Posted on 06/14/2005 11:01:59 AM PDT by kaotic133
Of course, the Supreme Court decision has very little to do with wether or not pot is dangerous or helpful as medicine. It basically comes down to the question: Can the federal government tell the states which chemicals they have to ban? And yes, we fought a Civil War so that the federal government could tell the states exactly what to do - regardless of logic or local democracy.
So last week the Supreme Court upheld Washington DC's unquestioned authority to create intrusive and illogical laws that are based on prejudiced perceptions above scientific reality. I can't really find any sources that support the DEA's claims that marijuana is extremely dangerous and has no known medical use (other than, you know, websites sponsored by the DEA or websites that have copy and pasted their little "say no to drugs (but feel free to buy more viagra)" slogans.
I have, however, found that its been in use as a medicine and spiritual aid for 2,700 years with zero deaths from overdose. It was even used as medicine in America until the 1930s - Hey, the Christians couldn't ban alchohol in the 20s, so when they were defeated they just banned pot! Ever wonder why prohibition came BEFORE the pot ban? Well, it was a purely political decision by the religious right to show that they weren't COMPLETELY out of touch with America and a chance to exercise some power early in their history.
Score another loss for State and individual rights, score one for the big money "legal" drug industry in America. Pot can't be patented, so if it was legalized it would become pretty freaking cheap really fast - and guess what, people would stop taking the "Safe" pills that are actually extremely toxic and disruptive - because they would find a cheap and natural remedy.
And if pot were legalized outright, well, the alchohol industry would have one tough, popular, cheap, and even relatively healthy competitor all of a sudden. Hey, according to these doctors, maybe it would be a good thing for your brain if you put down that bottle and picked up a pipe. How the heck is any bar or brewery going to stay in business after peoples' doctors start recommending pot as a better casual intoxication than beer itself!
So! I hate to play the corporate conspiracy card, but they make up about 50% of the deck we're playing with here. Two major industries have a LOT to lose if a single plant is legally introduced to America.
This plant could help people, but hurt those two industries (and maybe more) can't have that hurting their bottom line. The government protects the industry and indoctrinates you to their point of view. The government uses your tax money to finance "D.A.R.E" programs and "public service announcements" that are not based on medical data, but you hear it so many times you start to believe it.
Rinse & Repeat.
For those taking sides and keeping score, here is an interesting fact to remember. The only justices that voted AGAINST banning medical marijuana were appointed by Republican presidents (Thomas - Bush, O'Connor - Reagan, Rehnquist - Nixon). Not a single Democratically appointed justice stood up for the rights of the doctors and their patients. They voted to ensure the power of the federal government. The other big loser are all the traditionally Democratic states that already have medical marijuana laws. Ironically again, only Republicans stood up for the rights of Democratic states.
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/70/80972.htm
"We were somewhat surprised by our finding, especially since there's been a controversy for some years on whether long-term cannabis use causes brain damage," says lead researcher and psychiatrist Igor Grant, MD.
"I suppose we expected to see some differences in people who were heavy users, but in fact the differences were very minimal."
The marijuana users in those 15 studies -- which lasted between three months to more than 13 years -- had smoked marijuana several times a week or month or daily. Still, researchers say impairments were less than what is typically found from using alcohol or other drugs. "
"I just re-published a paper of the first survey for marijuana toxicity done in 1863 by the British government in India that was the most exhaustive medical study of its time in regards to possible difficulties and toxicity of cannabis. And it reached the same conclusion as Grant," Mikuriya tells WebMD.
"This is merely confirming what was known over 100 years ago, as well as what was learned by various government findings doing similar research -- marijuana is not toxic, but it is a highly effective medicine."
"Marijuana is a remarkably safe and non-toxic drug that can effectively treat about 30 different conditions," he tells WebMD. "I predict it will become the aspirin of the 21st century, as more people recognize this."
The idea that weed is a medicine is absurd, the product of a science-worshipping but scientifically illiterate society.
I will never understand why there is Federal authority over any intoxicant if the Constitution had to be amended to confer such authority over alcohol.
What disease, not symptom, does it cure?
Talk about extremism. This has got to be one of the most ridiculous statements ever issued about pot. To compare pot to aspirin is absolutely absurd.
