cannabisnews.com: Must The Ill Be Made To Suffer for Meager Gain?





Must The Ill Be Made To Suffer for Meager Gain?
Posted by CN Staff on November 29, 2004 at 18:51:40 PT
Editorial
Source: USA Today
Angel Raich is ill — very ill. She's subject to severe, debilitating pain from an inoperable brain tumor and more than a dozen other ailments, including a chronic wasting condition. Without effective medication, she can't walk, play with her children or sleep.Angel Raich needs help. But because the California mother of two is following her doctor's recommendation, using marijuana in a desperate effort to find relief, the federal government considers her a criminal. And in its zeal to make an example of Raich, the Justice Department told the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday that the federal war on drugs trumps any consideration of compassion for her or others like her.
But is that justice? Or injustice?Either way, it's one more example of Washington's meddling in the doctor-patient relationship and attempting to usurp an important power historically handled by the states: regulation of medical practice. The Justice Department is still trying to prevent physicians from participating in Oregon's unique Death with Dignity Act, and Congress persists in playing doctor by limiting the techniques for performing otherwise legal abortions. Both issues are also in the courts.Raich and her physician say they tried dozens of prescription medicines without success before turning to marijuana in various forms. Diane Monson, another California woman who suffers from chronic back trouble and painful muscle spasms, is part of the same case. Two years ago, federal agents seized from Monson's home the cannabis plants she was growing for her own medicinal use. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/meager.htmSource: USA Today (US)Published: November 29, 2004Copyright: 2004 USA Today, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.Contact: editor usatoday.comWebsite: http://www.usatoday.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Raich vs. Ashcroft http://www.angeljustice.org/Angel Raich v. Ashcroft Newshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/raich.htmMMJ Spokespatient Watches Court Debate http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19909.shtmlJustices Appear Unlikely To OK Medical Use http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19908.shtmlJustices React Skeptically Medical-Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19907.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by dr slider on November 29, 2004 at 20:09:53 PT:
what gain?
Nowhere in this article does it describe this "meager gain" we achieve by condemning Angel to death.Reading the coverage of this alleged issue makes me ill.....
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