Medical Marijuana And AIDS
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
Medical Marijuana:AIDS Patients in a Controlled Study Had Significant Pain Relief… AIDS patients suffering from debilitating nerve pain got as much or more relief by smoking marijuana as they would typically get from prescription drugs — and with fewer side effects — according to a study conducted under rigorously controlled conditions with government-grown pot.
In a five-day study performed in a specially ventilated hospital ward where marijuana patients smoked three marijuana cigarettes a day, more than half the participants tallied significant reductions in pain.
By contrast, less than one-quarter of those who smoked “placebo” medical marijuana, which had its primary psychoactive ingredients removed, reported benefits, as measured by subjective pain reports and standardized neurological tests.
Marijuana is a herb with dried flowers which had many strains and strengths and which contains the chemical Tetrahydrocannibol (THC). It has been used for thousands of years for medical, religious, social and relaxation purposes and was widely accepted until the 1930's when the US & Canada started to work on the first laws to against people using it. This was an orchestrated campaign which led to disinformation and general public hysteria. Today, the Canadian Police Chief's Association are fighting for decriminalization and are urging lawmakers to re-legalize and tax users, introduce age limits and laws such as those used for the use of alcohol and tobacco.
Marijuana, when smoked or eaten is produces a high effect which can last for a few hours and can also give alternative sensual effects ranging from stimulant to sedative. There is no specific profile for a marijuana smoker however in the past American Presidents have farmed hemp and cannibis and are believed to have used it. In a survey done from people of all walks of life, society and culutre, one in five Americans has said that they used it and it is still highly popular in everyday use. Marijuana is smoked socially, for pain and for relaxation; just as is was thousands of years ago in Biblical times.
Most users of Marijuana are social or moderate smokers and they are no more likely to abuse cannabis as they are to abuse alcohol. One thing that has been shown in surveys is that users of marijuana peaks in early adult years with some quitting and a few carry on into their late adult years. Marijuana is no more habit forming than alcohol and less habit forming that eating sugar. Nobody has ever died from using Marijuana alone and the National Academy of Science reports that “the legal drugs for adults, such as tobacco or alcohol,… precede the use of illegal drugs and tobacco is a gateway drug”.
With regard to your health a Harvard University Medical Team found in 1987 that “dangerous physical reactions to marijuana are almost unknown”. Whilst all smoke is unhealthy, marijuana is safer than tobacco as people tend to smoke less of it. To allay medical problems in relation to smoking you can eat marijuana and it has proven to be a “wonder pain cure” for people who suffer with arthritis, stress, glaucoma, cancer, AIDS and even asthma. Marijuana has proven to be a medicinal herb with hundreds of therapeutic uses for ailments. So, the facts are laid before you about the uses of marijuana and some of the hysteria has been taken away about it's use. What is your view on the use of marijuana?
Tags: aids, fewer side effects, marijuana cigarettes, marijuana medical, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, Medical Marijuana aids patients suffering from debilitating nerve, nerve pain, neurological tests, pain relief, participants, placebo, pot, prescription drugs, psychoactive ingredients, smoking marijuana
Medical Cannabis is How Old?
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
Medical Cannabis is nothing new, despite the current groundswell of laws making pot legal for medical uses. Here's a quick fact file on cannabis and its medical history.
1. “Marijuana” is a Mexican term that originally was applied to low-quality tobacco.
2. Cannabis was cultivated in China for therapy (and recreation) over 4,700 years ago.
3. More than 20 medicationscontaining cannabis were sold in U.S. pharmacies at the turn of the 20th century. marijuana based medications were commonly available until 1942, when cannabis was stricken from the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the official compendium of drugs considered effective. From 1937 to 1942 the federal government collected a tax of $1 per ounce for such drugs.
4. About 17,000 studies on marijuana and its components have been published, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an advocacy group, but fewer than 20, all of them small, have included human subjects.
5. The federal government is in the pot-growing business. Under a federal contract, the University of Mississippi in Oxford cultivates marijuana for use by researchers, who have to be cleared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
6. The plant has nearly 500 chemical compounds, called cannabinoids.
7. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. But patients in these states face federal prosecution for using it—or for growing or possessing pot for medical purposes.
8. Federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing or otherwise actively supplying patients with the drug. But in 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court backed an appellate court ruling that physicians who discuss it with patients, or provide oral or written recommendations, are protected.
