that marijuana is medicine, that this is all just a smoke screen," Abrams, of San Francisco General Hospital and University of California San Francisco, said in an interview.

Abrams said he hoped his findings would provide evidence "to help answer this question in an intelligent fashion."

There is a fierce debate over whether marijuana, an illegal drug under U.S. federal law, should be legal for medical uses like treating pain or nausea in AIDS or cancer patients.

David Murray, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's chief scientist, said the suffering of AIDS patients is an issue of great concern.

"Unfortunately, this particular study is not terribly convincing," Murray said, citing what he saw as methodological problems.

"Unfortunately, it will lead many people into a false hope that street marijuana is somehow going to be the thing I can use that will make me feel better and won't jeopardize my health. Now that is a fraud and a dangerous one," he told Reuters.

The study found the relief from smoking marijuana was comparable to that provided by pills now used to treat this nerve pain. But some patients are not helped by these anti-seizure medications, and others cannot tolerate them, drawing interest in marijuana as an alternative.

Californian Diana Dodson, a 50-year-old grandmother who got AIDS via a contaminated blood product, said some pain medications leave her in a stupor.

"I just want people to understand that this is about sick people who deserve a quality of life. If it's something that can help us, we should have safe access to it," Dodson, one of the patients in the study, said of marijuana.

[citizen]

Hooray for God's gift to man.

[Kim]

I think they should quit spending money on these studies and just use it to buy the marijuana for these poor people. http://oakhurstonline.com/icon/smoking.gif

[Dee]

"I just want people to understand that this is about sick people who deserve a quality of life. If it's something that can help us, we should have safe access to it," Dodson, one of the patients in the study, said of marijuana.

I totally agree! Being a cancer survivor, I can't imagine that if there's something out there to alleviate pain, that it is not sanctioned by the government. Oops! On second thought, I'm talking about our government so nevermind.

[EdBailey]

I totally agree! Being a cancer survivor, I can't

I have never used marijuana, nor have I ever wanted to use it, but I have no problem with it being legalized for those who do want it, and please, if people need it for pain - let them have it.

[garces1]

I have asthma and allergies and use marijuana to help with pain from 5 surgeries with 3 more to come. I would like to use a vaporizer and have heard that the volcano brand is about the best but it is also very expensive.

Has anyone with asthma used a vaporizer and can tell me the pluses and minuses of using a vaporizer.

Can you tell me where I can get a vaporizer that is effective but not real expensive?

Is there a local co-op or group where I can buy some marijuana ?

I am in pretty much constant pain from 6 to 8 areas of my body depending on the day so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Doctor's authorization to use MMJ with all the paperwork.


thx

[citizen]

What's up with NORML?
Body: Activists think time is right to legalize pot
Marijuana advocates circulate petitions despite apparent backlash

By GLENDA ANDERSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Lake County marijuana advocates are circulating petitions to create a statewide ballot initiative to legalize marijuana, despite an apparent public backlash against the abuses associated with growing it for medicinal uses.

The proposed initiative, which won state approval for circulation late last week, would prohibit marijuana's use for anyone under the age of 21 unless it was for medical reasons.

It also would bar anyone from being subjected to state criminal or civil penalties for the possession, cultivation, transportation, distribution or recreational use of marijuana.

Use of marijuana, however, would remain in conflict with federal laws prohibiting its use.

While outright legalization of pot has been tried before, proponents of the California Cannabis Hemp and Health Initiative of 2008 are optimistic.

"We're going to pass it. I guarantee it," said Eddy Lepp, a co-author of the initiative. He is known to pot activists worldwide for his advocacy, which resulted in his arrest for growing 32,500 marijuana plants in plain sight along a Lake County highway in August 2004. The case is pending.

The petition needs 433,971 signatures by registered voters -- representing 5 percent of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election -- to make it on the ballot.

Clearlake Oaks resident Jack Herer, the initiative's primary author, has been trying unsuccessfully to qualify similar measures for ballots in California, Oregon, Alaska and Washington since the early 1970s.

He said people will vote for it if he can convince them of its benefits, which he claims include adding several years to the average life span.

Herer and Lepp also worked successfully on California's Proposition 215, the 1996 voter-approved law that legalized marijuana for medicinal use.

But even marijuana proponents question whether a measure legalizing marijuana for all uses could pass today.

"I don't see majority support for legalization of marijuana at this time," said Dale Gieringer, the Northern California coordinator for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML.

NORML is not supporting the initiative, he said.

Mendocino County Supervisor Mike Delbar noted the backlash against marijuana cultivation makes support for total legalization unlikely.

"I seriously doubt whether Proposition 215 could pass today given what voters know versus what they think they voted for originally," he said.

"A lot of people couldn't argue with making available marijuana as a medicine for those who are gravely ill. What they didn't expect was the rampant exploitation of the law that we're living with now."

Proposition 215 has led to a proliferation of backyard marijuana gardens where law enforcement officials say pot is grown not for medical use but commercial sale.

They said pot enterprises attract crime, such as last week's Santa Rosa home-invasion robbery that resulted in the shooting death of a 20-year-old man and the arrests of several others for possession of more than 300 pounds of processed marijuana.

Pot gardens also attract complaints about pungent, skunklike odors.

Cities and counties throughout California are struggling with ordinances aimed at controlling marijuana cultivation and associated problems.

Ukiah officials Wednesday made it a misdemeanor to violate its ordinance against growing pot outdoors, and Mendocino County supervisors next week will consider limiting the number of plants grown per parcel.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@ pressdemocrat.com.

pressdemocrat.com

norml.org

[captin sanchez]

my opinion, for what it's worth, 98% of people who have perscriptions are missusing it I have one and the only reason that i do is for my protection from local law.

marijuna is not illeagal becouse Its a drug, its illeagal becouse its good bisuness for the government.

look at the facts we live in a time of proabition insted of alchahol its drugs.

