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You know, I watched someone die of cancer recently. They had her on a morphine drip and she assured us she was in no pain as long as she was conscious and able to speak. Even as she slipped farther away, she seemed comfortable. Increasingly weak and distant, but comfortable.

I too have sadly seen a few people of late go that way. We will all die of something but if the liberals get their way it will only be of what they allow :) I don't know how our ancestors survived without someone telling them they could not smoke, eat bad food, or carry a gun because it might come to life and kill someone.

But your point is well taken. Both people in the last two years I knew used morphine - but I think choice is a good idea too. If I was dying I would tell the government to kiss my a$$. Oh wait, I tell them that anyway ;)

You know, I watched someone die of cancer recently. They had her on a morphine drip and she assured us she was in no pain as long as she was conscious and able to speak.

My sympathies for your loss. Unfortunately, the pain management of many other cases is not as humane. In fact, it verges on the barbaric. Some years ago, my father had cancer. He wasn't in much pain, and fortunately, his hearing had pretty much gone. I say "fortunately" because he spent several days in a nursing home (which we speedily removed him from, but that's another story) with a room-mate who was screaming non-stop from terminal cancer pain. I went to the desk and reported this, but they were unconcerned and would do nothing. First, they didn't have authorization to dispense medication ahead of schedule (true, but they could have asked for authorization, or reported up the chain.) They then asked if I wanted him to become addicted. What--so what if he did? What was an 85 year-old guy with terminal cancer who became addicted to morphine going to do--knock over a liquor store?

The same attitude is seen in WOD people towards medical use of marijuana. Some on this thread say that many who advocate medical use of marijuana are simply trying to get the camel's nose under the tent, and would also advocate non-medical use. To me, this is more a legalistic authoritarian argument. Pot is not more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. We've seen how people have enjoyed the cover of moral/legal fashion to exercise their authoritarian impulses with alchohol (prohibition) and tobacco.

I'm not an absolute libertarian on all drugs--PCP, GHB, meth--all societally dangerous. Pot isn't. But even it it were, to extend a perception of danger to interference with monitored medical use is unwarranted and cruel. Morphine is clearly more addictive, and not many of the WOD people on this thread would advocate with-holding its postoperative medical use. I know, its legal, and at the moment pot isn't--but that doesn't make the current situation "right" or optimal.