cannabisnews.com: Cannabis Bill Must Answer Key Concerns 





Cannabis Bill Must Answer Key Concerns 
Posted by CN Staff on April 13, 2005 at 09:12:56 PT
Editorial
Source: Newport Daily News
Rhode Island -- Legalizing medical marijuana has come up in the Rhode Island General Assembly before, but legislators this year seem more willing to give it a try. Before they just say yes, however, we think they should devote more brain cells to some issues and unanswered questions. Cannabis' benefits for people with certain illnesses are well-established. The identical medical-marijuana bills in the state House and Senate cite a 1999 study by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, saying that the herb has beneficial uses in treating pain, nausea and other symptoms of certain medical conditions.
The Senate Judiciary Committee last week heard testimony in favor of the bill from nine people, including medical patients, a physician and the former chairman of Brown University's psychology and neuroscience department.The proposed legislation would allow people with specific medical conditions, including AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, hepatitis C and multiple sclerosis, to acquire and cultivate up to 12 plants or 2.5 ounces of marijuana, and possess paraphernalia for smoking it.Marijuana is forbidden by federal law, although 10 states allow its medicinal use. But the bill points out that, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission and the FBI, 99 out of 100 marijuana arrests are made under state law. "Consequently," the bill says, "changing state law will have the practical effect of protecting from arrest the vast majority of seriously ill people who have a medical need to use marijuana."This is all good so far. But we have some concerns that have not been addressed in the debate.Marijuana does have harmful side effects among frequent users. The popular image of the burned-out pothead is no mistake: The drug clouds short-term memory, dulls mental alertness and stifles motivation.To someone suffering from a debilitating disease, such effects are a negligible price to pay for relief from symptoms. But it would be bad public policy to send the message that pot is harmless and can be good for you. It would be all too easy for young, healthy people to justify smoking it because "even doctors say it's OK."Legalization of medical marijuana should therefore be accompanied by an educational campaign that explains the drug's limited therapeutic uses and discourages recreational smoking.Unfortunately, publicity costs money, and we'd rather not see this measure become an expense for the state. Perhaps legislators can come up with a way to fund an information campaign without using taxpayers' money.The bills' sponsors seem to have spaced out on another important issue: How and where will patients get their pot? How can you take a controlled substance and decontrol it for some people, but not give them a way to legally buy it?Obviously, we don't want sick people patronizing illegal drug dealers, as some undoubtedly do now. Yet not every patient will have the ability to securely grow cannabis plants or find an authorized caregiver who can. The idea of "designated growers" also creates the danger of pot pushers getting a "primary caregiver" designation from a qualifying patient to avoid prosecution for their illegal activities.The law will have to make clear what sources of marijuana will be legal. This is no simple question.Courts in California have declared marijuana growers' and buyers' "clubs" illegal, and medical-marijuana advocates there frequently have been at odds with law enforcement.Canada currently allows a small number of patients to buy Health Canada marijuana that is sent directly to them or their doctors; British Columbia soon will have a pilot program, modeled on a Dutch program, that would allow medical users to buy marijuana at participating pharmacies.No such system is in place in this country, and Rhode Island likely will face the same difficulties as other states that legalized before they rationalized.We hope General Assembly members will show compassion for those who would be helped by medical cannabis, and approve legislation that will allow it. However, more debate and legislative work is needed to avoid opening the door to new abuses of a substance that, for most of us, will remain illegal.Source: Newport Daily News, The (RI)Published: Wednesday, April 13, 2005Copyright: 2005 Newport Daily NewsContact: Editor NewportRI.comWebsite: http://www.newportdailynews.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmSenator Huffs and Puffs Over Marijuana Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20497.shtmlDon't Treat Patients Using Marijuana as Criminalshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20485.shtmlLawmakers Rally Behind Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20468.shtml
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Comment #13 posted by runruff on April 15, 2005 at 11:52:01 PT:
fried brain cells.
I bought my first machbox of herb on the summer of 1964from a gypsy in Weisbaden, Germany. He spoke of his cannabis garden in Madrid Spain. He spoke of his beautiful ladies as one speeks of something dear to them in their lives.Describing them in detail with great enthusiaum.On a warm summer night in the parking lot at the SpielbankOn Baunhauf Strass I had a most wonderful experince. I was only 18 years old at the time.We continued to puff out whenever we could untill I camehome to the San Francisco bay area in 1967. The summer of love.I've continued to smoke the herb as often as I felt like it on and off untill now. I've held jobs Started my own sucessful buisnesses and used up my G.I. education bill going
to college on uncle Sam.People comment on how funny I am. [Humorus] I've been comlimented on imagination and intellgence [140 iq] I've been called bright and effervescent but I've never been called burnt out or dimwitted. This is my testemonial to the fact that I don't believe cannabis has any debilitating effects on the brain.I don't to try to be anything to anybody. I Just think it would be appropriate to share this in light of the prohib reefer madness verbal junk that gets passed around.namaste
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Comment #12 posted by charmed quark on April 14, 2005 at 17:50:56 PT
I'm suing Marinol's manufacturer !!!
