cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Advocates Hope For Legalization










  Marijuana Advocates Hope For Legalization

Posted by CN Staff on April 19, 2008 at 10:32:41 PT
By Neanda Salvaterra  
Source: Black Star News 

New York -- In the late 1980s Rob Kampia was a carefree, third-year science major at Penn State University, who admits to inhaling now and then. “I was on a dual track of occasionally smoking pot and studying really hard so that I could do something in physics or astronomy,” he says. In a strained voice he relays the event that changed his life: “I was arrested for growing my own marijuana in April of 1989 and sentenced to three months in county jail.” When he got out he had several felony charges on his record. “One for cultivation, an attempt to distribute and a couple of conspiracy charges as a result of that one incident,” he says, recalling the disbelief he felt at the time.
Kampia, 39, now the director of the Marijuana Policy Project, says prospects to decriminalize marijuana have never been better. New York State legislators are considering a medical marijuana bill that advocates are optimistic will become law, which would make New York the 13th state to allow marijuana use through a doctor's prescription. And advocates are hopeful that if a Democrat wins the White House this year, the federal government will stop cracking down on states with looser marijuana laws, as the Justice Department under President Bush has done. To Kampia, even partially decriminalizing marijuana for medical purposes will be a step toward ending what he calls “marijuana prohibition.”“The police are expending enormous resources going after petty marijuana crimes causing a huge drain on tax resources as well as preventing them from going after serious criminals,” he says. However, he does not think marijuana should be freely accessible. “Tomatoes are legal, but we are not saying that marijuana should be sold as tomatoes,” he says. “Instead we would like marijuana to be regulated and taxed similarly as alcohol.” Nationally, advocates are pinning their hopes on statements by Rep. Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, who said in March he plans to sponsor a bill that would decriminalize medical marijuana.Even though states like California attempted to organize the distribution of medical marijuana, federal agents have repeatedly raided Cannabis Clubs, as they are called. More importantly, presidential hopeful Barack Obama was quoted in an Oregon newspaper as being in favor of medial marijuana, which is legal in Oregon. Obama also said that if elected, he would not use federal law enforcement resources to undermine state law.In New York, Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried, a Manhattan Democrat and chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, is sponsoring the medical marijuana bill under consideration. “Thousands of New Yorkers who are suffering from life-threatening conditions could receive medical benefit from marijuana,” Gottfried says. “Science has proven marijuana is effective.”Marijuana advocates rely on research done by the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicines in 1999, and a recent 2008 report from the American College of Physicians, that say that marijuana has several proven medicinal properties such as nausea control for AIDS patients and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.