cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Debate Heats Up 










  Medical Marijuana Debate Heats Up 

Posted by CN Staff on May 04, 2005 at 13:12:12 PT
Breaking News 
Source: KTVU.com 

Washington, D.C. -- The war of words in the nation's battle over medical marijuana use escalated Wednesday with television star power squaring off against federal health officials.Television talk show host Montel Williams, who uses pot to treat the debilitating pain of multiple sclerosis, joined Bay Area activist Angel Raich, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) and other government officials at a rally promoting bipartisan legislation to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest.
"I have seen the miracle of cannabis as a medicine, and cannabis has saved my life," said Raich, whose case challenging federal policing is before the Supreme Court. "If I didn't have cannabis in my life I would be dead." "The federal government has started raiding and locking up sick people," she continued. "I'm fighting for all of them, also for myself. (I'm fighting) to basically stop the federal government and to allow us to have safe and affordable access to medical cannabis."Raich's crusade comes on the same week that the White House is touting a new report linking marijuana use to mental illness. White House Drug Czar John Walters says there's no evidence that marijuana is good medicine."People use it and feel better, that doesn't make it medicine," Walters said. "You would feel better if you used meth, crack or heroin. There's a difference between medical practice and intoxication."California's law currently allows people to smoke or obtain marijuana for medical needs with a doctor's recommendation. Besides California, other states with such laws are: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.Raich, a mother of two, says she tried dozens of prescription medicines to ease the pain of a brain tumor before she turned to marijuana.Her belief in the medical use of the drug sparked a case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging the federal government's right to impose legal penalties upon California medical marijuana users, who are allegedly protected under state law.The justices refused three years ago to protect distributors of medical marijuana from federal anti-drug charges. They are confronting a more personal issue this time -- the power of federal agents to go after sick people who use homegrown cannabis with their doctors' permission and their states' approval.A ruling in that case may come as early as this month.A defeat for Raich might undermine laws passed by California and 10 other states and discourage other states from approving their own.A loss for the government, on the other hand, could jeopardize federal oversight of illegal drugs and raise questions in other areas such as product safety and environmental activities.A Bush administration lawyer told the justices they would be encouraging people to use potentially harmful marijuana if they were to side with the women."If they're right, then I think their analysis would extend to recreational use of marijuana, as well as medical use of marijuana, and would extend to every state in the nation, not just those states that made it lawful," said Paul Clement, acting solicitor general.Justice David H. Souter said during a November Supreme Court hearing on the issue that an estimated 10 percent of people in America use illegal drugs, and states with medical marijuana laws might not be able to stop recreational users from taking advantage.Justice Stephen Breyer said the government makes a strong argument that as many as 100,000 sick people use marijuana in California, and "when we see medical marijuana in California, we won't know what it is. Everybody'll say, `Mine is medical.' Certificates will circulate on the black market. We face a mess."And Justice Antonin Scalia said there are many people with "alleged medical needs."Despite the tenor of the debate, the court's ultimate ruling in the case is hard to predict.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Source: KTVU.com (CA)Published: May 4, 2005Copyright: 2005 by KTVU.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Angel Raich v. Ashcroft Newshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/raich.htmMontel Williams To Help Introduce MMJ Billhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20608.shtml I Really Consider Cannabis My Miraclehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20078.shtml

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Comment #6 posted by dongenero on May 09, 2005 at 10:51:57 PT
okay, so let's legalize
"If they're right, then I think their analysis would extend to recreational use of marijuana, as well as medical use of marijuana, and would extend to every state in the nation, not just those states that made it lawful," said Paul Clement, acting solicitor general.Justice David H. Souter said during a November Supreme Court hearing on the issue that an estimated 10 percent of people in America use illegal drugs, and states with medical marijuana laws might not be able to stop recreational users from taking advantage.Justice Stephen Breyer said the government makes a strong argument that as many as 100,000 sick people use marijuana in California, and "when we see medical marijuana in California, we won't know what it is. Everybody'll say, `Mine is medical.' Certificates will circulate on the black market. We face a mess."And Justice Antonin Scalia said there are many people with "alleged medical needs."Okay, so the only thing left to do, obviously, is to legalize it like alcohol.
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Comment #5 posted by Taylor121 on May 04, 2005 at 13:45:24 PT

Courage
is what these people have. Montel, Angel, Republicans Ron Paul (TX) and Dana Rohrbacher (CA) and Democrats Barney Frank (MA) and Sam Farr (CA), thank you for standing up for patients around this great nation of ours. John Walters, intoxication is not what cannabis is offering these patients. If you are in doubt about John Walters being a liar, simply watch the video of him and look at him. Comparing medical marijuana to crack and heroin to just feel better... crack and heroin do not have the same properties that cannabanoids do, and there is virtually no science for crack cocaine relieving MS symtoms. Where is he getting off on this tangent, it is ignorant and it is appealing to the inbreds of the nation. It has to stop.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 04, 2005 at 13:40:16 PT

NORML Alert: Medical Marijuana Reintroduced
The States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act Has Been Reintroduced Take Action Now! http://capwiz.com/norml2/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7531001Dear NORML Supporter:Republicans Ron Paul (TX) and Dana Rohrbacher (CA) and Democrats Barney Frank (MA) and Sam Farr (CA), have reintroduced the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act. This bill, which will be assigned a bill number within a day or so, has been introduced in each of the last several sessions of Congress, and has gained increased support and co-sponsorship each time around.This bill would reschedule marijuana under federal law so those states that wish to legalize the medical use of marijuana under state law could do so without federal interference. If this bill were approved by Congress, federal prosecution of patients who qualify for medical use under state law would end, and states could actually provide medical marijuana to patients who qualify under state law.While the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act has drawn more and more co-sponsors each year, it has failed to receive a hearing in committee. Our hope is that this year the bill will finally receive a fair hearing, and be voted out of committee. However, this will not happen unless members of Congress hear from their constituents in support of this legislation. We are asking every NORML supporter to contact their Congressman and urge their full support for the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act.Please take two minutes to send a pre-written letter to your Member of Congress, asking them to co-sponsor and support the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act by visiting: http://capwiz.com/norml2/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7531001Thank you for your time and support.Sincerely,Kris Krane, Associate Director NORML
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on May 04, 2005 at 13:23:01 PT

Angel Raich
Thank you Angel! You were great too!
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on May 04, 2005 at 13:20:35 PT

Montel Was Excellent in The Video
Thank you Montel!!!
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 04, 2005 at 13:14:31 PT

Two Videos from The Above Article
Video On Demand: Montel Williams Makes Impassioned Plea For Federal Medical Marijuana Laws Video On Demand: Alison Burns Reports On Medical Marijuana Rally Videos: http://www.ktvu.com/station/4449235/detail.html
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