After nearly four decades of fueling the U.S. policy of a war on drugs with over a trillion tax dollars and 37 million arrests for nonviolent drug offenses, our confined population has quadrupled making building prisons the fastest growing industry in the United States. More than 2.2 million of our citizens are currently incarcerated and every year we arrest an additional 1.9 million more guaranteeing those prisons will be bursting at their seams. Every year we choose to continue this war will cost U.S. taxpayers another 69 billion dollars. Despite all the lives we have destroyed and all the money so ill spent, today illicit drugs are cheaper, more potent, and far easier to get than they were 35 years ago at the beginning of the war on drugs. Meanwhile, people continue dying in our streets while drug barons and terrorists continue to grow richer than ever before.


A system of regulation and control of production and distribution will be far more effective and ethical than one of prohibition.


americans need to rember that we do have a voice the government is here to work for us stand up for what you want.


time for a revolution????

[jakobscalpel]

time for a revolution????

Over drug legality? Nah. I just can't get the revolutionary juices flowing for that one.

I'm in favor of drugs being legal as long as they are taxed over 75%. I'm really, really ready for someone else to subsidize me for a change.

[Celticsoul]

Captain Sanchez: You told us: "my opinion, for what it's worth, 98% of people who have perscriptions are missusing it I have one and the only reason that i do is for my protection from local law......"

While I'm not really out there with regular users, I tend to agree with you that a very high percentage of medically-approved users have no medical condition worse than chronic hangnail. But I want to be absolutely certain that I understand you to say that YOU are also one of those individuals, and that you have somehow convinced a medical professional to issue the proper documentation so that you can openly (somewhat) purchase and use marijuana for medical purposes. True? Not? Did I misunderstand?

[citizen]

Cops can get themselves in big trouble for messing with medical marijuana patients...

Monday, 10 December, 2007 07:37 (CST)<br /> <br />Cops Busted Over Medical Marijuana Laws<br /><br />Med Headlines - The Larimer County Drug Task Force in Colorado has been given a court order to return marijuana plants and related paraphernalia they illegally confiscated in August 2006 from a couple using the stuff for medical purposes.<br /><br />They’re also facing a lawsuit seeking damages “in excess of $100,000” for the plants that didn’t survive the ordeal and for the glass pipes, bongs, and growing equipment they broke while it was in their possession.<br /><br />James and Lisa Masters are caregivers who grow the herb to treat their patients. During the illegal seizure of property, 39 plants, about 8 ounces of loose marijuana, growing equipment, and several bongs and pipes were taken.<br /><br />According to the Colorado State Constitution, Article XVIII, Section 14, any property relating to the medical use of marijuana is not to be “harmed, neglected, injured, or destroyed” if confiscated by state or local law enforcement agencies. In fact, the law states that any such property taken from a patient or primary caregiver must be returned immediately.<br /><br />The Larimer County Drug Task Force did not follow these laws so the Masters took the issue to court. They were represented by Brian Vicente of Sensible Colorado, a group advocating “a system where drug use becomes a health issue, not a crime issue.”<br /><br />In November, Colorado Chief District Judge James Hiatt ruled that the law enforcement officers violated the law by seizing the Masters’ property and ordered it returned to them immediately. Charges against the Masters for possession and cultivation were dropped.<br /><br />When the couple went to police headquarters to retrieve their illegally confiscated property, they found dying plants and broken equipment. Their suit seeking monetary compensation for lost property against the drug task force is expected to be filed next week.<br /><br /><a HREF="http://www.medheadlines.com/news/11070368.htm">original article</a>

[captin sanchez]

first of all I have a perscription becouse I have broke all but 2 bones in my primary hand. But I would still be smoking regardless of perscription or legality.

second, the revolution isnt to get drugs into the hands of americans.its to stop the black market traid of drugs.

before the war on drugs 1.3% of all americans where adicted to some sort of drug. "big brother" decided that was too many people to have using drugs

since the start of this "war on drugs" in the nixon admin there has been a multi trillion dollar debt acccumulated, hundreds of law enforcement lives lost, thousands of people incarsarated and after all of this we still have 1.3% of people adicted to some sort of drug

and citizen for example the madera county sheriffs office has a u.s.martial stationed in oakhurst that goes with the narcotics team on raids so he can press fedaral charges if felt nessasery to avoid law suits as you speak of.

[Meat Man]

Pot should be legal. They should tax it and use the money for free health care. They should also make Prostitution legal and do the same.

[Sandman]

Pot should be legal. They should tax it and use the money for free health care. They should also make Prostitution legal and do the same.

I agree MM. BTW: Here is a link to the prostitution thread... http://www.yosemitearea.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2468

[Kim]

I have asthma and allergies and use marijuana to help with pain from 5 surgeries with 3 more to come. I would like to use a vaporizer and have heard that the volcano brand is about the best but it is also very expensive.

Has anyone with asthma used a vaporizer and can tell me the pluses and minuses of using a vaporizer.

Can you tell me where I can get a vaporizer that is effective but not real expensive?

Is there a local co-op or group where I can buy some marijuana ?

I am in pretty much constant pain from 6 to 8 areas of my body depending on the day so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Doctor's authorization to use MMJ with all the paperwork.


thx
People with asthma shouldn't be smoking anything.

[citizen]

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2008/01/26/sahib.ca.marijuana.vending.kcal

Marijuana vending machines (2min Video)
A herbal nutrition center will allow patients to get prescription marijuana from a vending machine. Affiliate KCAL reports.

[citizen]

People with asthma shouldn't be smoking anything.

Kim is right. I suggest baking and eating your medicine instead of smoking it.

[citizen]

80% of you have voted in this poll stating that you were in favor of medicinal marijuana. My next question to you is if you would have a problem if a dispensary opened in Oakhurst that would allow patients to purchase marijuana. What if Oakhurst had a vending machine that dispersed Marijuana, as reported in the CNN video above?

Here is an informational video about the subject:
<center><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" allowNetworking="internal" height="350" width="425" id="VideoPlayback" data="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=8841684504932223081&hl=en">
<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" />
<param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" />
<param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=8841684504932223081&hl=en" />
<param name="flashvars" value="" />
</object> ..

