cannabisnews.com: Controlling Med Pot is Not Out-of-Control Idea





Controlling Med Pot is Not Out-of-Control Idea
Posted by CN Staff on July 26, 2005 at 06:15:46 PT
By Ethan Nadelmann
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
California -- If medical marijuana seems tough to regulate in San Francisco, blame the federal government. The feds are in a fix. More than two-thirds of Americans support the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. Every state ballot initiative, beginning with California's Proposition 215 in 1996, has passed, often by wide margins. Medical marijuana bills are passing in state legislatures, often with support from Republican governors and lawmakers.
The feds can try to trip up these bills but know they can't stop them. The White House has been able to keep Republican members of Congress in line so far, but many don't feel they're voting their conscience when they vote against medical marijuana. The fallback federal obstructionist strategy is to maintain its indefensible monopoly on marijuana for research purposes; to refuse to allow it to be legally prescribed as a Schedule II drug; to reject efforts by state and local governments to regulate its production and distribution; and to intimidate local authorities who want to bring medical marijuana fully within the law. Keep this in mind: the medical cannabis dispensaries, or "pot clubs," exist only because the federal government won't permit this particular medicine to be legally produced, regulated, prescribed by doctors and sold by pharmacies. Change federal law to allow all this and dispensaries as such disappear. So what's San Francisco to do until federal law is reformed? * First, ensure that medical marijuana patients are not arrested, harassed or criminalized for using their medicine. The Schwarzenegger administration's announcement last week that it is reinstating and expanding the medical marijuana ID-card program is good news. So is the Drug Enforcement Administration's recent declaration that it has no intention of going after the sick and dying. * Second, ensure reasonable access to the medicine. Pot clubs provide an important service. They should be easily accessible to patients, including those dependent on public transit, while respecting the legitimate concerns of neighbors. Many club operators want to collaborate with local authorities, but that requires a real commitment by these officials not to collaborate with federal police and prosecutors in targeting clubs that make a good-faith effort to adhere to local regulations. Trust is essential. * Third, keep looking for ways for the city to establish local cultivation and distribution collectives, as mandated by Proposition S, approved by 62 percent of the city's voters in 2002. This will require both creative thinking and courage from San Francisco's leaders. Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/idea.htmSource: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Author: Ethan NadelmannPublished: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 - Page B - 7Copyright: 2005 San Francisco Chronicle Contact: letters sfchronicle.comWebsite: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #32 posted by Max Flowers on July 28, 2005 at 10:46:21 PT
Overwhelm Sam
You said:
Legalizing medical marijuana is the first step to legalizing recreational marijuana. After all, if marijuana were legal for medical use, they would have no reason to keep it illegal for recreational use. - I have to disagree... in exactly the same way that valium and Oxycontin are legal for medical use but very illegal for recreational use, I think that if the feds ever grudgingly give in to federally legal medical cannabis use, they will fight tooth and nail in the same pig-headed way to restrict it to that medical use and only medical use. In other words, if you're caught with a joint and no prescription, state/federal charges for you just like now if you're caught with valium and no prescription.I agree with you that there *should* be no laws against recreational use of a substance that is relatively harmless and does not cause violent or destructive behavior, such as cannabis.
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Comment #31 posted by BGreen on July 27, 2005 at 04:21:43 PT
potpal
You can see that video on pot-TV.The Reverend Bud Green
ABC's "Pot of Gold" with Peter Jennings
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Comment #30 posted by OverwhelmSam on July 27, 2005 at 04:18:31 PT
Great Article
Legalizing medical marijuana is the first step to legalizing recreational marijuana. Afterall, if marijuana were legal for medical use, they would have no reason to keep it illegal for recreational use. Beats alcohol and many other drugs hands down. The federal government says we use medical marijuana as a secret agenda to legalize marijuana completely. That's laughable because, I don't remember anyone in the Cannabis community who wants marijuana to be legal trying to keep that a secret. Well, hell yes we want it legalized! I'm not trying to be sneaky about that in any way. The truth is that if medical marijuana were legalized, they would have no real reason to continue the war on marijuana. And, what's wrong with that or why is that a bad thing? As far as everyone growning their own, I think that the vast majority will choose to get it from the pharmacy, not wanting to be bothered with growing their own. How many people grow their own tobacco or brew their own beer? The vast majority stop by the convenience store.And I don't think they can overwhelm us, they've been losing ground for years getting stupid and unenforceable laws passed. By now I think they know they're pissing in the wind and it is the People who are overwhelming them.Regards,Overwhelm Uncle Sam
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Comment #29 posted by potpal on July 27, 2005 at 04:08:55 PT
Budding Prospects - comment 20
A good read by T. C. Boyle. Funny book.Why never a mention of the kind bud being grown indoors all over CA, OR, WA? Seems to me that bud may be crossing the border from the usa into Canada. Indoor gardening has been going on for dozens of years out west. Who needs Canadian or Mexican herb? The subject book was written in 1986( ), although it is about outdoor growing. Pot of Gold a Peter Jennings special on pot in the us was around 1995...I like to see that again.Aloha.Grow.
