cannabisnews.com: Voters Approve Medical Marijuana Voters Approve Medical Marijuana Posted by FoM on November 08, 2000 at 10:50:57 PT By Kevin Flynn, DRMN Staff Writer Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News It will soon be legal for some chronically ill people to possess and use marijuana in Colorado. However, it still will be illegal for them to get it.Backers of Amendment 20, the medical marijuana initiative, say they will rely on the governor and legislature, among the strongest opponents of the measure, to find a way to get the illegal substance into legal hands. "There aren't any plans in place," said Julie Roche, spokeswoman for the pro-marijuana side. "We don't have a huge plan or task force. A lot of this will have to be discussed by the governor and legislature."The measure sets up a state registry of patients whose doctors provide written certification that they might benefit from the effects of smoking marijuana.Experience shows that smoking marijuana can relieve pain and ease nausea from cancer treatments, AIDS and other chronically painful ailments.But U.S. Attorney Tom Strickland said his office would continue to enforce federal drug laws that say marijuana possession is a crime. From a practical standpoint, possession of the small amounts legalized in Amendment 20 by sick people aren't likely to be prosecuted, he said Tuesday."But make no mistake about it, this will have no effect on federal drug laws," he said.The amendment passed by wide enough margins in Denver and Boulder counties to overcome smaller defeats statewide.The constitutional amendment allows people to smoke marijuana if their doctors think it might ease pain or nausea from AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis or other illnesses.Martin Chilcutt, a retired California psychotherapist who moved to Denver six years ago, was the initiator of the amendment drive in 1996.He took a back seat during the recent campaign after working through political and legal battles that forced him off the 1998 ballot, and then back on it for this year.He hopes to address the availability issue by forming a Cannabis Cooperative, which would help organize people legally entitled to possess and use the substance into a group that would cultivate and distribute marijuana.Roche, who ran the pro-marijuana campaign, said the barrage of television and radio ads in the last two weeks by opponents softened support, while the pro-20 campaign ended up with a lower than anticipated advertising budget."We decided to put it all into TV in the last week," said Roche. Her ad used a Breckenridge doctor, "Dr. P.J.," telling viewers that he has seen the ravages of chemotherapy on cancer patients and would like to see marijuana smoking available as an option to build appetite.Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the principal active ingredient in marijuana, is said to reduce nausea and pain.The opponents' ads tried to portray Amendment 20's financial backers as part of a nationwide movement with the goal of legalizing some if not all drugs.Medical marijuana, opponents said, was just a foot in the door for increased substance abuse. Synthetic THC has been marketed in pill form, although marijuana proponents say it is not as effective and in some cases worse on patients. It is soon coming out in a skin-patch form.Dr. Joel Karlin, a physician who was active in the opposition campaign, said calling smoked marijuana "medicine" is a hoax. It's never been established through rigorous testing as a medicine and because of the wide varieties available on the street, it can't be properly administered in consistent dosages or strengths."We have the highest number of recreational marijuana users in the country here in Colorado, so that was working against us," he said.Since early 1998, Coloradans for Medical Rights, which pushed the measure, raised $742,758. Nearly all of it came from Americans for Medical Rights, a Santa Monica, Calif., group bankrolled principally by three wealthy men who have a larger agenda of ending the government's War on Drugs.They are financier and philanthropist George Soros of New York, Progressive Auto Insurance head Peter B. Lewis of Cleveland, and John Sperling, founder of the University of Phoenix program.Coloradans Against Legalizing Marijuana raised $144,634, most in small local contributions but with the single largest one coming from Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, who gave $25,000. Centura Health was the second-largest giver at $9,000.Note: Despite ballot success, no plan exists on how to get drug into hands of patients in legal way. Contact Kevin Flynn at (303) 892-5247 or flynnk RockyMountainNews.comSource: Denver Rocky Mountain News (CO)Author: Kevin Flynn, Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff WriterPublished: November 8, 2000 Copyright: 2000 Denver Publishing Co.Address: 400 W. Colfax, Denver, CO 80204Contact: letters denver-rmn.com Website: http://www.denver-rmn.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Coloradans For Medical Rights http://www.medicalmarijuana.com/Cancer Survivor Used, Advocates MJ To Ease Painhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7595.shtmlMarijuana Measure an Apparent Winnerhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7594.shtmlMedical-Marijuana Issue Has Narrow Leadhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7592.shtmlMarijuana Amendment Passing http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7591.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by Bill on February 16, 2001 at 18:11:53 PT: how do i get a doctor to allow me to use marijuana I have been paralized for 6 years and have found the use of marijuana to releave the spasms in my legs, and that makes it possible for me to go about my day normally with no pain.I would like to get a doctor here in Colorado to allow me the use of marijuana so i can leagaly obtain it.If someone knows what to do please let me know. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on November 14, 2000 at 09:09:16 PT: Colorado Amendment 20 Stats, County By County Newshawk: stanwmtnPubdate: Wed, 8 Nov 2000Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News (CO)Copyright: 2000 Denver Publishing Co.Address: 400 W. Colfax, Denver, CO 80204Contact: letters denver-rmn.comWebsite: http://www.denver-rmn.com/URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1699/a02.htmlAmendment 20 Medical Marijuana Voters Approve Medical Marijuana It will soon be legal for some chronically ill people to possess and use marijuana in Colorado. However, it still will be illegal for them to get it. Backers of Amendment 20, the medical marijuana initiative, say they will rely on the governor and legislature, among the strongest opponents of the measure, to find a way to get the illegal substance into legal hands. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by nl5x on November 09, 2000 at 17:50:42 PT Philip Anschutz Philip Anschutz on Poising the environment.Coloradans Against Legalizing Marijuana raised $144,634, most in small local contributions but with the single largest one coming from Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, who gave $25,000The Anschutz Corporation, founded in 1958, is a holding company for Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, whose first fortune gushed from oil on his Utah/Wyoming ranch. While Anschutz continues to dabble in black gold (he's the majority owner of Forest Oil and holds a small stake in Anadarko Petroleum), his investments include more "New Economy" holdings:http://www.hoovers.com/co/capsule/5/0%2C2163%2C40035%2C00.htmlhemp Plant "biomass" fuel is cleaner than fossil fuels and can provide gasoline, methane, charcoal, etc. to meet all our home and industrial energy needs. By developing hemp, the most productive energy crop for America's climate, we can have fuel that is both cheaper and cleaner. Fuel is not synonymous with petroleum and coal. Biomass energy systems can supply a sustainable source of fuel and will create millions of new clean jobs. Hemp biomass derived fuels and oils can replace every type of fossil fuel energy product.http://www.jackherer.com/page6.htmKeroGreen. This was a pot-powered vehicle -- a "Hempmobile." In the tank were four gallons of KeroGreen, a fuel made from hemp seed oil, donated by a man in Ohio see:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread7455.shtml [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: