Bush escalates marijuana war Supreme Court asked to sanction doctors who recommend pot

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 07-10-03

[Brian S]

The Bush administration, pressing its campaign against state medical marijuana laws, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let federal authorities punish California doctors who recommend pot to their patients.

The administration would revoke the federal prescription licenses of doctors who tell their patients marijuana would help them, a prerequisite for obtaining the drug under the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law.

[mvpel]

My uncle could have used "the munchies" when he was recovering from chemo and radiation therapy for brain cancer. Instead, he lost about 50 pounds off of his already-compact frame.

[Support Free Republic]

She wants to look her best for her subjects.
>	Make a fashion statement. Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[jammer]

I'm glad they have their priorities straight. Instead of focusing on those minor issues like illegal immigration floods.

[gaucho]

This law can go one of two ways:

1) States that put pot laws on the books might do away with needed a prescription, in effect the opposite of what the AG wants to achieve.

2) Since the language appears so broad: "effectively licensed physicians to treat patients with prohibited substances" and interfered with the government's authority "to enforce the law in an area vital to the public health and safety," it seems to me that this law would be struck down. If not, the potential impact on other forms of experimental medicines i.e. "prohibited substances" could have unintended effects on the practice and advancement of medicine and treatments. For example, a doctor who develops a new vacine might try it out on themselves before any FDA approval process and it would in effect be a prohibited substance.

[Weimdog]

The biggest waste of our tax dollars is the war on drugs.

Deaths in the United States in a typical year are as follows:

Tobacco kills about 390,000 (lung cancer 160,000; lung deseases
-emphesyma, bronchitis, pneumonia, flu - 85,000, related heart
disease 30,000).

Smoking accounts for about 30% of all cancer deaths
and about 85% of all cases of lung cancer.

Alcohol kills about 80,000

Workplace accidents kill 60,000

Automobiles kill 40,000

Cocaine kills about 2,200

Heroin kills about 2,000

Aspirin kills about 2,000

Marijuana kills 0
There has never been a recorded death due to marijuana at any time in
US history.

All illegal drugs combined kill about 4,500 people per year, or about one percent of the number killed by alcohol and tobacco.

Tobacco kills more people each year than all of the people killed by
all of the illegal drugs in the last one hundred years.

[org.whodat]

There has never been a recorded death due to marijuana at any time in

That is pure BS, I seem to recall that one of the tain wrecks that killed several people was operated by a user. he smoked just before going to work.

[Weimdog]

No deaths due to marijuana overdose.

"There has been no reported case of death from marijuana overdose (not to be confused with overuse; I donít know to what extent marijuana smoke would increase heart disease or lung cancer). The estimated ratio of effective dose to lethal dose for marijuana is between 20,000 and 40,000 to one as compared to between 4 and 10 to one for pure ethanol. This is equal to smoking about 1500 pounds of pot in fifteen minutes. This data has been extrapolated from animal models. (NEJoM, Aug.7, 1997. P. 438)"

http://students.washington.edu/aed/archivemidget/2.htm

[mvpel]

The absence of the FDA is suggested, in L Neil Smith's book "The Probability Broach," as why they have 2-day bone-healing devices in their alternate dimension and we don't.

[ravinson]

It looks like George Bush is going after the drug nazi vote hard and trying to prove that he is tough on drugs to distract attention from the fact that he himself is a former drug abuser and the father of two cokeheads.

[FractalSphere]

>>That is pure BS, I seem to recall that one of the tain wrecks that killed several people was operated by a user. he smoked just before going to work.<<


That can be attributed to stupidity, not as a result (directly) of using marijuanna. Just like drinking alcohol and driving. Simply smoking it won't kill you. But you can die of alcohol poisoning if you drink too much.

[Sir Gawain]

I feel safer already. Thanks John Walters!

{^} J {^}

[Sir Gawain]

The estimated ratio of effective dose to lethal dose for marijuana is between 20,000 and 40,000 to one as compared to between 4 and 10 to one for pure ethanol. This is equal to smoking about 1500 pounds of pot in fifteen minutes. This data has been extrapolated from animal models.

Your friend had a long way to go.

[breakem]

Wonder if the wh will be dictating all prescriptions or just this one. Sure glad those socialist/big-government democrats are not in charge.

[Brandon]

No kidding. Much as it pains me to say it, the 9th Circuit is right this time.

[The Westerner]

As much as I think this drug is bad for teens to abuse, I have known people who benefitted from its medicinal properties. It's so absurd for Bush to be getting involved in this.

[Paul C. Jesup]

The absence of the FDA is suggested, in L Neil Smith's book "The Probability Broach," as why they have 2-day bone-healing devices in their alternate dimension and we don't.

Actually, Europe has been using a bone paste for years, the stuff can glue a bone back together, harden in around 12 hours and is almost as strong as the bone originally was. But the FDA refuses to permit it, probably because it would actually be helpful.

[I_dmc]

What would be interesting is if a state were to enact a law calling for the arrest and specific punishments of federal officers interfering with that state's laws on marijuana (or anything else, for that matter).

[Cultural Jihad]

Justice Department lawyers this week asked the high court to take up the issue in its next term, which begins in October.

Oh, great. Now they're going to end up make it mandatory. ;-)

[Wolfie]

Simple solution - do away with the need for a prescription.