According to a recent article by Tracy Loew of USA Today, Portland, Oregon is now home to not one but two “cafes” where medical marijuana cardholders can go to smoke free cannabis while socializing with other approved marijuana cardholders. The newest one is called Cannabis Café and is located in a former strip club. Patrons who are approved medical marijuana cardholders pay a $5 cover charge, which goes towards operating expenses, and can smoke their medical marijuana from joints, pipes or by inhaling cannabis fumes collected from a vaporizer. Since it is still illegal in Oregon to sell marijuana patrons of the café bring marijuana they grew themselves or that they received from an approved caregiver, many donating a portion of their personal stash for other patrons use. Reaction from the neighbors of the café are mixed, while some wish the café was located elsewhere others say it's better then having a strip club or bar full of drunks in the neighborhood. Kevin Mannix of the Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance wishes there had been more public discussion before the café opened for business.
President Obama and his administration recently decided it isn't a good use of law enforcement officers time or resources to pursue or arrest individuals who are using marijuana for a number of medical conditions as long as they are conforming to strict federal and state guidelines. This new policy is a significant departure from former President Bush's policy who insisted he would continue to enforce anti-pot laws regardless of state codes as stated by Devlin Barret in his October 18th article for the The Huffington Post.
With the country still suffering from a long intense recession, could legalizing marijuana use all together be the answer to the billions of dollars in tax revenue needed to end some of the worst economic times we have witnessed since the Great Depression? The most recent data from the US polling firm Gallup indicates that nearly half the country supports legalizing the recreational use of marijuana with a staggering 44% saying they are in favor of legalization. Further look into the results of that poll show that 78% of Liberals & 50% of Americans under the age of 50 are in favor of legalization, while only 28% of seniors agree. Gallup tracking also showed that from 2006-2009 the support for legalization grew more then other time since the prohibition of the drug. This support grew the most among women with an increase of 12%, Democrats support increased 13%, Liberals support grew 15% and among western states support for legalization increased 13% all since 2005. It seems that if the trend for support of legalization continues to rise the prohibition of marijuana, whether for medical or recreational use, may not be so far away.
Fourteen states currently allow the use of medical marijuana and fourteen more are currently considering it. Five states allow retail pot dispensary for approved patients, with Maine being the most recent to join that list as reported by the USA Today. Obama himself admitted to smoking marijuana as a teen, although he says it was a mistake, but did say he did inhale because that's the whole point. If marijuana growth, distribution, and use were legalized it would lead to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars worth of tax revenue. In fact, a group of 500 economists, including the famous Milton Friedman, sent An Open Letter to the President, Congress, Governors, and State Legislatures on the benefits of legalization. They stated in their report that replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation would save $7.7 billion annually in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion a year. It went on to say that if were taxed similar to alcohol or tobacco products it may generate as much as $6.2 billion annually. For more on the stated report you can visit economics.about.com.
With the potential to save billions of dollars a year in expenditures and in addition earn billions more a year in tax revenues lawmakers should take a serious look at the three decade old prohibition on marijuana. With tens of thousands of Americans unemployed, countless numbers of homes in foreclosure, a national deficit in the trillions of dollars, billions of dollars spent to incarcerate individuals caught with small amounts of pot, and some of the worst economic times the country has ever seen it just may be time to decriminalize this non-violent drug. Marijuana has countless medical uses, the potential to create ten of thousands of jobs and generate tens of billions of dollars in savings and revenues for a crippled American economy.
Tags: Marijuana Collectives, Marijuana Doctor
My Body and Medical Cannabis
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
Well, first off, there are many active ingredients in Medical Marijuana, which is to say it is not a single drug molecule, such as alcohol or cocaine, rather a combination of more than 400 diverse chemical components. In fact, they're so different that 60 of them (called cannabinoids) are exclusive to cannabis.
While we're discussing numbers, let’s point out that the primary mind-altering cannabinoid is a little item by the name of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or “THC”, for short. It's this chemical that triggers marijuana's main drug reactions and in turn effects the body and the brain.
Tetrahydrocannabinol is a mind altering compound that breaks up into at least 80 different byproducts (or metabolites) prior to being eliminated from the body… Which can take a while.
The mood altering process starts as soon as the medical marijuana's THC enters the bloodstream, and begins zeroing in on Cannabinoid receptors (anandamides) in the brain and the central nervous system.
Marijuana is a very misunderstood drug. The controversies on legalization are far too confusing and they vary in different states. What do you do if your doctor prescribes it to you for an illness that you have been diagnosed with? With cancer, glaucoma and other major illnesses that would benefit from the use of marijuana, why would anyone try to stop something that helps increase appetite and decrease pain? On the other hand, law enforcement has been trying to get a handle on reducing crime involving the illegal use of “pot” for years now. Recreational use is still a no-no. Cultivation is a major no-no. Unless, of course, a doctor says you can. So, basically, the controversy will continue about the medicinal use, pros and cons thereof and legalization of marijuana, which would, in turn, benefit the government tax issues if it were controller or just continue being a general nuisance for the men and woman of law enforcement?
