cannabisnews.com: Medical Pot Remains Pipe Dream Medical Pot Remains Pipe Dream Posted by FoM on June 05, 2001 at 22:38:37 PT By Walter Gant, Staff Columnist Source: The Metropolitan Medical marijuana for Americans is a pipe dream. No matter how much work is done to make it legal the powers that be will never fully legalize it. Right now eight states have laws that make it legal to prescribe marijuana as medicine, only two of those, Colorado and Nevada made the laws constitutional. Last week the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that federal law does not allow medical necessity for marijuana users. In this state, it is now legal for those with a doctor’s consent to smoke marijuana, but they can’t buy it. Colorado and Nevada made the laws constitutional. This means another amendment would have to be brought forth by the legislature and then voted on by the people to reverse the law. The other six state laws could be changed easier or repealed by legislature without a vote by the people. Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, and Washington are the other states with marijuana laws on the books. The western states have been more liberal in the movement of marijuana as a medicine. These laws in truth are all big strides for medical marijuana but the fact remains that marijuana is still a schedule one drug. A schedule one drug is a drug that is believed to have no medical benefits. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws started a state by state petition to try and get marijuana categorized as a schedule two drug. This would mean that the drug would has a medical benefit and could be prescribed by a medical doctor. But the controversy about marijuana isn’t really about whether or not it’s a medically beneficial drug. It’s about money. Marijuana is the biggest cash crop in America. Americans consume 90% of the legal and illegal drugs in the world. Marijuana legalization could put a lot of people out of business. And there’s is more at stake than just money generated from recreational use. Any attempts to legalize marijuana would threaten businesses because of marijuana’s by-product, hemp.Hemp contains little to no THC. THC is the chemical in marijuana that gets you high. If hemp becomes legal, corporations all throughout America would feel the biggest hit. Hemp can be used as animal feed or made into materials that produce all sorts of goods, such as shoes, clothes, and paper products. Using hemp would help the environment, but not big business. All the lumberyard owners wouldn’t be happy to see marijuana gain steam because it kills their monopoly of the paper industry. The cotton industry wouldn’t like it either, they make a lot of money selling their product to the clothing trade. A lot of everyday things would be effected due to the legalization of MarijuanaMedicine companies will also take huge hits. The money is not in the cure but in the medicine. Different people with different diseases, such as cancer and AIDS, have found that marijuana helps them. The pharmaceutical companies, however, don’t won’t to hear that. Marijuana is more cheaply produced than the many medications they currently make. To them, it’s not about helping people, but making profits.Prisons and jails will also be effected if marijuana is legalized. During the Clinton administration over 4 million people were arrested on marijuana charges. This means that they have more people to put in all theses private jails that are being built throughout the country. Crime is good business for these institutions, if you make marijuana legal then the prison systems would lose jobs due to fewer people going to jail. If corporations weren’t building these prisons the government wouldn’t be trying to fill them up. So the ramifications of any legalization of any drug would have a serious effect to the revenues of America’s private penal corporations.Don’t believe for one minute that the fight against medical marijuana is about the war on drugs. That’s the excuse that they use to contain the marijuana movement in America. The facts show that marijuana is big business. And, unfortunately, the truth this drug could help so many is secondary to the impact it could have on big American business. Source: The Metropolitan (CO)Author: Walter Gant, Staff Columnist Published: May 25, 2001 Vol 23 issue 30 Copyright: 2001 The Metropolitan State College of DenverContact: haraburd mscd.edu Website: http://www.mscd.edu/Related Articles & Web Site:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Lawmakers OK Marijuana Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9973.shtmlFeds: Pot Law Is State's Problem http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9954.shtmlMarijuana Program Begins Todayhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9928.shtml CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #13 posted by Dan B on June 08, 2001 at 10:13:14 PT: To jorma nash I'm taking your advice into consideration. How about this: I'll copy that part of your post into a comment in a more current article; then, I'll ask everyone what they think about it? We can do this democratic-style, and whichever side ends up with the most votes wins. That is, if "Dan B,Ph.D." wins, I'll officially register that name. How's that sound?Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by DdC on June 06, 2001 at 21:37:29 PT Sacramental Cannabis Food Fuel Fiber FARMaceutical Korporate Khemical Klans in the Untied States of AnemicaSacramental Cannabis: Food, Fuel, Fiber, FARMaceuticals, Hardrug&Booze AlterNative!Fossil fuels leak thousands of gallons into lakes, rivers and seas, not including the Exxon Valdeez. 4% biomass would fuel our needs. World cotton yearly uses over 1/4 million tons of petro-sides. Half the US Chemicals, are used just on cotton. Rising teenage suicides, shootings and booze. Cannabis replaced now that the cheap heroine’s here, 5000 boys raped in prison each year. Slaughtering rain forests, ancient cypress and redwoods. Ecosystems destroyed, undocumented species extinct. Corporate farms, workers poisoned for less than minimum wage. Tap water stinks. Peoples, starving through-out the earth, seniors and children malnutritioned since birth. Natives, family farms and poor, loosing more, everyday. Banned from growing the organic hemp. Yet for the Great Imperical WoD, $300 Billion spent. Jury's filled with corporate and government employees, while prisons rise faster than low income housing. Seniors jailed for illegally smiling. The Aluminum & Fertilizer fluoridation came, unchecked. Yet the FDA ok’s Aspartame? Education depravation administrated on and by teachers, parents, cops and preachers, mo money for building brownshirts and bleachers. The hemp parchment constitution, by-passed to "ends justify means" rules. Illiteracy and unemployment maintain a steady labor pool. That brings out the hatred and racist. Drunks drivers released if they “snitch” are the basis. Incarcerating cannabis users to pay the "drug war" debt, pharmaceuticals tell us herbs are a threat? 1100 a year die from OTC aspirin! Maximum sentences in states selling the cannabis alterNatives. Street people forced to dive into dumpsters. If their pisstest is plus. Even the youngsters. None of it need happen if they’d just let us use the stalks and seeds of Sativa, and the Cannabis flowers for personal reasons. Of all the known plants this is the one to believe in. D.E.A.th squids eradicating FARMaceuticals, confiscating 99.28% Food,Fuel and Fiber. Little flipper babies of thalidomide, once banned, now FDA rebirthed to battle the heathen devil weed. Where’s the M&M’s & Christian Coalition? Greed! They’re behind the scenes reaping WoD profits. The Korpse reap, with meat, 4/1, cows to aMercans. Eating 80% of our, (half gone Ogalala reservoir watered, pestoherbofertolized) Ag. 1/12 ratio meat/grain. Waste dung rising nitrates, causing mutated deformed, anti-choice, bible belt babies. Reefer mad cowboys spraying agent orange and genetic fungus. Killing grouse & pheasant homes and the most nutritionally complete food on the planet. Now Israeli science says: Cannabis Prevents Brain Damage! Mandatory Minimums, 3 strikes, no knock warrant less, now secret searches, internet censoring, banning herbal treatment, DARE teaching kids to be snitches, 2 million in prison. One busted for cannabis every 45 seconds. Israeli science says Cannabis Prevents Brain Damage! And also Sleep disorders, MS spasms, stimulates appetite and thirst, stops nausea, asthma inhalers, arthritis pain, Glaucoma pressure and menstrual cramps, migraines and epilepsy seizures, relaxes, stops nightmares and even makes you laugh. Maybe thats why they want to kill it. The scam of mistranslations like calimus has 12 fruits Did Jesus use it, it was there, did King James and Constantine edit it out? Why did the church ban it with no mention? If it is good then it would be written, if not then still a warning, a psalm or proverb. Mistranslation?continued...KKK/Untied States of Anemicahttp://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionstuff.showMessage?topicID=24.topicDdC96/r99/01 "I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical."Thomas Jefferson, Letter to James Madison, 1,30, 1787Assassins of Youthhttp://boards.marihemp.com/boards/politics/media/36/36796.gifStossel: Drug Program Doesn't Workhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread9870.shtmlGrammcrackerhttp://boards.marihemp.com/boards/politics/media/36/36958.gifFood Stamps Become a Weapon in the War on Drugshttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread9965.shtmlFDA rebirth Thalidomide (flipper babies) as an appetite stimulant over cannabis.http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionstuff.showMessage?topicID=62.topicPat&Jer's Brand New Testamenthttp://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/34/34819.gifNow if this actually had some effect it might leave the realm of insanity, at least temporarily. But the fact is 99.28% of the marijuana is rope not dope. Bird habitat not pot.http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionwhyitstimetolegalize.showMessage?topicID=20.topicIsreal and other countries are experimenting. Finding cannabis stops the glutimate formation in glocoma and brain damage from trauma.http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionwhyitstimetolegalize.showMessage?topicID=24.topicChemical Manipulation of Human Consciousnesshttp://www.trufax.org/menu/chem.htmlMonsantohttp://www.cannabinoid.com/wwwboard/politics/binaries/30/30125.gifBush Quayle Lilly Pharmaceutical Sell Outhttp://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionwhyitstimetolegalize.showMessage?topicID=23.topicFree the POW's http://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/36/36684.gifSkull & Boneshttp://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/36/36400.gifhttp://www.ctrl.orghttp://www.cia-drugs.orgHypocristy is when the Philanthropist profit on prohibition then head the ONDCPhttp://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/36/36306.gifAmerican Fascist 2001/Not capitalismhttp://www.cannabinoid.com/wwwboard/politics/binaries/33/33290.gifWhy Support Cannabis Prohibition... http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionstuff.showMessage?topicID=122.topicCannabis Hemp: The Invisible Prohibition Revealedhttp://www.shorejournal.com/9902/rwd0228a.html The Elkhorn ManifestoWhat do Hemp and Hitler have in common?World War II, that's what. http://www.shorejournal.com/elkhorn/MARIJUANA AND HEMP The Untold Storyhttp://www.cannabis.com/untoldstory/#INDEXThe Emperor Wears No Clotheshttp://www.jackherer.comWhy they call it dope!http://www.cannabis.com/ezine/just_say_know/2.shtmlPREJUDICE: MARIJUANA AND JIM CROW LAWShttp://www.jackherer.com/book/ch13.htmlAnslinger addresses congresshttp://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/36/36558.gifThe Real Reason for US Aid to Colombiahttp://www.ariannaonline.com/discus/messages/4/885.html?FridayJuly720001215pmSikorsky Helisculptures (Colombian babies don't seem to bother him)http://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/35/35642.gifNazism or WoDhttp://www.cannabinoid.com/boards/politics/media/36/36285.gif Cybrary [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by jorma nash on June 06, 2001 at 06:47:00 PT no prob, j r bob, part II thanks for reminding me about this quote.you're right, it is particularly relevant to this article.fired it off, LTE style, to them.Guess i'll do the same for that similar canadian article, too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by jorma nash on June 06, 2001 at 06:30:41 PT no prob, j r bob boy, do i got you covered there. i used to end every post with this quote:i quit because i figured i had it drilled into everyone's head. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"There is as much chance of repealing the 18th Amendment as there is for a hummingbird to fly to the planet Mars with the Washington Monument tied to its tail."------------Morris Sheppard, the congressman from Texas who co-sponsored the original legislation, in 1930.(alcohol prohibition ends: 1933)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by J.R. Bob Dobbs on June 06, 2001 at 06:15:05 PT Never Say Never Again Someone out there's gotta have the quote about the end of alcohol prohibition, where the guy says it'd be easier to fly to the moon and back?>>cotton is legal, right? so, do you grow your own cotton, weave your own clothing? Even more closely related, beer is legal. You can buy it or brew it yourself. Both options are tolerated provided you are of a certain age. Brewing beer is fun, and homebrewed always tastes better because of the satisfaction involved. Yet what percentage of US beer drinkers really go to all the trouble to brew their own? Most American beer drinkers would rather pick up pre-packaged beer on the way home so they can drink it without having to wait three months, and I think the average American might feel very similar about cannabis. Even those of us who would have a plant or three growing in the garden - and I'm sure, if 100% legalization happens, a lot of us will just for the joy of being able to do so and the beauty of the live plant - will probably smoke mostly store-bought cannabis. Even people who operate grow rooms are probably going to want a variety of strains to enjoy... [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by ken on June 06, 2001 at 04:53:54 PT: they should have medical pot they should legalize medical pot because people are going to die without it. would you rather have someone die or have them stay alive by smoking pot. if i were to die and the only thing that would save me would be pot, i would definetly do it. i was reading an article on a guy who loses 7 feet of vision everyday he doesnt smoke. that isnt fair to the guy who is dieing. they should make it legal. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by jorma nash on June 06, 2001 at 00:55:07 PT re: comment #1: Dr. Dan B i was writing while you were posting,so i hadn't read your comment until after i posted comment #5.i totally agree with your idea of stealth articles.by the title, a prohibitionist might start reading it,totally agree with the first paragraph, then get an eyeful of points he hadn't considered.so, in some ways, articles like this are even better thana strongly pro article.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i was really intrigued by your second point, a few articles like this might be good,but too many could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.i not sure i completely agree here,the 'never' in it could 'never' happen is kind of hyperbole,and really they both say "it could never happen, but here's a lot of reasons why it should."i am a firm believer in self-fulfilling prophecy, however,and i will take your point under advisement.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~finally, dan, i do have another suggestion for you.i remember you saying after your dissertation that, (here, i found it:) "Around here, I think I'll stick to Dan B (sans "Dr.")."okay. first off, 1) i have no business telling you what your online handle should or shouldn't be, period.2)You also said "I hesitated to mention the accomplishment..." many in your position do not hesitate in the least. Your genuine humility in this matter is refreshing.3) i'm self-educated and am not usually impressed with titles in the least.however.it is a common stereotype that proponents of re-legalizationcan't spell ph.d, much less earn one.i remember how happy i was when i saw a post from "Dr. Russo, M.D." for the time.it says a lot: yes, i'm a doctor; no, i don't consider this issue a joke.so i would ask you to consider how a "Dan B, Ph.D" or whatevermight enhance the legitimacy of this forum.nothing to do with pompousness or oneupmanship on your part.and again, it's really none of my business what you call yourself, just an idea i had.-----------------------------------jorma nash [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by SWAMPIE on June 05, 2001 at 23:56:32 PT P.S,PRESIDENT BUSH AS A CITIZEN OF THESE UNITED STATES,IF YOU PROMISE TO LOOK AT WHAT ALL OF THE GOOD PEOPLE WRITE,AND AT LEAST TALK ABOUT IT,I PROMISE NOT TO PLACE YOUR DAUGHTERS UNDER "CITIZENS'-ARREST"FOR THE "CRIMES THEY HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF!IF THAT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE!JUST JOKING!LOL!!!!! PEACE! [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by jorma nash on June 05, 2001 at 23:54:52 PT deja vu hmmmmm, it's funny how closely this article from the U.S.resembles the one 3 doors down on this forum, from Canada.i think i can sum up both in more or less the same way:"here's a bunch of reasons why prohibition is completely illegitimate...but, of course it could never *actually* end,since the Powers that Be are invincible."yet, it's articles like this that hasten its demise.not too long ago, re-legalization considered so fringe,it wasn't even considered by writers.now, you *do* see articles considering what would happen,even if, like these, they conclude it couldn't.i wish i knew what i was paraphasing here: does anyone know the real quote/source?The Three Stages of a Great Idea:1) it is ignored.2) it is viciously opposed.3) it is a great idea, and i said so all along.well, welcome to the end of stage 1 and the beginning of stage 2.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"No matter how much work is done to make it legal the powers that be will never fully legalize it."you know, 'never' is an awful long time.makes me think of the 19th century scientific communitywho knew that man could 'never' fly.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~though it's well entrenched, i still think the WoSD is not Untouchable.it is based on lies, and as the saying goes,when the lying stops, the system will collapse.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~and as for all these corporations taking all these "hits..."look at it this way:cotton is legal, right?so, do you grow your own cotton, weave your own clothing?i'll assume most don't, you pay a corporation to do it, in bulk.so, when cannabis is re-legalized, will you make your own paper?i doubt it. some corporation will do it, and make some money to boot.i'm tired of people acting like the economy would collapse without prohibition.in the end, the only companies that would be hurt are those that don't change and adapt,and fossil companies like that deserve to go extinct anyway. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by SWAMPIE on June 05, 2001 at 23:54:40 PT P.S,PRESIDENT BUSH AS A CITIZEN OF THESE UNITED STATES,IF YOU PROMISE TO LOOK AT WHAT ALL OF THE GOOD PEOPLE WRITE,AND AT LEAST TALK ABOUT IT,I PROMISE NOT TO PLACE YOUR DAUGHTERS UNDER "CITIZENS'-ARREST"FOR THE "CRIMES THEY HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF!IF THAT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE!JUST JOKING!LOL!!!!! PEACE! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by SWAMPIE on June 05, 2001 at 23:51:14 PT P.S,PRESIDENT BUSH AS A CITIZEN OF THESE UNITED STATES,IF YOU PROMISE TO LOOK AT WHAT ALL OF THE GOOD PEOPLE WRITE,AND AT LEAST TALK ABOUT IT,I PROMISE NOT TO PLACE YOUR DAUGHTERS UNDER "CITIZENS'-ARREST"FOR THE "CRIMES THEY HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF!IF THAT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE!JUST JOKING!LOL!!!!! PEACE! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by SWAMOIE on June 05, 2001 at 23:39:35 PT PIPE DREAM This article hit the nail on the head!The Foll Monty is that all of the businesses,prisons included, $100.00 a day or more per person,will definitely suffer!These businesses all work on the basis of "projections",on which they do "project a profit or loss to the holders of their stocks/monies,and if they lose money,nobody will give them more.Look at the utilities,where have they gone?All everyone wants to do is reap a huge profit from a small investment,if it loses,then we pay for it because it didn't meet the "projections"The tax writeoffs are horrendous!!!!!!!!!Furthermore,they whine and cry that "we don't make ANY money!!",when in fact they do make some,but not in line with their"projections"!!!!!!Many of these companies can't be satisfied unless they make 1,000 percent or more profit!Does this sound a bit unreasonable to you?If pot/hemp were legalized,you could kiss alot of technnology goodbye,as they wouldn,t be able to compete with all of the new startups!They would simoly file bankruptcy,or go under!But it could be a good thing too,because the new competition would drive prices down to rock-bottom levels,and make people actually work for a living,instead of dog on the job just to put in their time!How much do you pay for a pair of pants?Once the industry gets fine-tuned,it should be less than were paying now,if the profiteers learn that we won't pay too much!Plus,the added benefit of fresh oxygen to breathe couldn't hurt either!Herb uses alot of carbon dioxide,and if there is enough planted,we would all benefit from it!Your car would run better too,because the cleaner the air,the better it will run!(take it out to the country and see for yourself how much better it runs,especially after an oil change and tune-up!)The air is getting bad,but at the sacrifice of profits,we all pay,and pay,and pay!!!!The "SHRUB"ought to listen!He can be the man to go down in history as the "GREEN PRESIDENT"!! Look in the mirror,George,and tell me I'm wrong!!!I DOUBLE-DARE YA!!!!!!!We need MORE trees,not less!!!!!Prove Me Wrong,I dare You!!!You have the ability to be the"BURNING-BUSH",or the BURNING_BUSH!!!!! You can decide! ONWARD THROUGH THE FOG!!! SWAMPIE [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dan B on June 05, 2001 at 23:36:46 PT: Important Article This article, and one that was posted earlier about why cannabis won't be decriminalized in Canada, is important because it is insidious in its effects. That is, it sneaks up on the reader, convincing him or her of the evils underpinning the war on some drugs by correctly associating it with its ties to big business and the prison-industrial complex. It's a kind of "reverse psychology," and it works, I think.But we don't need too many of these kinds of articles. Say it every once in a while, and it can galvanize support from pro-labor, lower and middle socioeconomic bracket Americans. Say it too often, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. These articles are important, but I wouldn't want to read a steady stream of articles declaring that the war against the drug war is unwinnable. The fact is, we know that we are ultimately on the winning team, but in order to win we have to stay in the game until it's over.I'm committed to fight until we've won.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: