No way would I want to see morphine or its related derivatives made OTC. My only caveat is that drugs like oxycontin are incredibly expensive and if you don't have coverage you're screwed. Unlike pot which is relatively harmless on a par with tobacco or alcohol, opiates will kill you if your take too much and it is addicitve and you get a tolerance to it as well.
As for medical morphine, if someone has inoperable cancer, they should be allowed as much morphine as they need to be comfortable. What the hell, are they going to get addicted when they've already got a death sentence?
The problem is that you get the people that want ALL drugs legalized clouding a very real issue. Doctors are leery of prescribing opiates because the DEA watches them and it's a heavily abused drug. In other words, it's a helliva complex isuue.
I really don't want some meth head running around paranoid as hell looking for a fight.
I didn't say "Over the Counter." I said "Legal." As in you could go to the Wal-Mart pharmacy and pick up your prescribed package of marijuana. You can't do that now, although you can go buy all the codiene and assorted other opium derivatives your doctor thinks you need.
Curious world we live in, isn't it?