Actually its a quite accurate statement, and although I'm not some long-haired hippy saying legalize weed, I've seen the benefits it has in the treatment of cancer patients. Aspirin is fairly toxic and most experts believe if it was up for FDA approval today it definitely would not be OTC and probably would be fairly stringently controlled. Having said that, my advocacy for the medical use of marijuana is based soley upon watching a family member dwindle to almost nothing and return to close to normal weight. My aunt has an inoperable brain tumor, and my family watched her dwindle from around 160 lbs. to 100 lbs, unable to keep any food down. Her oncologist suggested she try smoking marijuana to ease her nuasea, and help her with her appetite. She now weighs around 145 lbs. and looks a lot better. Did the pot cure her cancer, of course not, but her quality of life is immeasurably better and I'd go as far as to say that smoking pot has probably extended her life. With regards to the case on which the SCOTUS recently ruled, I believe that the court decision was correct, that being said the DEA should reschedule marijuana to Schedule 2 placing it in the same catagory as cocaine which is used routinely in facial surgery. To say that doctors should have the right to prescribe medication as they see fit is different that calling for the legalization for recreational use. That inevitably leads to claims that unscrupulous doctors will over-prescribe and falsely prescribe. I personally have full faith in the DEA's ability to investigate these claims, case in point the recent crack-down on doctors who over-prescribe Oxycontin.
Whereas pot has absolutely no negative effect on the human population...It's a panacea!
Source please. This sounds wildly absurd...
Ya, actually a related article says "a survey conducted by Harvard Medical School in 1991 revealed that 44 percent of oncologists had proposed marijuana use to their patients."
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/13/1691_50142.htm
I think it says something about potency and safety if almost half of all cancer specializing doctors recommend it even though its technically illegal according to DEA scheduling.
The MEDICAL evidence suggests that Marijuana belongs in the same category as alchohol or tobaccco. Instead, big government uses smokers to fill the cells and create demand for new prison construction projects.
I don't know if I want marijuana regulated like alcohol and tobacco, but I think the DEA is doing many Americans a disservice by keeping marijuana Schedule I (grouped with heroin, drugs with NO medical value and cannot be prescribed under any circumstances) as opposed to Schedule II (grouped with cocaine, drugs with LIMITED medical value which can be prescribed under certain circumstances).
In San Francisco its the same thing. I was watching O'Reilly and he had one of his producers go into the Doc's office and complain (falsely) of back pain. Without so much as an argument, the Doc prescribed him medical marijuana.
It's a joke. Supposedly, people are selling pot right on the street, right in front of these places.
Hahaha the joke is that its treated any differently than alchohol or tobacco.
Heres a toxicology summary on aspirin:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=7469627&query_hl=2
Salicylates are the types of acids in the Aspirin family of chemicals. They all affect the body in the same way, aspirin is just a corporate name like "kleenex," its different than the technical name.
No suicides or DUI deaths result from pot. Absolutely, none. Aspirin is defintely more dangerous than pot. -sarcasm
BTW, how many teenagers and adults are in rehab because of Aspirin?
Aspirin has saved many people's lives. Name one case where someone's life was spared because of the use of pot.
Most posters on FR think they know more about medicine than doctors do; there's a name for people who generally believe that way. Corpses
Obviously you didn't take the time to read my comment. I personally watched my aunt's health deteriorate rapidly and then bounce back! Why? Because she was able to EAT! No the legal derivatives did not work, she couldn't hold them down, and just because people abuse a drug doesn't mean that it holds no value. People go to rehab every day for a multitude of drug/alcohol related problems. We don't ban vicodin, xanax, or oxycontin because some people become addicted to them. Marijuana has prolonged my aunt's life and I for one will say that it saved someone important to me.
To bring other drugs into the argument after you have shown that your comparison was over the top is disengious. This is what the extreme drug lobby does to muddy the waters as to soften the damage pot causes our society. We already have enough people with chemical dependencies in our society, so the solution is to make pot legal? It doesn't make any sense.
Marijuana has lead to the ruining of some close friends of mine and I for one say that is did nothing but cause problems for everyone involved.
Correction:
You made the ludicrous implication that aspirin is more dangeous than pot.
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