cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana is Humane function share_this(num) { tit=encodeURIComponent('Medical Marijuana is Humane'); url=encodeURIComponent('http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/27/thread27851.shtml'); site = new Array(5); site[0]='http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+url+'&title='+tit; site[1]='http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit.php?url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[2]='http://digg.com/submit?topic=political_opinion&media=video&url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[3]='http://reddit.com/submit?url='+url+'&title='+tit; site[4]='http://del.icio.us/post?v=4&noui&jump=close&url='+url+'&title='+tit; window.open(site[num],'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=620,height=500'); return false; } Medical Marijuana is Humane Posted by CN Staff on January 29, 2014 at 08:47:01 PT By Andrew Tatarsky, Commentary Source: Times Union New York -- As a psychologist who has specialized in substance use treatment for over 30 years, I have given a lot of thought to medical marijuana. Over the years, I have seen several patients who have used marijuana medicinally but have suffered — from potential criminal prosecution and the shame, stigma and fear that comes from using an illicit substance. Twenty states and D.C. now permit the use of medical marijuana. New York should join them. I applaud Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recent acknowledgement of cannabis' medical value for some seriously ill people. However, the 1980 Olivieri Law that he is using, through which medical marijuana would be available through 20 hospitals around the state, has significant restrictions, preventing many patients who need the medicine from receiving it.The Legislature is currently considering the Compassionate Care Act, which would create one of the best-regulated medical marijuana programs in the country. I urge Cuomo to work with the Legislature to enact this comprehensive legislation this session. Many of my colleagues in the addiction and mental health treatment communities support this bill, as reflected in endorsements by the New York State Psychological Association and its Division on Addiction.Allowing the seriously ill access to safe and legal medical marijuana under their health care provider's supervision is, fundamentally, an issue of compassion and human rights. The medical value of cannabis is no longer a matter of dispute. The efficacy of cannabis for controlling certain conditions and symptoms is well-established in the scientific literature. And, compared to other prescription medications, like widely used opioid pain relievers, medical cannabis is relatively safe, having no known lethal dose and few side effects.The Compassionate Care Act will ultimately make the job of drug treatment professionals like me easier. The worst dangers associated with medical marijuana come from forcing patients to seek medical marijuana on the illicit market, with potentially devastating consequences — like untested and possibly contaminated product, lifelong criminal records, and shame and stigma from using an illegal substance.SnippedComplete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/KIVp4XSDSource: Times Union (Albany, NY)Author: Andrew Tatarsky, CommentaryPublished: Wednesday, January 29, 2014Copyright: 2014 Capital NewspapersContact: tuletters timesunion.comWebsite: http://www.timesunion.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #5 posted by Oleg the Tumor on January 30, 2014 at 07:42:01 PT: Of course, we must get Mickey a date . . . How about Justin Beiber? Cougar robs cradle, wakes up in Canada. Sounds like a Film! [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Oleg the Tumor on January 30, 2014 at 07:36:54 PT: Had Enough Amen! Indeed, we are obliged. Nothing astonishes, and pisses off, a visitor from outside the US quite like a demonstration of voter apathy by a natural born citizen. It is hard to watch people throw things away that you don't have and can't get. These "things" of which I speak so casually here, were paid for by human lives ever in the quest for freedom and its defence. When I think of "Freedoms", I am reminded of what We the People have so recently lost. What document can the U.S. Govt. point at to justify the meta-data in their pockets? If the answer is "The Patriot Act", then this Act may be unconstitutional, prima facie, in the absence of a Declaration of War by Congress. I'm just a taxpayer and even I can see that!We have all had quite enough, thank you, (but no thanks) of this failed eugenics movement that just wont stop moving. And it won't. Not until fields of MJ are allowed their place under the sun, once again. Then, maybe, some of us can find an honest purpose working in the paper or textile or biofuels or the hundred other industries this plant could have supported from about 1918-on! (Not even counting the medical uses!)Eventually, the legalization movement will cause massive change, over time. Ben Franklin was right! But "keeping it" isn't as easy as it seems.The "Corporation" as we know it, didn't exist in 1776. That didn't happen until Mr. Rockefeller came along.So long as Corporations have the same rights before a judge as "We the People", how can humans prevail? [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Had Enough on January 29, 2014 at 12:22:33 PT Dating…??? Dream date for Bill (Moral Compass) Bennett & John P. Walters…Michele Lionhart and/or Calvina Fay… :)***Their time and propaganda has run out…all their spew ran out of steam…they sure did serve their masters well…I’ve Had Enough of the madness…people going to jail…people getting wounded or worse…peoples lives destroyed, deigned employment…corruption…not to mention these drug cartels and the industrial prison complex and Co.…making barrels of coin off the prohibition…sheeze…enough is enough…Ben Franklin says…We have a Republic…If we can keep it…Now lets get the voters out in force…many people suffered an died so we can have our say at that voting booth…honor these people…it’s an obligation… [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by runruff on January 29, 2014 at 09:24:07 PT "Not don't date" ... but can't get a date.If I seem petty in the things I say about some people [mostly ML] it is because; finding anything negative about her and some of her ilk, simply makes me glad. I do feel that with the misery and devesation these low vibe sociopaths are willing to perpertrate upon the common citizen, I wish the worst for them? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by runruff on January 29, 2014 at 08:58:20 PT Good Morning all! News flash: Michele Leonhart is single but doesn't date?Another flash: Michele Leonhart is still dumber than a bag of dirt!Have a nice day! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment