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White House Drug Czar Says Medical Marijuana Is 'dying Out'
AP ^ | AP-ES-07-29-05 2239EDT

Posted on 07/31/2005 7:53:25 AM PDT by TheOtherOne

White House Drug Czar Says Medical Marijuana Is 'dying Out'

By Audrey McAvoy Associated Press Writer
Published: Jul 29, 2005 HONOLULU (AP) - The White House drug czar said Friday that medical marijuana is "dying out" after the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that federal authorities may prosecute sick people whose doctors prescribe pot to ease pain.

John Walters, the national drug policy director, said state legislative efforts to expand medical marijuana programs have stalled in the two months since the high court's ruling overrode laws in Hawaii and nine other states.

"I think it's dying out," Walters told reporters after a meeting with Hawaii drug treatment counselors and law enforcement officials. "The real issue here is, is it the safe and best way for medical treatment? We don't think the best thing for people who are really sick is to make them high and send them away."

Walters said the federal government was funding research into whether cannabis could be used as a source of "medically sound" drugs, but he said "smoked marijuana hasn't met that science."

Steve Kubby, national director of the American Medical Marijuana Association, objected to Walters' remark, saying there are "hundreds" of peer-reviewed scientific studies showing clear medical benefits from cannabis.

"The drug czar has blood on his hands for blocking the humane and medical use of cannabis for sick, disabled and dying people," Kubby said.

Kubby, a force behind the passage of a California proposition that legalized pot clubs, said marijuana can help treat nausea, pain, arthritis and cancer.

AP-ES-07-29-05 2239EDT


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: czar; drugczar; drugs; johnwalters; marijuana; medicalmarijuana; painmanagement; reefermadness; selfmedicate; wod; wodlist
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1 posted on 07/31/2005 7:53:25 AM PDT by TheOtherOne
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To: TheOtherOne
Marijuana Is 'dying Out'

Maybe drying out is more like it.

He is so out of touch. Saying something doesn't make it true...unless you are a Czar.

2 posted on 07/31/2005 7:54:39 AM PDT by TheOtherOne (I often sacrifice my spelling on the alter of speed™)
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To: TheOtherOne
The White House drug czar said Friday that medical marijuana is "dying out" after the Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that federal authorities may prosecute sick people whose doctors prescribe pot to ease pain.

No kidding! People would rather put up with pain, starvation and death than risk going to prison.
3 posted on 07/31/2005 8:04:01 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: R. Scott

Random bag searchs in NYC subways is doing more to stop marijuana than any court ruling.

MJ use is so prevelant is it only a matter of time before more than 50% of the citizens know Walters is full of it and demand a stop the wasting of valuable money locking up pot smokers versus spending it on things we know are trying to kill us. (terrorism)


4 posted on 07/31/2005 8:11:25 AM PDT by TheOtherOne (I often sacrifice my spelling on the alter of speed™)
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To: TheOtherOne
MJ use is so prevelant is it only a matter of time before more than 50% of the citizens know Walters is full of it and demand a stop the wasting of valuable money locking up pot smokers versus spending it on things we know are trying to kill us.

But pot is the easy enemy in the “War” on Drugs! What will our bureaucrats do without it?
5 posted on 07/31/2005 8:13:51 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: TheOtherOne; Wolfie
"The drug czar has blood on his hands ..."

Ordinarily, I'd dismiss this as needless hyperbole; but the Czar deserves whatever imprecations come his way.

Shrunken-souled sonofab*tch placemarker.

6 posted on 07/31/2005 8:15:56 AM PDT by headsonpikes ("The U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government.")
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To: R. Scott
But pot is the easy enemy in the “War” on Drugs! What will our bureaucrats do without it?

Meth?

7 posted on 07/31/2005 8:16:13 AM PDT by TheOtherOne (I often sacrifice my spelling on the alter of speed™)
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To: TheOtherOne

Meth labs can be explosive – pot farms are much safer to bust.


8 posted on 07/31/2005 8:20:27 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: TheOtherOne

"Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that federal authorities may prosecute sick people whose doctors prescribe pot to ease pain."

That qoute pretty much sums it up right there. This is the very worst that super-sized government has to offer.

As far as I am concerned, the aforementioned sick people would have ever moral right to defend their lives and property using force up to and including *deadly* force when the jack booted thugs come to break down the door.

I wouldn't reccomend it, and it would be incredibly stupid, but they'd be entirely within their moral rights to do so.

Bones


9 posted on 07/31/2005 9:02:14 AM PDT by Bones75
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To: TheOtherOne
the high court's ruling overrode laws in Hawaii and nine other states. [...] "The real issue here is, is it the safe and best way for medical treatment?

No, obviously the real issue is whether the feds can bully the states into giving up their authority to regulate activities confined to within their own borders. If medical judgment were the issue, government would butt out and leave it to doctors and patients.

10 posted on 07/31/2005 11:35:37 AM PDT by Know your rights (The modern enlightened liberal doesn't care what you believe as long as you don't really believe it.)
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To: TheOtherOne
Didn't Rhode Island's legislature just a new medical marijuana law that the Governor vetoed but the Senate intends to override his veto. Aren't states with medical marijuana laws still passing out the get out of jail free cards. Doesn't sound dead to me. This guy's living in a dreamland.
11 posted on 07/31/2005 6:34:06 PM PDT by TKDietz
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To: TKDietz; TheOtherOne; Know your rights
Oh that wacky Drug Czar. He likes to pretend.

California Resumes Medical Marijuana Program

Alaska: Medical Use of Pot Can Continue

A couple more recent headlines:

Santa Cruz Approves Medical Pot Shop

Oregon: Senate Oks Bill Clarifying Medical Pot

12 posted on 08/01/2005 4:59:27 AM PDT by Wolfie
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To: Abram; AlexandriaDuke; Annie03; Baby Bear; bassmaner; Bernard; BJClinton; BlackbirdSST; ...
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
13 posted on 08/01/2005 4:42:58 PM PDT by freepatriot32 (I WONDERED WHY THE FRISBEE WAS GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER... THEN IT HIT ME)
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To: TheOtherOne

We don't think the best thing for people who are really sick is to make them high and send them away."
---

Oh? Who are you to say and know so? The sheep cannot think for themselves and so must be guided by elitists... in this case the worst kind: 'republican' elitists...


14 posted on 08/01/2005 4:51:17 PM PDT by traviskicks (http://www.neoperspectives.com/janicerogersbrown.htm)
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To: R. Scott
"But pot is the easy enemy in the “War” on Drugs! What will our bureaucrats do without it?"

Don't worry about it, for your lifetime it will remain illegal for recreational use and you will never have to worry about it.

15 posted on 08/01/2005 4:54:48 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: TheOtherOne
Drug agents found a bunch of plants growing on federal land north of the Bay Area over the weekend and are insisting that it's part of a Mexican drug cartel or something, despite evidence that it is a local operation.

Got to justify that budget, you know.

16 posted on 08/01/2005 5:11:53 PM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: A CA Guy

Unfortunately you are probably right.


17 posted on 08/01/2005 5:14:16 PM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: Wolfie
Oh that wacky Drug Czar. He likes to pretend.

Well then, I'd say he's found his niche. The Drug Czar's job is to convince people to support the Drug War, not to tell the truth.

18 posted on 08/01/2005 5:18:15 PM PDT by tacticalogic (Say goodnight, Grace.)
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To: R. Scott

Don't y'all understand that Marijuana is an easy excuse for many of America's ills from teen pregnancy to auto accidents to infidelity to terrorism. Yup, one wacky plant, native to North America can cause all that horror. Yes sir its all true. The government says so.


19 posted on 08/01/2005 5:37:57 PM PDT by rasblue (What would Barry Goldwater do?)
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To: TheOtherOne

It's just as outrageous to give officials in our Republic the title "czar," as to call them "fuhrers" or "potentates." It encourages the mindset that said "czar" is our overlord -- when actually, he's our employee.


20 posted on 08/02/2005 10:43:40 AM PDT by ellery (The true danger is when liberty is nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts. - Edmund Burke)
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