Although marijuana once was legal and considered to have no medical value by the American Medical Association, it hasn't been legal in years now. There have been a handful of states, approximately 11 total, including California, that were able to get it legalized on the state level, most of which have been since overturned. What is it going to take to prove its medicinal reasons as well as its reasons that the government would make money off the taxes, if it were regulated and get this country out of our national deficit? There would be less crime on the streets and because our government would regulate it, it would be safer than what it is right now.
At present, marijuana is classified under the Controlled Substances Act as a SCHEDULE I drug, one that has no medicinal value and may prove addictive. Advocates for the drug want the federal government to reclassify marijuana as a SCHEDULE II drug, one that physicians can legally prescribe, despite its potential for addictions. Morphine is an example of a SCHEDULE II drug.” (Fackelmann, 1997).
The legalization of marijuana would bring a great deal of revenue for our government from the taxes of its sale, as well as the money that would be saved in the anti-marijuana campaigns. “The government spends $8.26 million dollars a year to try to keep marijuana off the street.” (Miller, 2008). With Government Regulation handling all the growth and sales of “cannabis” or marijuana, the jails would be less crowded with inmates charged with possession, as well as, free up the police men and women to extend that energy into catching criminals that are committing serious crimes. The drug consistency would remain the same and therefore be safer for those that are using the drug. Deaths related to smoking pot are found because alternative additives were added to enhance the enjoyment, not because of smoking “pot”. It is because of that fact, that with the government legalizing it and growing it in a controlled environment, those people that later could or previously developed an addiction to it would be able to get the help that they need. Whether it is addictive or not, requires more research and studies.
Using marijuana for medicinal purposes can and does provide the relief for those that use the drug in controlled and responsible circumstances. The people that benefit from the use of marijuana would be cancer patients going through the trauma of chemotherapy, muscular sclerosis patients, AIDS patients, arthritis sufferers or anyone with chronic pain, all benefit from the use of marijuana. Chemotherapy treatments lead to very strong side effects, such as vomiting and nausea, which make patients very weak. It's difficult for patients to eat, which in turn causes weight loss. With weight loss, weakness and vitamin deficiencies occur due to a lack of nutrients in their system. Smoking pot relieves the stress on their bodies and increases their appetite which makes it easier to eat. That alone seems enough to warrant further investigation. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects the functions of the nerves in the brain and the spinal cord. If anyone ever watched Montel Williams on daytime television, you would have heard his opinion about the benefits. He does not smoke the marijuana; he takes the THC pills that are derived from the cannabis plant. Just a few of their symptoms can be severe fatigue and depression, extreme debilitating muscle spasms and even paralysis. “Many wheelchair-bound patients report that they can walk unaided when they have smoked cannabis. Patients also report that they find smoking herbal cannabis better at controlling their symptoms than synthetic derivative. Cannabis may even retard the progression of the disease.” (Marijuana-The Forbidden Medicine, Grinspoon, 2007)
Next is a direct quote from an electronic article from the Associated Press website. This particular article goes into detail about the comparison between prescription medicines and the effects of medicinal marijuana. The facts are that addiction and the side effects of prescription medicines are very well known. It is also a well known fact that with many prescription drugs, another prescription drug to counter act the side effects of the original prescription drug are not unheard of as well. “After weighing the pros and con's of both medicinal marijuana and prescription drugs, short of eliminating prescription drugs altogether, I don't see how we cannot promote and legalize the use of marijuana as a medicinal aid.” (Heard, 2008).
Another important piece of research that was discovered is how many different types of drugs are on the market that has actually been derived from the marijuana plant. As well as those that has been derived from the synthetic version of the marijuana plant. There is also a drug that is found are similar to those found in marijuana, but not exactly found in the plant. Sativex is a drug manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, that phase III clinical started in the year 2006. It's suggested medical use is “Treatment of neuropathic pain and spasticity in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS); Analgesic treatment in adult patients with advanced cancer who experience moderate to severe pain” and its Cannabis Related Properties are “Mouth spray whose chemical compound is derived from natural extracts of the cannabis plant” (Medical Marijuana ProCon.org Web site).
With all the research that has been done and the findings that smoking pot would bring relief to the terminally ill and may even put a dent in our national deficit, what would the harm be to try it? If anyone that has ever witnessed the good that it does when it is prescribed legally for a loved one, there would be no debate. Will they give the terminally ill patients a vote? Or maybe the doctors that prescribe it to them to ease their pain and promote their appetite? Maybe we should give the good people in our law enforcement agency a vote, so we could free up the jails that are so overcrowded and wasting taxpayer's money….again. Legalize it to control it, collect the taxes on it, free up our jails for our law enforcement so they can actually prosecute real criminals and let the people that it would be prescribed for live out their lives more comfortably and with less pain. The other alternative would be to keep it the way it is now. How is that working for us? You be the judge.
REFERENCES
MILLER, T. (2008), PROS OF MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION, RETRIEVED FROM KAPLAN LIBRARY, 2009.
GRINSPOON, I. (2007), MEDICAL MARIJUANA USES. “MARIJUANA, THE FORBIDDEN MEDICINE.” RETRIEVED FROM KAPLAN LIBRARY, 2009.
FACKELMANN, K (1997), MARIJUANA: USEFUL MEDICINE OR DANGEROUS DRUG, CONSUMERS. 80, 15.
(6/30/2008) PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS BASED ON CANNABIS. RETRIEVED 01/2009 FROM MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROCON.ORG.
Tags: active ingredients, alcohol, bloodstream, brain, byproducts, cannabinoid receptors, cannabis marijuana, central nervous system, chemical components, cocaine, delta 9, drug molecule, drug reactions, marijuana cannabis, marijuana effects, medical marijuana, metabolites, tetrahydrocannabinol thc
Medical Marijuana States
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
As emotions over medical marijuana and the locations, and numbers of the dispensaries allowed heats up in every city across the state of California… There is still no greater place to live. In one afternoon a properly documented marijuana patients can visit a marijuana doctor, be evaluated, and with 30 min be on his or her way looking for their new favorite medical cannabis club. Of which there are more than a few to choose from.
Currently, people who are found with even a bit of marijuana could be fined up to $2500 and could receive jail time. On March 5th, a bill calling for lighter sentencing of those carrying less than .25 ounces of marijuana will be voted on by the House of Criminal Justice (Long). This makes much more sense because jails and policing are meant “to serve and to protect.” For people who clearly are not intending on using that twamp to inebriate and rape or murder an unsuspecting victim, why should the threat of jail even be hanging over their shoulders? Even if the effects of marijuana are considered to be harmful to the smoker, this same reasoning could bring tattoos, piercings, and other forms of self-mutilation to a criminal level. People shouldn't be complacent over the iron fist US law has on weed.
A recent article found in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence focused on the withdrawal symptoms of marijuana, as serious as “irritability, anxiety, and sleep problems” as substantiated by the twelve people who served as the research sample (Norton). This sheds light upon the new lows people have reached in trying to stigmatize marijuana. With such feeble withdrawal claims, and even more ludicrous charges of dangerous effects, no valid explanation is given as to why marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 drug. Well, for every con, there is a pro, as evidenced by the Top 10 Pot Studies Government Wished It Never Funded, which involves twin studies and the myth that weed is a gateway drug.
Because of the flip-flopping legality of weed-prescriptions, those who sought its medicinal benefits during the early 90's had to resort to seedier modes of attainment, putting them at even more risk. Though states like Arizona and California have passed propositions allowing for the medical use of marijuana, the war on marijuana marches on through Bush and Clinton's administration, who went as far as to threaten loss of prescription-writing privileges, Medicare, and Medicaid (CNN).
The medical field is merely one arena that the anti-drug administration has cornered. The White House got first dibs on scripts for prime time, and Clinton made no hush about it; nor did newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, who gave a smug nod of front-page approval of Bill Clinton's ingenious way of saving our kids (Fiona). From subliminal to propaganja, the White House demonstrates astounding commitment to the War on Drugs. An influx of government-sponsored commercials in 2006 involved scenarios of death and destruction of young potheads. Magazines Seventeen, Parade, Family Circle, USA Weekend, and a few others have been bartering with the government's Office of National Drug Control Policy for credits in advertising contracts (Forbes). This has raised concerns over governmental influence in magazine output altogether.
10 commercials, 10 primetime scripts, 10 nationally syndicated magazine deals: millions in advertising costs. When the government has this type of money to spare, one wonders why messages about the health risks of alcohol and smoking take second stage. Nevermind preventative measures, what steps are being taken by the government to help impoverished people who live below a poverty line that hasn't been adjusted since the 50's?
