cannabisnews.com: Lang, Haine Give Medical Marijuana a Push
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Lang, Haine Give Medical Marijuana a Push
Posted by CN Staff on April 22, 2009 at 16:55:00 PT
By David Ormsby
Source: Huffington Post
Springfield -- Illinois State Senator Bill Haine (D-Alton) and Deputy House Majority Leader Lou Lang (D-Skokie) tried to shove their medical marijuana legislation forward Tuesday. They're having a tough go.Appearing at a press conference in Springfield, the lawmakers unveiled two television commercials featuring two Illinois residents--Lucie Macfarlane of Joliet and Lisa Lange Van Camp of Lindenhurst--battling debilitating diseases who rely on doctor-authorized marijuana to ease their suffering.
Macfarlane suffers from neurofibromatosis--a disease in which tumors grow on nerve tissue--and Lange Van Camp lives with osteoarthritis. They both use pot to deaden the pain. The spots, which tell their stories, are now appearing in Chicago, Peoria, and Springfield.The ad buy aims to help build support in the Illinois House and Senate on behalf of Senate Bill 1381 and House Bill 2514 to legalize seven medical marijuana plants per patient. Seven. The program would be administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health.Studies have shown that marijuana relieves debilitating symptoms including nausea, appetite loss, and severe pain. It has been shown to increase the chances that HIV/AIDs and hepatitis C patients will stay on life-saving medications, according to the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., which is pushing the Illinois initiative.Cue the wackos.Judy Kreamer, President of the Naperville-based Educating Voices, a faith-based drug prevention-education group noisily opposes medical marijuana to treat the pain of Macfarlane's neurofibromatosis or Lange Van Camp's osteoarthritis."The message it will send our youth is that if marijuana is a medicine then it must not be harmful. As a result marijuana use among Illinois youth population will increase," Kreamer says in a rambling press release--which also warned against the threat of Mexican drug cartels-- issued after the Lang and Haine press conference.No kidding. You can't make this stuff up. Seven weed plants and Henny Penny will make the sky fall in Illinois. Where does one start?Kreamer's logic--and apparently her drug education program--overlooks that most doctor-prescribed medicine is harmful if the wrong dosage is consumed or if the wrong person consumes it. That's why warning labels and child-proof safety caps and directions are prominent features on medicine packaging.For example, chemotherapy medication can cause Anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, which induces shock, low blood pressure, and occasionally death. That's harmful. It's a medicine. And doctors still prescribe chemotherapy medication to treat a patient's cancer. Right?What Haine and Lang want to accomplish with their legislation is to give doctors the medical option to proscribe a treatment--medical marijuana--that is medically necessary and potentially less harmful than traditional opioid painkillers, such as OxyContin and Vicodin.In a statement by Dr. Leonard J. Paulozzi, Medical Epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on trends in unintentional drug overdose deaths before U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, the doctor said:"The number of deaths ... that involved prescription opioid analgesics increased from 2,900 in 1999 to at least 7,500 in 2004, an increase of 160% in just 5 years. By 2004, opioid painkiller deaths numbered more than the total of deaths involving heroin and cocaine in this category."That's the likes of OxyContin and Vicodin.How many deaths from marijuana overdoses? Zero. Zilch. Zippo.If Kraemer and crew are keen on educating Illinois youth on potentially harmful drugs--they should set their sights on drugs such as OxyContin and Vicodin. In the meantime, they should buzz off and let Haine and Lang get their law passed.According to legislative sources, Haine's bill has the stronger political momentum of the two at the moment. Backers say they are only two votes shy of Senate approval. Lang's House bill still needs more political spade work. Both need less static from the peanut gallery.The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 31. The clock is ticking.To View The Ads: http://www.mpp.org/states/illinois/medical-marijuana-ads.htmlSource: Huffington Post (NY)Author: David OrmsbyPublished: April 22, 2009Copyright: 2009 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC Contact: scoop huffingtonpost.comWebsite: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/plcXTQs9Related Articles:Marijuana Advocates Roll Out TV Campaignhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24743.shtmlMMJ Backers Take To Airwaves in Illinoishttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24739.shtml
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Comment #15 posted by BobbyRa on April 24, 2009 at 21:20:12 PT
A snippet from Amendment 3
that I believe is the latest written in SB1381: "(d) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent the
arrest or prosecution of a registered qualifying patient for reckless driving or driving under the influence of cannabis
1 where probable cause exists.
2 (e) This Act shall in no way limit an employer's ability to
3 discipline an employee for ingesting cannabis in the workplace
4 or for working while under the influence of cannabis. This Act
5 shall in no way limit an employer's ability to discipline an
6 employee for failing a drug test if failing to do so would put
7 the employer in violation of federal law or cause it to lose a
8 federal contract or funding."I read a article the other day in the major Illinois papers with the last line reading something to the affect of; if you have the card you can't drive.
I believe it should have said you can't drive, stoned.
At least that is what I have found in the written Bill. Now of course if anyone can ever enlighten me I would appreciate it, always. One thing I will support, if people are driving erratically because they are immature or just can't handle it, they have to stay off of the road.Thanks for the hopes FOM.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #14 posted by Dagman11 on April 24, 2009 at 10:07:35 PT
Question
Does the Illinois bill restrict patients using marijuana from driving at all times, or only when they use their medication?-Dave
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #13 posted by FoM on April 24, 2009 at 09:52:14 PT
Hope
I have been reading about this new flu. It seems to be coming from down your way. Be careful.Mexico Shuts Schools Amid Deadly Flu Outbreakhttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/25/world/americas/25mexico.html?ref=global-home
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #12 posted by FoM on April 24, 2009 at 09:36:56 PT
Hope
I'm prissy. I don't like wading in that kinda stuff! LOL!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #11 posted by Hope on April 24, 2009 at 09:33:06 PT
Educating Voices?
Well... that's about all the time I have for wading knee deep through crap this morning.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #10 posted by Hope on April 24, 2009 at 09:07:55 PT
oops... system slow this morning...
must have hit to post it twice.This one is different from the first two.This one Kraemer and crew warn of the dangers of Hemp.http://www.educatingvoices.org/Hemp.aspYes! Hemp!
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #9 posted by Hope on April 24, 2009 at 08:51:23 PT
Educating Voices?
http://www.educatingvoices.org/Home2.asp
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on April 24, 2009 at 05:47:15 PT
BobbyRa
I hope Illinois can finally get medical marijuana in Illinois. My husband and I have spent a lot of time over the years in Chicago and I want this to happen.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #6 posted by BobbyRa on April 23, 2009 at 22:04:22 PT
Yay lets go Illinois
Could some of these people own stock in big pharm? If this doesn't pass this year then there are a group of politicians in Illinois blowing smoke and half-stepping. Thanks for the site.
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 22, 2009 at 20:12:59 PT
Do You Think Marijuana Should Be Legalized and Why
April 22, 2009URL: http://www.austinweeklynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=15&SubSectionID=43&ArticleID=2217&TM=83101.45
[ Post Comment ]
Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 22, 2009 at 18:43:22 PT
Vincent
I'll tell you why I agree with you. I was born and raised in a very Catholic family. I went to Parochial School. I questioned as I got older. I checked out JW's and the Born Again movement. I taught young people in church and my husband was on the church board. I wasn't into politics because my Catholic upbringing kept politics at arms length. I only became interested in politics seriously when Obama started his campaign. I believe in treatment but not in faith based treatment. If a person needs spiritual help they should go to a church and ask for help. If a person has an out of control drug problem go to someone who understands where they are coming from and has patience and offers real life counsel. I have more faith in my life now since I don't have religion in my life anymore.
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Comment #3 posted by Vincent on April 22, 2009 at 18:29:10 PT:
"Educating Voices"?
I noticed that name, Judy Kreamer, in the previous article and I just ignored it. Then, in this article, her name is resurrected and, she comes "out her face", as we say in the Bronx. Then I noticed that description, "faith-based", and all my questioned were answered. I've had trouble with those "born-again" types since the 70s.
In those days, I had two friends who were into that stuff. They kept pressuring me to check out their "fellowship" meetings. So, I finally agreed, even though I knew I wouldn't like it. While I was there, I noticed that the people were just like robots. And they did something I hate--they promoted IGNORANCE! Not only were they against herb and pre-marital sex--I expected that--but, they were down on knowledge and science. They were against dancing, they would revise history and they took strong political opinions. In 2000, they stole the presidential election and, put one of their own kind in power. For eight years, "dubya" has been President. Need I say more?
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Comment #2 posted by Dagman11 on April 22, 2009 at 17:24:22 PT
Wackos
These supposedly moral folks who are lobbying against this bill are completely misguided. Doctors prescribe drugs such as oxycontin and vicodin all the time. Marijuana is much safer and less addictive than those. Why don't these dudley do rights focus their energy on opiate based drug addiction where they can help, rather than harm others like they are currently. It is immoral to deny these people the right to have a medication that improves their quality of their life. These groups opposing the bill have had their "good intentions" hijacked by political agendas. Over 70% of Illinoisans support this bill. It's time for our leaders listen to us, as this disregard for suffering human beings has gone on long enough...
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 22, 2009 at 17:08:34 PT
Go Illinois!
Let's hopefully get it done this time. I actually think it is possible since they have more Democrats in control now.
[ Post Comment ]
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