[Summer]

People with asthma shouldn't be smoking anything.

I thought that if you have permission to use marijuana it would be in pill form? I have also heard that this is not as effective. Kim, since you are in the med. profession could you straighten this out for me? Thanks.

[american]

I am a medical marijuana patient. I have never tried a marijuana pill so I can not tell you how effective that is. But this is a natural thing from the earth. We do not need the pharmacies to make a pill and make a buck on it. We can grow this in our garden to provide our own medication. When you get a medical marijuana recommendation from a doctor it allows you to posses, cultivate and use marijuana. You can also buy/sell or participate in a cooperative with other medical marijuana users/growers. I can designate people as a caregiver and they can grow my medical marijuana for me. I simply need to write a letter and provide that caregiver with a copy of my recommendation for medicinal cannabis use. Although Marijuana does not have the same harsh impact on your lungs as cigarettes do, it is not healthy to smoke. It is better to vaporize and ingest baked goods. You can also use a THC tincture. Overall marijuana has far less side-effects than alternative medications. However, a perfectly healthy person or person under the age of 18 should not use this drug. Only use it with the recommendation of a doctor. Refer to Prop 215 and Ca SB420 for information. canorml .org is a great reference site.

Text of Prop. 215
Compassionate Use Act of 1996

Health and Safety Code Section 11362.5

Sec. (1) a-b The people of the State of California hereby find and declare that the purposes of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 are as follows:
(A) To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes where the medical use is deemed appropriate and has been recommended by a physician who has determined that the person's health would benefit from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief.
(B) To ensure that patients and their primary caregivers who obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes upon the recommendation of a physician are not subject to criminal prosecution or sanction.
(C) To encourage the federal and state governments to implement a plan to provide for the safe and affordable distribution of marijuana to all patients in medical need of marijuana.
(2) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to supersede legislation prohibiting persons from engaging in conduct that endangers others, nor to condone the diversion of marijuana for nonmedical purposes.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no physician in this state shall be punished, or denied any rights or privilege, for having recommended marijuana to a patient for medical purposes.
(d) Section 11357, relating to the possession of marijuana, and Section 11358, relating to the cultivation of marijuana, shall not apply to a patient, or to the patient's primary caregiver, who possesses or cultivates marijuana for the personal medical purposes of the patient upon the written or oral recommendation or approval of a physician.
(e) For the purposes of this section, "primary caregiver" means the individual designated by the person exempted under this act who has consistently assumed responsibility for the housing, health, or safety of that person.
Sec. 2. If any provision of this measure or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the measure which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this measure are severable.


SB 420 Establishes New Prop 215 Guidelines, Voluntary Patient Identification Card System

Patients Allowed 6 Mature or 12 Immature Plants + 1/2 Pound of Processed Cannabis
Text of bill SB 420



A new bill establishing statewide guidelines for Prop. 215 enforcement takes effect on January 1, 2004. The bill, SB 420 by Sen. John Vasconcellos, was signed by outgoing Gov. Gray Davis just days after he lost the recall election.

SB 420, which reflects a compromise between patients’ advocates and law enforcement, includes controversial new state guidelines regarding how much marijuana patients may grow and possess without being subject to arrest. It also includes a voluntary patient identification card system and other provisions to protect patients and their caregivers from arrest.

The guidelines, which were hotly disputed by California NORML and other patients’ advocates, allow patients up to 6 mature or 12 immature plants and up to one-half pound of dried, processed marijuana. Patient advocates had pushed for more liberal guidelines, such as those adopted by Sonoma County, which allow up to 99 plants in a 100 square foot growing area plus 3 pounds of marijuana. The final guidelines were decided in a last-minute legislative deal by Attorney General Lockyer and Sen. Vasconcellos in order to get the bill passed.
Exceptions to Guidelines

In recognition of the fact that the guidelines are inadequate for many very ill patients, SB 420 allows patients to be exempted from them if they obtain a physician’s statement that they need more.

In deference to local autonomy, SB 420 also allows counties and cities to establish higher - but now lower - guidelines if they so choose. As a result, the new law will not overturn liberal guidelines that are now in effect in Sonoma and elsewhere. However, it should force more restrictive counties, such as San Bernardino and Fresno, which have heretofore had "zero tolerance" policies, to honor the new statewide minimum standard. Medical marijuana activists are lobbying other counties and cities that currently lack guidelines to override those in SB 420.
Limits Not Legally Binding on Guilt

Strictly speaking, the guidelines do not constitute hard and fast limits on how much patients may legally have. This is because Prop. 215 specifically allows patients whatever amount of marijuana they need for their own medical use, and Prop. 215 cannot be overridden by the legislature. Rather, the guidelines are supposed to protect patients from arrest, something that is nowhere guaranteed in Prop. 215 itself. Therefore, even though patients who exceed the limits are subject to arrest, they should still be able to defend themselves in court under Prop. 215. Nonetheless, defense attorneys are fearful that some courts will misinterpret the new law as an absolute limit and wrongfully convict patients for exceeding it They fully expect that further litigation will be needed to settle the matter in the higher courts.

SB 420 authorizes the Attorney General to recommend modifications to the guidelines pursuant to public consultation and comment no later than Dec. 1, 2005. California NORML and other patients’ support groups intend to call on the Attorney General. to recommend new guidelines.
State to Establish Voluntary ID Card System

Identification cards under the new state program will be issued by county health departments. It will be at least a year before the system is up and running, since the state Department of Health Services must first work out the details. There will be registration fees to cover the costs of the program, with a 50% discount for Medi-Cal patients. Registrations will be valid for one year. There will be a 24-hour telephone hotline by which law enforcement can verify the validity of the cards.

The system is designed with safeguards to protect patient privacy like the current San Francisco ID card system. Police will not be able to identify whether persons are medical marijuana patients by their name or address, but only by a unique identification number appearing on their card. Although some patient advocates have expressed qualms about the privacy of the new identification system, California NORML is recommending that patients register to protect themselves from arrest. Similar ID card programs have been in effect in other states for several years, with no reports of abuse.