"Marijuana does have harmful side effects among frequent users. The popular image of the burned-out pothead is no mistake: The drug clouds short-term memory, dulls mental alertness and stifles motivation."I just read the literature supplied with my Marinol (THC) prescription, and then checked the warnings to physicians on the manuacturer's (Solvay) website. Nowhere do they mention these side effects. Obviously, there has been a coverup.How dare they leave out these extremely serious side effects. My life has probably been ruined by them. I think it's worth a multi-million dollar lawsuit. They must have already been sued innumerable times by other users of this prescription who discovered these terrible side effects.:-) Just kidding. Obviously the sesame oil that Marinol uses to dilute the THC must cancel out these side effects.-CQ
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Comment #11 posted by Max Flowers on April 14, 2005 at 08:40:33 PT
Taxes
- Be sure to pay your taxes on Friday. - (Um, that is unless you're a true believer in the rule of law and in the Constitution, and knowing what the law (United States Code and the Internal Revenue Code) REALLY, actually states when you scrutinize it.When you do, you find that the vast majority of "taxpayers" (yep, that's us) really aren't liable at all and the federal income tax is a con, a fraud, a bluff based on fear and supposition.Intrigued? I know I was when I started learning the truth. Now, the more I learn, the more I'm fascinated and disgusted. If you want to learn more, start by reading this http://www.supremelaw.org/sls/31answers.htm...then when you've picked yourself up off the floor, go here http://www.freedomabovefortune.com/ to see what happened to a former IRS criminal investigator (with high-level accounting expertise) when he realized (after intense legal research) that the income tax on wages for regular wage-earning citizens of states of the Union is illegal and unconstitutional and confronted his bosses there with the evidence in a huge report.News flash: if you are a resident of one of the 50 states and not a federal gov't employee and you fill out, sign and submit a 1040 form, you are mistakenly declaring yourself a "U.S. Individual", meaning not a state citizen living somewhere in the United States (the physical country, not the corporation---yes there is a huge difference to tax law, and it MATTERS), but one of the 0.01% of the population who resides in the federal zone (D.C., territories like Guam or the Virgin Islands, etc) or an employee of the federal government.I won't sign one of those now that I know it is a mistake and if I sign it consciously knowing of that mistake, it's perjury because I am NOT a "U.S. Individual" or "U.S. citizen" (look up the legal definitions!), I am a citizen of the state of CA aka a state national.Also, knowing what I now know and having signed 1040 forms and "W-" forms in the past, I plan to see an attorney and have documents drawn up and filed that declare my awareness of this past mistaken self-identification as the wrong type of citizenship status, and declaring myself a state national and resident of the state of California, and renouncing my mistaken status as a "U.S. Individual." I did not knowingly give up my sovereignty as a state citizen (for more on this aspect, see http://famguardian.org/Subjects/LawAndGovt/Citizenship/WhyAUSNational.pdf )
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Comment #10 posted by mayan on April 13, 2005 at 17:37:58 PT
Obfuscation
The powers that be and the media they own know that Americans increasingly support and demand medicinal cannabis. All the fascists can do now is try to obfuscate the issue. By raising mindless,trivial questions they can only hope to delay the inevitable acceptance of cannabis as medicine.END PROHIBITION!!! It's really that simple.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on April 13, 2005 at 17:25:54 PT
goneposthole 
Thanks for the advice about taxes. We have ours done but will wait until Friday to send them the all our money! LOL!
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Comment #8 posted by goneposthole on April 13, 2005 at 16:28:38 PT
forget about politicians
they're proving themselves to be real bums and will end up getting the bums rush.I'll say this today: keep plugging away, forging ahead, dream a little bit more and don't stop.It can be done and it will get done. down with prohibition and the stupid antics of prohibitionists. Remember, during alcohol prohibition there was 'medicinal alcohol' that could be bought at pharmacies.The US government is broke and unconstitutional. Let them spend themselves into oblivion and extinction; for that is what they are surely doing. It thinks it has a big basket of eggs that won't tip over. Little do they know that the eggs are all rotten. The crazy, cockamamie ideas that the US gov hatches are all for naught. The politicians have cooked their own goose. Be sure to pay your taxes on Friday.Matraca Berg's 'Oh Cumberland' is a national treasure worth more than the empty Fort Knox. It is one killer song. If you haven't heard it, find a copy and give it a listen.Oh yeah, smoke some cannabis today.