“If a patient and his or her doctor agree that marijuana is the most effective treatment for a serious illness, government should not stand in the way,” Gottfried says.Doug Muzzio, 60, a professor of public affairs at Baruch College says, “The bill has the best chance to pass that it ever had. They have powerful sponsors and bipartisan support.” Although New York is considered a liberal state politically, it once had some of the harshest drug laws in the country. The “Rockefeller laws,’ named for former Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, gave decade-long sentences to anyone caught with a few ounces of an illegal drug. A medical marijuana bill was passed in 2007 in the Assembly but was never brought to a vote in the Senate. New York Republican State Senator Vincent L. Leibell, a co-sponsor of the bill and chairman of the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, says that the bill was not voted on in the Senate last year because "the consensus was that we have to find more common ground on the regulation aspect.”Leibell believes, however, that the majority of representatives are in agreement about the necessity for a medial marijuana bill.Legislators are also aware of the Bush Administration's crackdowns in California.“This could all be easily resolved if the Congress would deal with this as a federal issue because,” Leibell says, our “ biggest problem is, how do we do this without exposing our constituents to federal prosecution?” Supporters are considering language that would request a federal government exemption for regulated medical marijuana, he says, and he is optimistic the bill will pass this year. Muzzio is skeptical that Congress will take any action. Action is more likely to come from the White House.“You are never going to get a federal law passed so it has got to be done through administrative discretion,” he says. “It has got to be an executive action.”Like New York, California is expected to ask the federal government to stop superseding state law, says Tracy Fairchild, spokeswoman for Carol Midgen, a California state senator.Migden is sponsoring a bill that would ask the Drug Enforcement Administration “to back off on shutting down marijuana dispensaries that serve the terminally ill,” Fairchild says. “It would be a welcome relief if the new administration in 2009 has a different philosophy on how to spend scarce drug enforcement dollars that should be spent on drugs that kill people.”Some marijuana advocates see the issue as matter of states' rights. “They keep raiding our marijuana medical dispensaries and arresting the people that are trying to help us,” said Phillip Alden, 44, who uses marijuana to alleviate AIDS-related maladies. “I personally find it to be abusive and a violation of states' rights.” Alden, who has been living with AIDS since 1994, also serves as an advisor on HIV/AIDS-related issues with the San Mateo County Community Advisory Board in California.Alden says medical marijuana has done wonders for him. “I suffer from a nerve injury that is caused by AIDS or the medicines I have to take. It cause tingling and sometimes a stabbing pain,” Alden says. “With medical marijuana I don’t need a cane. I can hike and run.”There is a marijuana pill that is authorized by the federal government for medical use. But Alden and other users say the pill is not as effective as inhaling smoke.Alden says that while he had a bleak outlook about AIDS and the quality of his life years ago, his medications and medical marijuana--and a pending change in the White House--make him feel good about the future.He says he has a supportive partner, is getting ready to publish a novel, and has hopes that Obama can win and change the way the federal government views marijuana.“I am hopeful that a new presidential administration will look more favorably on medical marijuana laws,” he says. “If Barack is elected, that will be the first letter that I will write to him.”Source: Black Star News, The (NY)Author: Neanda Salvaterra Published: April 18th, 2008Copyright: 2008 Black Star News Inc.Website: http://blackstarnews.com/Contact: news blackstarnews.comMarijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml

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Comment #23 posted by Hope on April 20, 2008 at 11:20:01 PT
Storm Crow
You go, Girl!I can comprehend the great stress of your job, because of friends who work and have worked in that field. Your strength and dedication are so admirable. 
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Comment #22 posted by Hope on April 20, 2008 at 11:07:11 PT
Riptidefrog
Love your moniker, and thank you for your input.
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Comment #21 posted by riptidefrog on April 20, 2008 at 10:51:54 PT
Response to comment #2
I dont have any research to back me up on this i just have personal experience to draw from, so given your stance you may just discount what i have to say. My hope is that you at least entertain the thought that marijuana might not be as bad as you think.In highschool there were a number of people that were known to smoke marijuana habitually. You might expect them to suffer from low grades or other negative effects. This was not the case with these people. They got excellent grades, graduating near the top of the class. Doesnt sound to me like they were victims of the devastating effects of marijuana. Please know that i dont really think people that advocate the legalization of marijuana are looking to get their, or anyone elses kids to use marijuana. Laws governing its use could do a great deal to curb illict use by those underage, much like alcohol and cigarettes. I think that the greatest damage done to people by the use of marijuana is the negative social and legal aspects that our government has imposed upon us. There is no clear, supported, scientific evidence that marijuana has any substantial negative physiological effects. I feel it important for you to understand that i myself do not use marijuana (it just makes me paranoid). I still support the legalization and recreational use of this plant by adults. 
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Comment #20 posted by Storm Crow on April 20, 2008 at 08:29:57 PT
That quote....
"Please tell me when drug abuse of any kind leads to a better student, a more reliable employee or a better citizen." He's just rehashing that tired, old, "amotivational syndrome" myth! Well, since I use EVERY day medically for non-life-threatenening conditions (migraines, arthritis, etc,) I assume he would consider my use as "abuse". When I was in college most of my "best" papers were initially written "under the influence". Spelling and grammar were not up to par, but the ideas flowed! It was easy enough to "clean up" the details when I was down. Graduated with honors. Cannabis made me a better student. More reliable employee? I work in Special Education- a very high stress job. Most aides last (at best) two, maybe three years...I have worked in Special Education for QUITE a bit longer than that. "De-stressing" after work with a vape saves my sanity and eases the heart-ache. I go to work with a smile on my face every day, because I can "let it go" every evening. Yes, cannabis has made me a more reliable worker, too! A better citizen? I vote, I engage in political commentary with friends, I am somewhat politically active, and I've been known to write the occasional letter to the government. Even took part in a few protests in the 60s and 70s. How many folks even VOTE now-a-days? Medical cannabis is one of my major causes. Cannabis keeps me politically active and makes me a better citizen. As a cannabis toking, "better student, more reliable employee and better citizen", I take a bit of offense to his implications! He implies that I was a bad student, that I am unreliable on the job and don't give a darn about our country! And I'm sure I'm not the only one like me!
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Comment #19 posted by John Tyler on April 20, 2008 at 08:27:58 PT
420 Amendment 
Here you go guys, the 420 Amendment. 
'A well-regulated cannabis industry, being necessary for the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and consume cannabis products, shall not be infringed.'
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Comment #18 posted by John Tyler on April 20, 2008 at 08:23:06 PT
Re #2
The cop story. Cops usually just experience the seamy, dark side of life. They usually hang out with other cops. Tell cop stories to each other and interact with criminals. It affects their point of view. Their experience and point of view are out of balance. He could have just as easily been talking about alcohol usage. A lot of people drink alcohol. (Cops drink a lot too.) The cops get involved with drinkers when they become disruptive and cause legal problems, like fighting and damaging property, bad driving, etc. I can’t recall a cop, (or anyone for that matter,) saying we need to make alcohol illegal again because it makes our job harder. In any case arresting and jailing people for drug usage is not the answer to a perceived problem. I will concede that this cop is having a tough time. I think that a regulated cannabis industry will make his job (and the jobs of all the cops) easier.
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on April 20, 2008 at 07:29:11 PT
greenmed
It will air two more times for sure. Sunday, April 20 -- 02:00 AM Saturday, April 26 -- 05:00 PM Dr. Schultes and his journey were amazing. What caused him to be driven like he was? I believe that we have always looked for a way to connect with our spiritual side because our spiritual side is as important as our everyday side. Psychedelics are a way of transcending the world we live in and can help a person to connect with more then what we see. Body, soul and spirit makes a person whole in my opinion. I haven't used any Psychedelics since the 70s but it is forever in my mind anytime I want to recall it with a lot of clarity.
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Comment #16 posted by greenmed on April 20, 2008 at 07:09:15 PT
sp.
I should check my spelling more carefullyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hofmann
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Comment #15 posted by greenmed on April 20, 2008 at 07:04:23 PT
FoM
I came away with a deep respect for Dr. Schultes. What a life he lived!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Evans_SchultesThe clip of Dr. Hoffman's 100th birthday lecture was a blast... at that age to have been so engaging amazed me.There is one more showing scheduled, isn't there?
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Comment #14 posted by OverwhelmSam on April 20, 2008 at 06:06:37 PT

Mass Productivity
"Please tell me when drug abuse of any kind leads to a better student, a more reliable employee or a better citizen."As that all they care about? If it's all that detrimental to a person's capabilitites, how come we're beating the shit out of conservative prohibitionists in political circles?And what about the person's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?Click!
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on April 20, 2008 at 05:56:58 PT

 greenmed 
I really was impressed with all the detail. It wasn't judgmental just factual.
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Comment #12 posted by OverwhelmSam on April 20, 2008 at 05:53:06 PT

Sorry Marijuana Prohibition is Hard Thankless Work
"Please tell me when drug abuse of any kind leads to a better student, a more reliable employee or a better citizen. Each and every time that a responsible person, community leader or respected news outlet such as the Star Tribune suggests that marijuana use, under the cloak of a legitimate medicine or not, is not a serious issue, you make our job tougher whether we are parents, teachers, cops or employers."SOUNDS like the only solution, is to regulate marijuana for adult use.
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Comment #11 posted by greenmed on April 19, 2008 at 21:21:47 PT

FoM
I agree.. it was excellent. Thanks to the History Channel for another especially entertaining and informative special.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on April 19, 2008 at 21:01:02 PT

Peyote To LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey
I wanted to comment on the Documentary. I thought it was excellent.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on April 19, 2008 at 18:21:36 PT

greenmed
We're really looking forward to seeing it too. 
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Comment #8 posted by greenmed on April 19, 2008 at 18:15:44 PT

FoM - re. the History Channel
Thanks for the reminder. It looks like it will be an interesting documentary.
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on April 19, 2008 at 17:40:43 PT

mydnytmover
 I'm sure he will veto it. I checked out his bio on wikipedia and he doesn't seem like the compassionate type.
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Comment #6 posted by mydnytmover on April 19, 2008 at 17:27:53 PT

 FoM 
alot of great articles lately, But this ignorant F knocks ya back into the reality of the stupidity we are up against,I will be surprised if Gov. Tim does not veto in Mn. I live in Wi. but get network T.V out of Mn. I have not seen that new medical marijuana commercial yet.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 19, 2008 at 17:25:00 PT

Article On The Documentary
Peyote To LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey (Docu; History Channel, Sat. April 19, 10 p.m.)By BRIAN LOWRYProduced by Gryphon Prods. Producers, Sheera von Puttkamer, Peter von Puttkamer; co-producer, Wade Davis; director, Peter von Puttkamer; writers, Peter von Puttkamer, Davis; 
Hey, something actually snuck onto the History Channel that's actually interesting and about history -- a connection the channel often struggles to achieve. In this case, it's an intriguing look at scientist Richard Evan Schultes -- who roamed the Amazon investigating the plants and "magic mushrooms" used by local populations that became the hallucinogenic base for the 1960s. Explorer Wade Davis characterizes Schultes as a kind of mind-expanding Indiana Jones, but the spec's most salient point is a broader view of drugs that provides welcome context in contemplating the U.S.' "Just Say No" policies.Complete Article: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936834.html?categoryid=32&cs=1
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 19, 2008 at 17:18:21 PT

Peyote To LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey

Saturday, April 19 -- 10:00 PM Sunday, April 20 -- 02:00 AM Saturday, April 26 -- 05:00 PM Explorer Richard Evans Schulte's discoveries of hallucinogenic plants revolutionized science and laid the foundation for the psychedelic sixties. Now his protégé, Wade Davis, follows in his footsteps to experience for himself the discoveries that Schultes brought to the western world. Watch native ceremonies and visit laboratories in Switzerland to explore the evolution of psychedelic substances from sacred plants to LSD. Join legendary authors, musicians and Beat Poets on an epic journey that spans decades.Rating: TVPG Running Time: 120 minutes http://www.history.com/shows.do?episodeId=281380&action=detail

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Comment #3 posted by FoM on April 19, 2008 at 17:15:47 PT

mydnytmover 
Thank you for the article.
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Comment #2 posted by mydnytmover on April 19, 2008 at 16:25:24 PT

Don't back off fight against drug abuse 
In states with medical-use laws, kids are more likely to smoke marijuana.By NICHOLAS V. O'HARA Last update: April 18, 2008 - 6:38 PMI strongly disagree with your April 17 editorial on medical marijuana. As a career law enforcement officer, I well know and have had the firsthand opportunity to observe the downside of backing away from a vigorous war on illegal drug use and abuse. The results of drug abuse are devastating. As you should know but apparently choose to ignore, marijuana is a well-known gateway drug that, all too often, leads to continuing drug experimentation and abuse of other illegal drugs. Use and abuse of marijuana and other drugs leads to increased incidences of violent crime, child abuse and neglect and ruined lives. Please tell me when drug abuse of any kind leads to a better student, a more reliable employee or a better citizen. Each and every time that a responsible person, community leader or respected news outlet such as the Star Tribune suggests that marijuana use, under the cloak of a legitimate medicine or not, is not a serious issue, you make our job tougher whether we are parents, teachers, cops or employers. http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/17927514.html
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on April 19, 2008 at 10:35:06 PT

Having Hope
It's good to have a little hope these days.
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