Persons designated as "primary caregivers" will also be eligible for ID cards. Each patient may designate a single caregiver. Caregivers may receive reasonable compensation for their services. However, cultivation or distribution "for profit" are not authorized.

In a quirky provision, SB 420 forbids caregivers from having more than one patient unless all of them reside in the same "city or county" as the caregiver. This means that no one may be a caregiver for both a spouse and a parent if they happen to reside in different counties. California NORML attorneys believe that this is an unconstitutional restriction on Prop. 215 and intend to challenge it in court.
Other Provisions of SB 420

In other provisions, SB 420:

• Recognizes the right of patients and caregivers to associate to collectively or cooperatively to cultivate medical marijuana .

• Disallows marijuana smoking in no smoking zones, within 1000 feet of a school or youth center except in private residences, on schoolbuses, in a motor vehicle that is being operated, or while operating a boat..

• Protects patients and caregivers from arrest for transportation and other miscellaneous charges not covered in 215.

• Allows probationers, parolees, and prisoners to apply for permission to use medical marijuana; however, such permission may be refused at the discretion of the authorities.

• Makes it a crime to fraudulently provide misinformation to obtain a card, to steal or misuse the card of another, to counterfeit a card, or to breach the confidentiality of patient records in the card program.

Although medical marijuana advocates are upset at the new guidelines, most believe that SB 420 is on balance a step forward. "This is one more step towards legitimizing medical marijuana," says California NORML coordinator Dale Gieringer.

California NORML intends to monitor the new law carefully and support legal action defending patients’ rights against misuse of SB 420. Patients with legal problems are encouraged to report them to the California NORML hotline (415) 563-5858.

[Dodgergirl]

I'm all for the vending machine idea. It's not like it would be outside a grocery store, there would be control and the buyers would be monitored. Why not make it easier for those who need their meds? BUT, I really would prefer a brownie or chocolate chip cookie rather than a pill...

[beautiful_mess38]

"I wonder if there going to put the pot machine next to the candy machine"..;)

Heard that on the radio this morning thought it was funny.

[CatdaBrat]

If somebody needs a prescription for medical marijuana, I think it should be treated like any other prescription drug. I could be mistaken, but as far as I know, there aren't any vending machines for such things. How would that work, anyway...perhaps you insert your card like at an ATM...dunno.

Not to take away from the people who really benefit from a marijuana prescription, such as cancer patients fighting nausea, but most of the card-carrying folks I know are using it for recreational, not medicinal, purposes. Amazing how many doctors will go along with that. People can complain of everyday minor aches and pains and get a prescription.

I haven't yet made up my mind if weed should be legal or illegal.....it probably isn't going to matter as far as availability and usage go. Many have said the taxes would be beneficial.

[beebs]

If somebody needs a prescription for medical marijuana, I think it should be treated like any other prescription drug. I could be mistaken, but as far as I know, there aren't any vending machines for such things. How would that work, anyway...perhaps you insert your card like at an ATM...dunno.

I saw a news clip on CNN this AM about this subject referring to the possibility of vending machines in the LA area. From the bits I heard, the machines would be policed by security units and you would not only need an RX but would also need fingerprint identification to get the product.

[beebs]

Let’s face it. From time to time we’ve probably all used some form of altering substance to help get us thru the day. :o Whether it’s aspirin for a headache, cough syrup for a cold, insulin for diabetes, Prozac for anxiety or a stiff martini to make us a little more social. I can imagine pot is no different for those who choose to use it. Whatever the substance, the two sides of the coin are whether it’s being used appropriately or whether it’s being abused and, as I’m sure we all know, the potential for abuse is present with anything.

Marijuana has been making the rounds for a long time and, like booze during prohibition, just because it’s illegal won’t stop people from using it. Now I don’t necessarily think we need yet another legal means for people to fry their brain cells with inappropriate use besides what’s already available in the form of alcohol and other RX drugs, but like I said, legal or not, pot isn’t going anywhere. That being the case, it comes down to a matter of profit.

If pot is legalized it would probably give government agencies the potential of profit thru either taxation or production and sales, not to mention possibly more control over availability (and we know how government likes control) and less tax dollars spent on policing violations of it’s use. It might provide new job potential for farm workers (I suspect you’d have lines forming to apply for that job), and if mass-produced and utilized widely there may even be more benefits discovered.

Is there a chance that legalizing pot will increase the number of drug users? The way I see it, if you’re going to smoke it, you probably already are smoking it. :liteoneup: And if you’re going to abuse or misuse it, you’re probably already doing that too. And if you don’t smoke it, I doubt you’ll start just because it’s legal. When alcohol was again legalized the whole country didn’t turn into alcoholics. There’s always going to be inappropriate substance use. I sure as heck wouldn’t want the school bus driver to be smoking doobies before his afternoon pickup, but I wouldn’t want him throwing back any shots of tequila either.:cheers: That would be abuse with either substance. Keeping one from being legal won’t stop that bus driver from using it if he want’s to. And for someone whose using pot to control pain or symptoms, well, that person probably isn’t working as a bus driver. And if he is, hopefully the outfit he works for requires both drug and alcohol testing to keep him from ever being behind the wheel of a vehicle when under the influence of anything that alters his abilities.

I don’t think behavior can ever be totally influenced by the legality of something. I say legalize marijuana and give those who want and need to use it the freedom to do so and let Uncle Sam have his cut and everybody wins.

[CatdaBrat]

IMHO, that's one of the most well-stated comments I have ever heard.

People pretty much do what they want, whether it's legal or illegal. Alcohol is legal (within limits) and driving drunk is illegal, but what difference does it make, when any day of the week there are drunks behind the wheel all over the country? Same with any impairment, such as legal prescription drugs.

You're right -- pot isn't going away, in fact, more people use it than ever before from what I have learned just right here in the Mountain Area. There are so many pros and cons regarding legalization that it's all confusing...but it seems like the arguments in favor of it are ahead. For sure the fact that it's illegal (federally) isn't slowing down any bowl packers! I wonder if they would have to pay more for it or less if it were legalized?

[american]

If somebody needs a prescription for medical marijuana, I think it should be treated like any other prescription drug. I could be mistaken, but as far as I know, there aren't any vending machines for such things. How would that work, anyway...perhaps you insert your card like at an ATM...dunno.

Not to take away from the people who really benefit from a marijuana prescription, such as cancer patients fighting nausea, but most of the card-carrying folks I know are using it for recreational, not medicinal, purposes. Amazing how many doctors will go along with that. People can complain of everyday minor aches and pains and get a prescription.

I haven't yet made up my mind if weed should be legal or illegal.....it probably isn't going to matter as far as availability and usage go. Many have said the taxes would be beneficial.

First, the vending machine video does state that other prescription medications will be available through the vending machine, not just marijuana. So they are treating this just like they do any other prescription drug.

I also agree that some people are in need of a marijuana prescription more than others, but who am I to say who should and shouldn't have the prescription. I'm not a doctor. Also I would like to point out that other prescription medication is abused. I know a lot of people that get prescriptions for drugs that they do not need. So that is an entirely separate issue and medicinal marijuana shouldn't be blamed.

[american]

I saw a news clip on CNN this AM about this subject referring to the possibility of vending machines in the LA area. From the bits I heard, the machines would be policed by security units and you would not only need an RX but would also need fingerprint identification to get the product.

A link to the news video you saw on CNN is located on a previous page in this thread.

[american]

Well said!

:ind:

Let’s face it. From time to time we’ve probably all used some form of altering substance to help get us thru the day. :o Whether it’s aspirin for a headache, cough syrup for a cold, insulin for diabetes, Prozac for anxiety or a stiff martini to make us a little more social. I can imagine pot is no different for those who choose to use it. Whatever the substance, the two sides of the coin are whether it’s being used appropriately or whether it’s being abused and, as I’m sure we all know, the potential for abuse is present with anything.

Marijuana has been making the rounds for a long time and, like booze during prohibition, just because it’s illegal won’t stop people from using it. Now I don’t necessarily think we need yet another legal means for people to fry their brain cells with inappropriate use besides what’s already available in the form of alcohol and other RX drugs, but like I said, legal or not, pot isn’t going anywhere. That being the case, it comes down to a matter of profit.

If pot is legalized it would probably give government agencies the potential of profit thru either taxation or production and sales, not to mention possibly more control over availability (and we know how government likes control) and less tax dollars spent on policing violations of it’s use. It might provide new job potential for farm workers (I suspect you’d have lines forming to apply for that job), and if mass-produced and utilized widely there may even be more benefits discovered.

Is there a chance that legalizing pot will increase the number of drug users? The way I see it, if you’re going to smoke it, you probably already are smoking it. :liteoneup: And if you’re going to abuse or misuse it, you’re probably already doing that too. And if you don’t smoke it, I doubt you’ll start just because it’s legal. When alcohol was again legalized the whole country didn’t turn into alcoholics. There’s always going to be inappropriate substance use. I sure as heck wouldn’t want the school bus driver to be smoking doobies before his afternoon pickup, but I wouldn’t want him throwing back any shots of tequila either.:cheers: That would be abuse with either substance. Keeping one from being legal won’t stop that bus driver from using it if he want’s to. And for someone whose using pot to control pain or symptoms, well, that person probably isn’t working as a bus driver. And if he is, hopefully the outfit he works for requires both drug and alcohol testing to keep him from ever being behind the wheel of a vehicle when under the influence of anything that alters his abilities.

I don’t think behavior can ever be totally influenced by the legality of something. I say legalize marijuana and give those who want and need to use it the freedom to do so and let Uncle Sam have his cut and everybody wins.

[american]

I wonder if they would have to pay more for it or less if it were legalized?

The price would go down if it were completely legalized because everyone that smoked would be able to plant their own marijuana plants. In the same away a strawberry enthusiast will grow strawberries in their garden a pot smoker could grow his/her favorite plant. He/she could then trade with other gardeners. Marijuana plants are beautiful and smell delicious! If it were completely legal I'd plant them all over my property. You would be welcome to come by and pick off a sample just as I would let you take an orange from my tree.

The government wouldn't be able to tax it and make a profit because it is so easy to just plant a seed yourself. They make more money having it illegal.

[MadScot]

It is without a doubt a better choice than opiates as a pain killer. Marijuana is not addictive like opiates. The brain adjusts to opiates as you continue to take them the brain adjusts by reducing the number of endorphins that it produces forcing you to increase the amount of opiates you must take to achieve the same amount of pain relief. Marijuana on the other hand has no effect on the brains natural production of endorphins.
I do not find the argument that some are abusing the law to be compelling. People abuse prescription drugs constantly and doctors hand out antidepressants like lollipops. If you were going to repeal the medical marijuana law because some abuse it you should outlaw all drugs for the same reason. Might as well outlaw alcohol again too it's the most destructive drug we have.

I went to the doctor last week she wanted to put me on morphine. I told her I'd rather deal with the pain than get hooked on an opiate (still in denial I got a chance). I'm sure I will relent as the end gets nearer. With the Graves disease relapsing and speeding up my metabolism the Ankylosing Spondylitis, Diabetes and Cancer are all working overtime. Unfortunately the current marijuana laws do not really allow you to grow enough that you can use it effectively. It takes a minimum of 4 months to grow and harvest one crop that's only 18 plants a year Hardly enough for someone like me with multiple serious diseases. It's even affecting my ribs now just breathing is painful.

What I think of those who want to repeal the medical marijuana law isn’t fit to put in print.

[beebs]

I would like to point out that other prescription medication is abused.
So that is an entirely separate issue and medicinal marijuana shouldn't be blamed.

Let me be clear, I'm not "blaming" substance abuse on marijuana. I agree, abuse and excess use can be found in just about anything, even something that's supposed to be good for you like exercise. That was part of my point. I don't believe that legalizing marijuana will increase its abuse, a point that can be argued in favor of legalization. In fact, it's probable that, if made more available in medical treatment it may even lead to development in more situations than its being used currently, which would be a good thing.

Catabrat asked a good question tho. Will pot cost more if it's legal? After thinking it thru a bit more, I wonder if legalization will allow so much government and corporation control that it would take the product out of the underground market and make it harder and more costly to get for the "social" user. Once government standards are established and pharmaceutical companies take over production, more tax dollars instead of less might be earmarked for shutting down the small, home-grown operations and tougher prosecution for those users who have no RX's. My guess is that pharmaceutical companies are probably one of the biggest and most organized opponents to making pot legal. And you know there's a lot of power and money there. Something to think about.

Bottom line, I'm all for more personal choices and options, especially when it comes to medical treatment and ways that may improve the quality of my life. Heck, make everything legal and then let me do what I want as long as I'm doing it with other consenting adults and am in no way endangering other lives or property. Give me options and let me decide what's best for me. Hopefully I'll have access to plenty of education about all my options, will do my research and then be allowed to make an educated choice that best suits me.

Wouldn't that be an ideal world?!

[beebs]

Marijuana is not addictive like opiates.

I'm not sure I agree with this. There is a ton of research in both directions. So depending on your definition of addictive, you may or may not have complete validity in this statement. Either way, I think there is overwhelming validity for the use of marijuana in a medical setting, so I hope what is already in place is not repealed.

I do commend you for holding out against the opiates for as long as you can. You must be one tough and stubborn individual. I hope you have the support you need to deal with your health situation. If not, I hope you'll do what it takes to get that support because no one should be alone when dealing with an extreme of life such as the one you're faced with right now. Good luck in what lies ahead. With all sincerity, my heart is with you.

[MadScot]

They don't come more stubborn than me. It's a running joke in my family. Six years ago the doctor said I could die tomorrow and had to go to the hospital. I didn't go. I told her to give me a scipt for whatever the hospital would likely give me. Three years ago a different doctor wouldn't let me leave the office. They said I had to go to the hospital. They said either you call a friend to drive you or we will call an ambulence. They said if I tried to leave on my own they would call the police. I tried to convince them it was just a minor attack but they were serious about calling the police. I passed out about 45 minutes later. I'm sure I would of been ok if I would of went home and layed down instead of the long car ride to Fresno. I still only stayed at the hospital about 14 hours before i signed myself out. They were so inept it was absurd they didn't have a clue what was wrong with me.

ps One might think I take my health lightly. That's not the case I've spent my entire life in pain. I told doctors for over 30 years there was something seriously wrong with me only to be for the most part ignored. I just lost faith in Doctors. By the standards I was used to the attack I had in the Doctor's office was mild.

[John S]

I was reading an article in the Fresno Bee about the medical marijuana "vending machine" and the 2nd to the last paragraph caught me eye...

"A man who said he has been authorized to use medical marijuana as part of his ANGER MANAGEMENT THERAPY said the vending machine's security measures would at least protect against illicit use of the drug." (capitol letters added by me)

Is anger management a legitimate use of medical marijuana?

My two cents: I don't know this fellow's story but it seems that this is not the sort of medical condition most voters were thinking of when they approved this law.

http://www.fresnobee.com/552/story/359182.html

[MadScot]

I can understand your viewpoint but many drugs are used for purposes not originally intended. I believe the wording in the law states that it can be used for Cancer, Malaria, Anorexia, AIDS, Chronic Pain, Spasticity, Glaucoma, Arthritis, Migraines, or any other illness for which Marijuana provides relief. I take amtriptylin it was made for and widely used as an antidepressant. It isn't used for that purpose much anymore but they found it is useful to help with nerve pain. There are many drugs that can be used for anger management but they all have pretty severe side effects. Lithium for instance is very expensive in both the cost of the drug and intense monitoring that must accompany it's use. Why should people be forced to take an expensive drug with severe side effects when they can take something natural they can grow themselves at little cost that has minimal side effects. The purpose of the FDA is supposed to be to protect us from dangerous food and drugs. It's a farce it doesn't do that our food is often tainted and their function regarding drugs has become to protect the interests of the Big Pharmaceutical companies. It continually approves drugs which are later found to be too dangerous and are banned. Many "street drugs" are used in medicine they still prescribe speed to kids who have ADD, Dentists use cocaine. There was a time (prior to 1906) you could go into a drug store and get drugs without a prescription. Drug addiction is higher now than it was then. If you read about why the FDA was created you would wonder how we ever got to the point we are at now.

[CatdaBrat]

Well, I am glad to learn something new, even though it is somewhat scary to me. Under what circumstances and in what form do dentists use cocaine on patients? Seems like I have heard about that, but I thought it was back in the "dark" ages! Do the dentists have to inform the patient and get permission before administering it? I wouldn't want any of that garbage...not after learning in psychology classes what it does to the brain. Well, I never wanted it before that, either!

[MadScot]

It's used as an anaesthetic. I'm not as expert in the matter but I believe it is used in two circumstances. Procaine(novacaine) is ineffective on some people like me. It is also used when infection makes procaine ineffective. I believe it's mainly used in oral surgery and typically shot into the gum just like the procaine.

[MadScot]

How timely that a story like this surfaces.
Sick Cattle Used to Feed School Children
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4218056&page=1


According to documents provided by HSUS, Westland was named a USDA "supplier of the year" for 2004-05. HSUS says the company "has delivered beef to schools in 36 states. More than 100,000 schools and childcare facilities nationwide receive meat through the lunch program."

[CatdaBrat]

Wow, that reminds me of all the reasons why I won't eat a chicken nugget anymore...at least not any that are chopped and formed!

(This is off topic but what is this "boneless wing" crap -- it's chicken breast, not wings! I want real wings!)

[american]

This is what our Federal Government does to people that try to provide a medication to its patients...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2008/02/01/state/n084550S17.DTL&type=printable

Owner of medical pot dispensaries facing 40 years in fed prison

Friday, February 1, 2008

(02-01) 08:45 PST Los Angeles (AP) --


The owner of a chain of medical marijuana dispensaries is facing up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal charges of distributing pot at his West Hollywood location.


Larry Roger Kristich pleaded guilty Thursday and he will be sentenced April 21. Besides the prison sentence, he's facing up to $95 million in fines.


The 64-year-old businessman owned the Oakland-based Compassionate Caregivers marijuana dispensaries in San Francisco, San Diego, Ukiah, Oakland, San Leandro, Bakersfield and West Hollywood.


He pleaded guilty to knowingly operating the Yellow House dispensary on La Brea Avenue. A conspiracy count is expected to be dismissed at sentencing.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/02/01/state/n084550S17.DTL

[captin sanchez]

I heard about a bust in oakhurst, 3 story house with a $2,000,000 crop. brothers from fresno, some one tiped off the cops.

[american]

..Shortcut Address:
http://marijuana.drugwarrant.com..
A brief history of the criminalization of cannabis ..>..>........

7000-8000 B.C. .. First woven fabric believed to be from hemp. ..

1619
..Jamestown Colony, Virginia passes law requiring farmers to grow hemp...

1700s
..Hemp was the primary crop grown by George Washington at Mount Vernon, and a secondary crop grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. ..

1884
..Maine is the first state to outlaw alcohol...

1906
..Pure Food and Drug Act is passed, forming the Food and Drug Administration. First time that drugs have any government oversight...

1914
..Harrison Act passed, outlawing opiates and cocaine (taxing scheme)..

1915
..Utah passes first state anti-marijuana law...

1919
..18th Amendment to the Constitution (alcohol prohibition) is ratified...

1930
..Harry J. Anslinger given control of the new Federal Bureau of Narcotics (he remains in the position until 1962)..

1933
..21st Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, repealing alcohol prohibition...

1937
..Marijuana Tax Act..

1938
..Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act..

1951
..Boggs Amendment to the Harrison Narcotic Act (mandatory sentences)..

1956
..Narcotics Control Act adds more severe penalties..

1970
..Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act. Replaces and updates all previous laws concerning narcotics and other dangerous drugs. Empasis on law enforcement. Includes the Controlled Substances Act, where marijuana is classified a Schedule 1 drug (reserved for the most dangerous drugs that have no recognized medical use)...

1972
..Drug Abuse Office and Treatment Act. Establishes federally funded programs for prevention and treatment..

1973
..Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Changes Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs into the DEA ..

1974 and 1978
..Drug Abuse Treatment and Control Amendments. Extends 1972 act..

1988
..Anti-Drug Abuse Act. Establishes oversight office: National Office of Drug Control Policy and the Drug Czar..

1992
..ADAMHA Reorganization. Transfers NIDA, NIMH, and NIAAA to NIH and incorporates ADAMHA's programs into the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)..

....

Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings; that it was to protect the citizens from what was determined to be a dangerous drug.

The actual story shows a much different picture. Those who voted on the legal fate of this plant never had the facts, but were dependent on information supplied by those who had a specific agenda to deceive lawmakers. You'll see below that the very first federal vote to prohibit marijuana was based entirely on a documented lie on the floor of the Senate.

You'll also see that the history of marijuana's criminalization is filled with:
....Racism....Fear....Protection of Corporate Profits....Yellow Journalism....Ignorant, Incompetent, and/or Corrupt Legislators....Personal Career Advancement and Greed.... These are the actual reasons marijuana is illegal.

For most of human history, marijuana has been completely legal. It's not a recently discovered plant, nor is it a long-standing law. Marijuana has been illegal for less than 1% of the time that it's been in use. Its known uses go back further than 7,000 B.C. and it was legal as recently as when Ronald Reagan was a boy.

The marijuana (hemp) plant, of course, has an incredible number of uses. The earliest known woven fabric was apparently of hemp, and over the centuries the plant was used for food, incense, cloth, rope, and much more. This adds to some of the confusion over its introduction in the United States, as the plant was well known from the early 1600's, but did not reach public awareness as a recreational drug until the early 1900's.

America's first marijuana law was enacted at Jamestown Colony, Virginia in 1619. It was a law "ordering" all farmers to grow Indian hempseed. There were several other "must grow" laws over the next 200 years (you could be jailed for not growing hemp during times of shortage in Virginia between 1763 and 1767), and during most of that time, hemp was legal tender (you could even pay your taxes with hemp -- try that today!) Hemp was such a critical crop for a number of purposes (including essential war requirements - rope, etc.) that the government went out of its way to encourage growth.

The United States Census of 1850 counted 8,327 hemp "plantations" (minimum 2,000-acre farm) growing cannabis hemp for cloth, canvas and even the cordage used for baling cotton.

The Mexican Connection

In the early 1900s, the western states developed significant tensions regarding the influx of Mexican-Americans. The revolution in Mexico in 1910 spilled over the border, with General Pershing's army clashing with bandit Pancho Villa. Later in that decade, bad feelings developed between the small farmer and the large farms that used cheaper Mexican labor. Then, the depression came and increased tensions, as jobs and welfare resources became scarce.

One of the "differences" seized upon during this time was the fact that many Mexicans smoked marijuana and had brought the plant with them.

However, the first state law outlawing marijuana did so not because of Mexicans using the drug. Oddly enough, it was because of Mormons using it. Mormons who traveled to Mexico in 1910 came back to Salt Lake City with marijuana. The church was not pleased and ruled against use of the drug. Since the state of Utah automatically enshrined church doctrine into law, the first state marijuana prohibition was established in 1915. (Today, Senator Orrin Hatch serves as the prohibition arm of this heavily church-influenced state.)

Other states quickly followed suit with marijuana prohibition laws, including Wyoming (1915), Texas (1919), Iowa (1923), Nevada (1923), Oregon (1923), Washington (1923), Arkansas (1923), and Nebraska (1927). These laws tended to be specifically targeted against the Mexican-American population.

