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Incredible Impact of Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Special
Posted by CN Staff on August 21, 2013 at 09:19:44 PT
 By Tony Newman
Source: Huffington Post
Washington, D.C. -- A little over a week ago, Dr. Sanjay Gupta aired a one hour CNN special on medical marijuana. The impact of his special and an op-ed that he wrote for CNN - where he apologized for his past opposition to medical marijuana - has been incredible!In the run-up to Gupta's CNN special, his op-ed made national news and was shared more than half a million times on Facebook. Just a few years ago, he came out against medical marijuana. Yet in his op-ed he expressed regret for not studying the issue more closely and for believing the government's propaganda. 
Dr. Gupta's show also played a critical role in improving New Jersey's medical marijuana law. A major focus of the special is a young girl who needs medical marijuana to relieve her constant, debilitating seizures. Coincidently, there is legislation under consideration in New Jersey to expand its medical marijuana law so that minors can access it. The issue was sympathetically covered by Gupta, and within days, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was being asked about the legislation. Just a few days later Christie committed to signing it. The latest manifestation of Gupta's impact came today when President Obama's press secretary was asked whether Gupta's change of heart has caused the president to re-examine his position on medical marijuana. As you might expect, Obama's spokesman sidestepped the question, claiming he couldn't respond because he hadn't read Gupta's column.But Gupta - who was Obama's first choice to be U.S. Surgeon General upon taking office in 2009 - has generated so much news that it's hard to believe that folks at the White House haven't followed it.I've worked at the Drug Policy Alliance for 14 years - and more people, even folks who don't follow drug policy, have asked me about the Sanjay Gupta special than almost anything else I've worked on over the past decade and a half. It is clear that Dr. Gupta's work is changing hearts, minds and ultimately lives. Tony Newman is the director of media relations at the Drug Policy Alliance (www.drugpolicy.org) Source: Huffington Post (NY)Author: Tony NewmanPublished: August 20, 2013Copyright: 2013 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC Contact: scoop huffingtonpost.comWebsite: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/URL: http://drugsense.org/url/hW1BRCNJCannabisNews  Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #16 posted by museman on August 25, 2013 at 10:04:36 PT
"doctors" and Pharma
Yes, don't be fooled by the 'experts' who suddenly "see the light" and jump on the bandwagon, now that the inevitability of the end of prohibition is in sight.
People should be listening to the growers, the users, and the real experts, instead of all these money-made pseudo 'experts' whose 'expertise' and 'success' is kissing the right asses of the rich and powerful.Kind of like politics; when the people run for office, then a vote will be worth more than the digital nothing it is 'printed' on. Until then all we get is the same old exclusive club of elitists looking out for their own.If you 'representative' has their fingers on the corporate pie, what more evidence do you need at this point? Show me a politician who does not have their fingers in that pie, and I'll show you a politician who hides it well.If you got to be rich to run for office, that in itself is a violation of the terms of liberty, hard won, in the intent of the Bill of Rights. Or is that just a compromise for slaves to keep the masters in power? Not much upholding of those so called rights being done by the street pigs and their masters.LEGALIZE FREEDOM
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Comment #15 posted by Sam Adams on August 23, 2013 at 09:46:52 PT
Pharma in the news
Look what Lilly's been up to....oh yes, they're "deeply concerned" they got caught.What do you think they did here in the US to get 11% of the population on Prozac?http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/aug/22/eli-lilly-corruption-allegations-chinaEli Lilly, a key provider of drugs to the National Health Service, has become the latest western pharmaceutical group to become embroiled in allegations of malpractice in China.The US company said it was "deeply concerned" about claims it paid Rmb30m (£3m) to doctors to prescribe its diabetic treatments in Shanghai. GlaxoSmithKline, the UK's largest drug company, has seen four of its Chinese executives arrested over bribery allegations and a British consultant who worked for GSK was formally arrested earlier this week
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Comment #14 posted by John Tyler on August 22, 2013 at 19:56:48 PT
Caution toward Sanjay 
Sanjay has made some points and has changed some minds in people that don’t pay too much attention to what he is actually saying, but I don’t think he can yet be trusted. He is corporate. He has a corporate agenda that does not link up with people in the movement.
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Comment #13 posted by Sam Adams on August 22, 2013 at 09:20:31 PT
Gupta
Don't be fooled, he's not on our side. This is all part of a measured stalling strategy. Slow down and pacify med. MJ to slow down full legalization until Pharma's canna-pills hit the shelves.Ed Rosenthal's column on this was great:http://edrosenthal.com/2013/08/thank-you-sanjay-gupta.html
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Comment #12 posted by Hope on August 22, 2013 at 08:40:17 PT
A few key words and alarms go off
and focus is drawn.We could easily turn the hits up on this thread by use of a few of those words.I thought this had been common knowledge for many years.
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Comment #11 posted by Hope on August 22, 2013 at 08:37:11 PT
MikeEEEEE
Right. I've never thought they weren't snooping all over every word typed and every site visited.It wasn't and hasn't been paranoia. I thought we, I thought everyone, knew this all the time.Our government has considered it's citizens "the enemy" for decades now. It's so wrong and so sad.Crazy how they can knock you down and kick you in the face and call it "Protecting" you.
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Comment #10 posted by MikeEEEEE on August 21, 2013 at 18:44:59 PT
GCW, still....you are not in Kanas anymore
I remember the late 70s when the President recommended decriminalization, to the early 80s Reagan-corporate "Just say no" tools. Perhaps that's why I'm still reserved.On another topic: I have known about the govt monitoring for a long time. A juicy fiber optic cable called the Internet, hmmm, yumm for those who want to tap into it.
But, I am very positive about current events in cannabis reforms. The attempts by the system look outright foolish to most people these days. Please see these articles, I think they are a good read:http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/08/21http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/08/21-0The makers of the constitution knew there could be a breakdown in their freedom experiment. But the document very clearly hints, "We the people"
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Comment #9 posted by afterburner on August 21, 2013 at 16:33:19 PT
Hope #3 & #4
"the president and the administration believe that targeting individual marijuana users -- especially those with serious illnesses and their caregivers -- is not the best allocation of federal law enforcement resources," Earnest said. This quote shows the fallacy of eliminating home growing since the federal raids on mm dispensaries indicate that the feds do not consider dispensaries to be caregivers.Home growing is essential, home growing is freedom.Changing the federal law is necessary to reconcile a federal law with state laws. 
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Comment #8 posted by The GCW on August 21, 2013 at 16:32:29 PT
Ending prohibition is unstoppable.
Ending cannabis prohibition, extermination and persecution is not dependent on the Prez or the white house. The end is coming with or without their approval.
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Comment #7 posted by Hope on August 21, 2013 at 13:47:50 PT
I am surprised.
I am unhappy about it. He should be trying to do something about the injustice and stupidity and expense of it all. It's purely a government caused problem and he could say something about trying to end the injustice, somehow.I'm disappointed. Our issue, the legalization of cannabis is so serious. These prohibitionists could kill more innocent people and ruin more lives. It's not about getting to smoke legal pot. That is so not it and never has been. It's serious. It's extremely serious. Someone else could get killed or harmed as long as this plant stays illegal. This is injustice. It's gotten deadly often. It's horribly expensive and all it's fruits are bad. Stinking bad. The prohibition of cannabis has been ruining and destroying people's lives for decades now. It has to stop. He could say something acknowledging that he has a freaking clue what is going on, instead of laying there eating grapes.Dang!AaaarghAnd I'm furious, too.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on August 21, 2013 at 12:21:20 PT
Excerpt From Article
Obama last weighed in on the use of marijuana after two states – Washington and Colorado – legalized the recreational use of the drug."This is a tough problem, because Congress has not yet changed the law," Obama told Barbara Walters of ABC News. "I head up the executive branch; we're supposed to be carrying out laws. And so what we're going to need to have is a conversation about, How do you reconcile a federal law that still says marijuana is a federal offense and state laws that say that it's legal?"
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on August 21, 2013 at 12:18:50 PT
Hope
It doesn't surprise me. 
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on August 21, 2013 at 12:17:54 PT
Disgusting.... still.
No change in marijuana laws coming, White House sayshttp://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/21/no-change-in-marijuana-laws-coming-white-house-says/(But they are so wrong about that. I believe. Changes in the marijuana laws are coming... whether they have anything to do with it or not.)Legalization of cannabis IS coming and IS already happening. 
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on August 21, 2013 at 12:12:08 PT
Why?
Obama does not 'at this point' support changes to marijuana lawshttp://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/08/obama-does-not-at-this-point-support-changes-to-marijuana-170947.html?hp=l7
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Comment #2 posted by Hope on August 21, 2013 at 09:54:30 PT
Dr. Gupta has integrity and character.
Obviously. I like that. I appreciate that. It's admirable.He realized he was wrong and he's trying to make amends. That's the right thing to do. That's what a man, a human, with strong integrity and good character tries to do.Some people actually can't admit they were wrong about something. About anything.I appreciate and admire what he's done since he realized he'd been deceived and misled. 
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Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on August 21, 2013 at 09:33:21 PT
Thank you again Dr. Sanjay Gupta!
Your honesty is striking and courageous, thank you for putting the interest of the world community and its health ahead of that of your own career!Kudos!
Medicinal Marijuana!
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