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Comment #7 posted by global_warming on April 13, 2005 at 15:22:12 PT
Hello..Rhode Island
"Marijuana does have harmful side effects among frequent users. The popular image of the burned-out pothead is no mistake: The drug clouds short-term memory, dulls mental alertness and stifles motivation..To someone suffering from a debilitating disease, such effects are a negligible price to pay for relief from symptoms. But it would be bad public policy to send the message that pot is harmless and can be good for you. It would be all too easy for young, healthy people to justify smoking it because "even doctors say it's OK."If you ask most people, most of the American population is already suffering from this problem of clouded memory stifled motivation, they voted for Bush and his bs.Maybe there are some true God fearing people left in these United States, but they easily get confused.Joh 2:14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: Joh 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; Luk 19:23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? Money has no value to God, and all of our contracts are meaningless scripts of paper, against the eternal night of our souls, our dues to God, are not measured in money or scripts, but in the tenderness of our mercies.The Light, is the Holy Spirit.Peacegw
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Comment #6 posted by Taylor121 on April 13, 2005 at 14:38:54 PT
Tennessee not ready for mmj
NASHVILLE, Tenn. A plan to legalize medicinal marijuana in Tennessee appears to be going up in smoke.Senator Steve Cohen, the Memphis Democrat pushing the idea, said he recognizes the state isn't ready for prescription marijuana.Cohen said he will ask that his bill allowing medical marijuana be changed to set up a study committee to look into the idea before next session.But he said it's only a matter of time before Tennessee joins the ranks of states that allow the seriously ill to buy marijuana.http://www.volunteertv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3206829
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Comment #5 posted by lombar on April 13, 2005 at 14:22:11 PT
I took exception to this
"The popular image of the burned-out pothead is no mistake: The drug clouds short-term memory, dulls mental alertness and stifles motivation."I am not so oblivious of being called stupid, dim-witted, and lazy. Perhaps the image of brain damaged lazy people should be applied to folks who write this kind of stuff.
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Comment #4 posted by Dankhank on April 13, 2005 at 14:06:00 PT
ltr to editor
Just got off phone with Newport Daily News editor ...Lee Ross is the one who wrote the editorial, he won't be in on Thurs but will be in all day Fri from 5 am EST, whew! what a day ...http://www.newportdailynews.com/about/#Address/Phone/Fax 
   
lists his phone #I plan to call him and pass along the observations from here ... It may be useful if more of us do it or send a LTEPeace 
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Comment #3 posted by Druid on April 13, 2005 at 10:53:27 PT
Can someone please explain
I see this far too often:
Legalization of medical marijuana should therefore be accompanied by an educational campaign that explains the drug's limited therapeutic uses and discourages recreational smoking.Unfortunately, publicity costs money, and we'd rather not see this measure become an expense for the state. Perhaps legislators can come up with a way to fund an information campaign without using taxpayers' money.
We don't need a publicity campaign stating that recreational use is discouraged every time a new pharmaceutical is released. People know that pharmaceuticals as prescribed by a doctor are for medicinal use. Why is it any different with MMJ?
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Comment #2 posted by observer on April 13, 2005 at 10:41:13 PT
No mention of jail or prision, again
''Legalizing medical marijuana has come up...
other states that legalized before they rationalized...
Legalization of medical marijuana should therefore be accompanied by an educational campaign that explains the drug's limited therapeutic uses and discourages recreational smoking.''Oh, my. Looky here, once again. The thoughtful newspaper owners/editors forgot to mention the "jail" and "prison" part of cannabis laws. (The authors don't wish to panic the herd with such images.)And notice how they don't forget to mention the dread "Legalization" word. You think maybe that is because the authors know they can startle the average brainwashed bigot by waving the nasty "Legalization" word in his face, as a matador waves a red cape in front of a bull? I do. 
http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/propaganda
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on April 13, 2005 at 10:15:34 PT
Very comical
Ah, I see, desperately ill people are buying from drug dealers now, and to help them, we need to continue to arrest them for it! Wtf? We're going to legalize medical marijuana, and in doing so, we will make it illegal to buy medical marijuana - which, of course, is already illegal! True Orwellian doublethink.
 
And oh yes, we really need to spend more money on an anti-marijuana publicity campaign - there's a real void in that area, no one else is saying anything bad about it, I guess. Riiiight.Couldn't they just have checked with Maine, which has a law identical to what being proposed here?  Absolutely zero problems in Maine. In fact, a couple of Maine LEO's go around advocating medical MJ in other states.
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