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Comment #28 posted by afterburner on July 26, 2005 at 22:11:03 PT
jose and all, enjoy and dream
America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)
Text: Samuel F. Smith, 1808-1895 
Music: Thesaurus Musicus 
Tune: AMERICA, Meter: 664.6664 
------------------1.	My country,' tis of thee, 
	sweet land of *liberty*, of thee I sing; 
	land where my fathers died, 
	land of the pilgrims' pride, 
	from every mountainside let freedom ring! 2.	My native country, thee, 
	land of the noble free, thy name I love; 
	I love thy rocks and rills, 
	thy woods and templed hills; 
	my heart with rapture thrills, like that above. 3.	Let music swell the breeze, 
	and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song; 
	let mortal tongues awake; 
	let all that breathe partake; 
	let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong. 4.	Our fathers' God, to thee, 
	author of *liberty*, to thee we sing; 
	long may our land be bright 
	with freedom's holy light; 
	protect us by thy might, great God, our King.jose, did you receive the medical info? and you have email about reshaping business.
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on July 26, 2005 at 21:50:06 PT
Tear Down The Wall
I don't know where we are heading but I'm sure it will be in the right direction. As long as people who care stand against injustice we won't have injustice consume us.
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Comment #26 posted by E_Johnson on July 26, 2005 at 21:42:57 PT
I think we're part of a bigger flow
I think our movement is doing many jobs at once. Jobs in the sense of work being done to move something from point A to point B. Point A in our case being modern society, and point B being in our case whatever is supposed to come after.Pharmacies are point A. But the world is moving past point A. Point A was unsustainable. We have to find out where point B is. Wherever it is, I think cannabis dispensaries will be there.
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Comment #25 posted by Max Flowers on July 26, 2005 at 19:42:21 PT
I second runruff
This is a fantastic group of people here. If we formed an organization and knew how to run it, we'd be unstoppable...!
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Comment #24 posted by goneposthole on July 26, 2005 at 18:49:36 PT
yeppers
'ensure reasonable access to the medicine'That means that people have to let loose, let it go, have some fun, relax, enjoy themselves.Have a martini. Have a screwdriver. Drink a beer. Have a cup of coffee. Eat some banana cream pie.Smoke a joint of cannabis. It's ok. You'll feel better. It's those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Those days of sodas and pretzels and beer. Bring 'em on. 
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Comment #23 posted by mayan on July 26, 2005 at 18:00:38 PT
Consequences
The White House has been able to keep Republican members of Congress in line so far, but many don't feel they're voting their conscience when they vote against medical marijuana.If electronic voting machines such as Diebold become the norm there will be no negative consequences for our federal representatives who fail to represent us. http://www.blackboxvoting.org/
 THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...Critics Cite Omissions, Cover-Ups On First Anniversary of 9/11 Commission Report:
http://911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=599&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0Conspiracy Theories and the Fight for Truth:
http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/286Financial terrorism towers over 9/11:
http://www.tomflocco.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=112&mode=&order=0&thold=0Complete 911 Timeline: Military exercises up to 9/11:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=complete_911_timeline&before_9/11=militaryExercisesForensic Seismology Of 9/11 - Update:
http://rense.com/general67/forensic.htm9/11 Related Music:
http://www.911blogger.com/2005/04/special-feature-911-related-music.html
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Comment #22 posted by global_warming on July 26, 2005 at 17:29:12 PT
COL
Oh My EJ
That's a different way of looking at it! LOL!That C is for Crying out loud, tears that can reach into the everlasting,..
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on July 26, 2005 at 16:59:48 PT
Oh My EJ
That's a different way of looking at it! LOL!
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Comment #20 posted by E_Johnson on July 26, 2005 at 16:54:35 PT
FoM here's my theory
"Why do they always talk about BC Bud but never all the marijuana that comes up from Mexico?"Because the people who work for CNN can afford the good stuff. They don't have to buy Mexican any more.
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Comment #19 posted by E_Johnson on July 26, 2005 at 16:39:15 PT
Jay Leno on the tunnel
He told a joke about the tunnel. It took them only six months and million dollars to get this tunnel finished, and they were stoned.Maybe we should start giving marijuana to the roadworkers in Boston.Ha ha ha.
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on July 26, 2005 at 15:58:52 PT
Sukoi 
Thank you for the heads up. We quick turned on Lou Dobbs and watched it. He didn't give any solution to the problem. Why do they always talk about BC Bud but never all the marijuana that comes up from Mexico? I don't know why news reporters put BC Bud up on some kind of pedestal either. 
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Comment #17 posted by Sukoi on July 26, 2005 at 15:32:32 PT
Heads Up, Lou Dobbs...
just announced that he will have something on the lost war on cannabis right now on CNN DirecTV channel 202.
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Comment #16 posted by runruff on July 26, 2005 at 12:10:26 PT:
Hope
Your kind words and sweet spirit are as salve to my soul. Never underestimate the power of love.Namaste
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Comment #15 posted by Hope on July 26, 2005 at 10:14:51 PT
Runruff
My heart aches for you. Your situation bears heavily on me. You aren't the first Cyber friend I've had to endure the Feds or the State caging because of a gentle plant. I don't know what else to do but pray and hold you in love in my heart.That's not much. It might not be anything...but it's all I have as far as I know.
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Comment #14 posted by Hope on July 26, 2005 at 10:09:08 PT
Zandor...comment 10
IMO it's a danger, too. The only thing that has stopped them is our all our willingness to be vocal and stand with those who are even more vocal. Our efforts have stayed a little of their demonization power and that knowledge, that they have not managed to completely demonize all the ill in all the people's sight, is what is keeping us able to hold this one door against them. The door is open quite a bit...even with us all pushing to hold it closed. They could overwhelm us any time they choose. For their own good...not ours...they are rightfully reluctant to make that push, because they might cause more public opinion to turn our way. They know they can get more patients. They don't know how much it might set back their pogram if they make that big push.
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Comment #13 posted by Sam Adams on July 26, 2005 at 10:05:53 PT
big pharm
Just think, most people in the 1920's probably scoffed at the thought of doctors & pharmacists controlling their medications. Sigmeud Freud used to inject cocaine daily! They weren't laughing a few years later. When the Great Depression ended and they had money again, they had lost their freedom in the process. 
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Comment #12 posted by Sam Adams on July 26, 2005 at 10:03:41 PT
runruff
Sorry to hear of your problem, we'll hold out hope that something will break in your case.I always understood how Big Pharm wouldn't like freely growing medical MJ because it competes with their products, but I never believed they were real serious players in maintaining prohibition. But I've recently had my eyes opened.They are strongly supporting CAFTA (read: millions of dollars paid to the government), purely because it will bring the vitamin/supplement industry under the control of the WTO, which will be able to force regulation on the US.  I definitely believe they're adamantly, adamantly against any sort of MJ law reform.  Our corporate masters and totalitarian government LOVE things like CAFTA. Most people don't even know what it is. Hell, most people don't even know it exists. But it could mean a doctor visit, pharmacy visit, and $20 copay just to buy a bottle of Centrum. Think I'm kidding? We could see it within a few years if CAFTA passes.
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on July 26, 2005 at 09:59:53 PT
"sapamonious"
cool.We have love...however miniscule...however invisible...however vague...however fragile. It's something soft and warm and real and good. A smidgen of comfort is better than no comfort at all.
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Comment #10 posted by Zandor on July 26, 2005 at 09:58:59 PT:
Medical Marijuana ID-card
There is nothing stopping the federal government from requesting the list of people issued ID-cards. That list can then be a Checklist of who to bust and where they are.The question is do you trust the feds to not do that. The state cannot stop the feds.That is a problem. IMO anyway
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on July 26, 2005 at 09:50:01 PT
runruff
Being sappy is cool in my book. I'm quite sappy too. LOL!
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Comment #8 posted by runruff on July 26, 2005 at 09:46:43 PT:
You all.
I hope I'm not too sapamonious here for you good people but I get a warm feeling from hearing from all of you. I feel a real kinship with you all and I feel so much enlightenment from everyone who post here.I am so thankful for you all and this website. My wife says I can be quite sappy at times and she loves that about me.
I say I just feel things very strongly and I'm not afraid to express it.Namaste
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Comment #7 posted by jose melendez on July 26, 2005 at 09:28:34 PT
pharma copy a
Pharmacies might not be the only answer, as they tend to charge substantial and perhaps unreasonable markup. In the Netherlands, if I'm not mistaken (and I often am mistaken, for what it's worth) people prefer to purchase their ganja in the coffee shops, where the per gram prices are about half . . . 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on July 26, 2005 at 09:20:55 PT
Max Flowers 
I don't like pharmacies and I agree with you. I am so against the drug industry. Who can afford drugs these days unless a person has insurance and many don't. It's not like years ago when most people had some form of insurance.
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Comment #5 posted by Max Flowers on July 26, 2005 at 09:03:04 PT
=+++=
Keep this in mind: the medical cannabis dispensaries, or "pot clubs," exist only because the federal government won't permit this particular medicine to be legally produced, regulated, prescribed by doctors and sold by pharmacies. Change federal law to allow all this and dispensaries as such disappear.True enough, but they won't disappear because everyone will be content to get it from pharmacies, which is the inference here. They will disappear because, as runruff says, the majority of people will be growing it themselves or getting it from a neighbor who does. My sense of it is that very few people will want to get it from the pharmacies, and that's no surprise; what would you rather have---souless, overly expensive, mass-produced government pot or organic, reasonably priced, lovingly and locally grown pot? Of course you'd rather have the local stuff, and the gov't knows that will be your choice. Look what happened in the Netherlands when they tried to institute gov't medical pot in pharmacies---sales tanked because their product was inferior to and yet pricier than the coffeeshop pot. Beware, when/if we ever prevail to the point of the gov't allowing medical pot in pharmacies, that they don't try to make it a condition of doing so that THEY get to be the only providers of it, and still prohibit people from growing their own, in order to protect their new market. I'm afraid they may try to do just that, and that would be no victory for us.Medical Cannabis should be as free to be grown in your home garden as Echinacea or tomatoes or any other plant that people feel has health-benefitting properties.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 26, 2005 at 08:50:48 PT
runruff
That's good! LOL!I put Weld in my portable CD player and felt like I was in my own world when Neil Young sang Blowin in the Wind. At least my batteries held up so I walked around with a flashlight and good music most of the night!
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Comment #3 posted by runruff on July 26, 2005 at 08:40:57 PT:
FoM
......"Pizza by candle light" now you know how it was before people had electicty and had to watch tv by candle light.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on July 26, 2005 at 08:28:31 PT
runruff
Good morning to you too. I hope that we see change come soon. I want to see less talking and more serious action. This world is falling apart and our issue shouldn't even be an issue in the year 2005. We had a very strange storm yesterday afternoon. We haven't had any rain and the air is very hot and still. Everything is dead around here and people with poor wells are losing their water. Luckily we have deep water wells so we are ok. About the storm in less then a few minutes it went from still to the trees blowing violently sideways. We went out on the porch and were hit with dirt but since we are excavating that didn't really surprise me but then a fine mist hit our faces and then as fast as this violent storm hit it was gone. It knocked out everyones electric. We were without power from about 4 pm yesterday to about 9 am today. My husband went out and got a pizza and we ate by candle light. It was so quiet and peaceful. 
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on July 26, 2005 at 08:17:32 PT:
lies, lies and more lies.
"The DEA has no intention of going after the sick and dying", is a heaping, wet, steaming, stinking, decaying, maggot infested, ugly, offensive, in your face pile of b.s.I am one of the people they are not going after and I'm going to Club Fed as soon as my medical assesments are turned into the court.The war on cannabis is a financial war on the people
on behalf of the "legitimate" drug companies. Among 
all the other industries who are friends of the feds with whom the legalization of cannabis would surely compete creating a wider base of wealth among Americans as well as providing 
savings and better quality goods. The DEA does not have the latitude to lighten up on cannabis in any way even if they wanted to which I know they don't.Wealth would beome more wide spread in America because Hemp/cannabis products are easy to grow, easy to produce. 
All hemp/cannabis cultivation and product production would become local. This would redistribute the wealth across this country giving every one a slice of the pie rather than having products produced and controlled by mega-corps where all wealth is centralized and providing the mega wealth with which to perchase our government and our laws. I see this much larger picture as the real obstacle to legalization. The DEA are merely Pawns in their game.Good morning to all.Namaste 
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