When Montana outlawed marijuana in 1927, the Butte Montana Standard reported a legislator's comment: "When some beet field peon takes a few traces of this stuff... he thinks he has just been elected president of Mexico, so he starts out to execute all his political enemies." In Texas, a senator said on the floor of the Senate: "All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff [marijuana] is what makes them crazy."

Jazz and Assassins

In the eastern states, the "problem" was attributed to a combination of Latin Americans and black jazz musicians. Marijuana and jazz traveled from New Orleans to Chicago, and then to Harlem, where marijuana became an indispensable part of the music scene, even entering the language of the black hits of the time (Louis Armstrong's "Muggles", Cab Calloway's "That Funny Reefer Man", Fats Waller's "Viper's Drag").

Again, racism was part of the charge against marijuana, as newspapers in 1934 editorialized: "Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice."

Two other fear-tactic rumors started to spread: one, that Mexicans, Blacks and other foreigners were snaring white children with marijuana; and two, the story of the "assassins." Early stories of Marco Polo had told of "hasheesh-eaters" or hashashin, from which derived the term "assassin." In the original stories, these professional killers were given large doses of hashish and brought to the ruler's garden (to give them a glimpse of the paradise that awaited them upon successful completion of their mission). Then, after the effects of the drug disappeared, the assassin would fulfill his ruler's wishes with cool, calculating loyalty.

By the 1930s, the story had changed. Dr. A. E. Fossier wrote in the 1931 New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal: "Under the influence of hashish those fanatics would madly rush at their enemies, and ruthlessly massacre every one within their grasp." Within a very short time, marijuana started being linked to violent behavior.

Alcohol Prohibition and Federal Approaches to Drug Prohibition

During this time, the United States was also dealing with alcohol prohibition, which lasted from 1919 to 1933. Alcohol prohibition was extremely visible and debated at all levels, while drug laws were passed without the general public's knowledge. National alcohol prohibition happened through the mechanism of an amendment to the constitution.

Earlier (1914), the Harrison Act was passed, which provided federal tax penalties for opiates and cocaine.

The federal approach is important. It was considered at the time that the federal government did not have the constitutional power to outlaw alcohol or drugs. It is because of this that alcohol prohibition required a constitutional amendment.

At that time in our country's history, the judiciary regularly placed the tenth amendment in the path of congressional regulation of "local" affairs, and direct regulation of medical practice was considered beyond congressional power under the commerce clause (since then, both provisions have been weakened so far as to have almost no meaning).

Since drugs could not be outlawed at the federal level, the decision was made to use federal taxes as a way around the restriction. In the Harrison Act, legal uses of opiates and cocaine were taxed (supposedly as a revenue need by the federal government, which is the only way it would hold up in the courts), and those who didn't follow the law found themselves in trouble with the treasury department.

In 1930, a new division in the Treasury Department was established -- the Federal Bureau of Narcotics -- and Harry J. Anslinger was named director. This, if anything, marked the beginning of the all-out war against marijuana.

Anslinger was an extremely ambitious man, and he recognized the Bureau of Narcotics as an amazing career opportunity -- a new government agency with the opportunity to define both the problem and the solution. He immediately realized that opiates and cocaine wouldn't be enough to help build his agency, so he latched on to marijuana and started to work on making it illegal at the federal level.

Anslinger immediately drew upon the themes of racism and violence to draw national attention to the problem he wanted to create. Some of his quotes regarding marijuana...

.."There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others."

"...the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."

"Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death."

"Reefer makes darkies think they're as good as white men."

"Marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing"

"You smoke a joint and you're likely to kill your brother."

"Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."..

And he loved to pull out his own version of the "assassin" definition:

.."In the year 1090, there was founded in Persia the religious and military order of the Assassins, whose history is one of cruelty, barbarity, and murder, and for good reason: the members were confirmed users of hashish, or marihuana, and it is from the Arabs' 'hashashin' that we have the English word 'assassin.'"..

A picture named hearst.jpg Yellow Journalism

Harry Anslinger got some additional help from William Randolf Hearst, owner of a huge chain of newspapers. Hearst had lots of reasons to help. First, he hated Mexicans. Second, he had invested heavily in the timber industry to support his newspaper chain and didn't want to see the development of hemp paper in competition. Third, he had lost 800,000 acres of timberland to Pancho Villa, so he hated Mexicans. Fourth, telling lurid lies about Mexicans (and the devil marijuana weed causing violence) sold newspapers, making him rich.

Some samples from the San Francisco Examiner:

.."Marihuana makes fiends of boys in thirty days -- Hashish goads users to bloodlust."

"By the tons it is coming into this country -- the deadly, dreadful poison that racks and tears not only the body, but the very heart and soul of every human being who once becomes a slave to it in any of its cruel and devastating forms.... Marihuana is a short cut to the insane asylum. Smoke marihuana cigarettes for a month and what was once your brain will be nothing but a storehouse of horrid specters. Hasheesh makes a murderer who kills for the love of killing out of the mildest mannered man who ever laughed at the idea that any habit could ever get him...."..

And other nationwide columns...

.."Users of marijuana become STIMULATED as they inhale the drug and are LIKELY TO DO ANYTHING. Most crimes of violence in this section, especially in country districts are laid to users of that drug."

"Was it marijuana, the new Mexican drug, that nerved the murderous arm of Clara Phillips when she hammered out her victim's life in Los Angeles?... THREE-FOURTHS OF THE CRIMES of violence in this country today are committed by DOPE SLAVES -- that is a matter of cold record."..

Hearst and Anslinger were then supported by Dupont chemical company and various pharmaceutical companies in the effort to outlaw cannabis. Dupont had patented nylon, and wanted hemp removed as competition. The pharmaceutical companies could neither identify nor standardize cannabis dosages, and besides, with cannabis, folks could grow their own medicine and not have to purchase it from large companies.

This all set the stage for...

The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937.

After two years of secret planning, Anslinger brought his plan to Congress -- complete wit