References
Cable News Network, Inc. (1997). Medicinal marijuana: the struggle for legalization.
Health. (no. 9702, 19-22).
DrQuickBeam. (2006, Sept 2). Top 10 Pot Studies Government Wished It Had Never
Funded. Wordpress,Retrieved February 24, 2008 from http://www.nerdshit.com/wordpress/2006/09/02/top-10-pot-studies-government-wished-it-had-never-funded/
Forbes, D. (2000, Mar 31). The drug war gravy train: How the White House rewarded US
News, Seventeen, and other magazines for publishing anti-drug articles.
Salon News, 1, 4-7. Retrieved February 24, 2008 from
http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2000/03/31/magazines/index.html
Long, T. (2008, Feb 24). Bill would decriminalize marijuana. Boston Globe, p.A1.
Morgan, F. (2000, Jan 5). White House defends TV drug-ad deal. Salon News, 1, 9-11.
Retrieved February 24, 2008 from
http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2000/01/15/drug_coverage/index.html
Norton, A. (2008, Jan) Marijuana withdrawal rivals that of nicotine. Drug and Alcohol
Dependence, p. 22.
Tags: cannabis club, dispensaries, medical marijuana, state of california
Will Ca. Pass First Marijuana Legalizations Bill
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
California electorate is divided over an initiative on the November ballot that would legalize marijuana for recreational use.The Public Policy Institute of Ca. poll out Wed (05/19/2010) found t 49 percent of likely voters would support legalization of cannabis, while 48 percent oppose it. The poll has a margin of inaccuracy of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The state of California already allows medicinal use of cannabis, but would become the first state to legalize recreational use if voters approve the initiative.The poll found that Democrats and independents are far more likely to support the initiative than Republicans. Not overly surprising. Support also is higher in the Bay Area, while L.A. and the Central Valley remain divided.The survey found that men are more likely to favor legalization than women.
Among the many excuses some people (especially young people) use for their utilization of marijuana is that is it not a “hard drug” like heroin or crack, and that it is not addictive- just a recreational drug. This is false thinking. What is worse, there are some people who believe that advertising the dangers of the drug will do a lot to dissuade young people from either trying or continuing its use. “For many years, the anti-drug movement in America has been using public service announcements (PSAs) to deliver messages about the dangers of drug use…A… study, however, indicated that teens don't pay attention to the ads or don't feel that the message is real to them. Communicating the truth about drugs to our nation's youth requires more than just a message…Many young people are told that drugs are dangerous, but not how or why” (Anon 12). The sad fact is that many young people today are merely disaffected by what adults tell them, because these youths feel that their lives are overly controlled by older people who do not understand their needs and motivations.
There are many people who believe legalizing the use (and sale) of marijuana- other than for approved medical purposes, would reduce arrests and not increase usage. They tend top be wrong about this assumption. “Drug abuse alone cost an estimated $55 billion in 1998 (excluding criminal justice costs), and deaths directly related to drug use have more than doubled since 1980. Would increasing this toll make for a healthier America?” (Walters A10). Walters also points out that by removing penalties and reducing price, would increase drug demand. Make something easier and cheaper to obtain, and you increase the number of people who will try it. Those who want to legalize marijuana love to point out that the Dutch decriminalized marijuana in 1976, with little initial impact. But as drugs gained social acceptance, use increased consistently and sharply, with a 300% rise in use by 1996 among 18-20 year-olds.
Strict control of marijuana may not be sufficient to stop usage. And, what is worse, the drug- like it or not- even affects non-smokers. “The idea that marijuana affects only the people who smoke it is just one of the myths surrounding the drug. Kids who are hooked on marijuana do become less motivated to study, be active, and hang out with their friends and family. But the effects of marijuana go much further. 'If teens are frequently on drugs, they are likely to miss out on the emotional highs and lows of their teenage years,' says addiction expert Ronald Kadden, a psychologist at the University of Connecticut's health center” (Tucker 11).
Local authorities all across the country have made a concerted effort to make sure that marijuana trafficking in schools (or on school property) is eliminated. “Nearly two-thirds of teenagers say their schools are drug-free, according to a survey…But it's good news, bad news for parents, because the survey group of a thousand 12-to 17-year-olds also says that marijuana is as easy to get as tobacco and even easier to buy than alcohol…Although parents listed drug use as their biggest concern, 35% say they have “little influence” over whether their teen uses drugs, up from 25% in 1999, and only 51% of parents described their children's schools as drug-free” (Patrick A8).
The thesis that marijuana should be more tightly controlled tends to lead to the argument of legalization. Again, this is a specious argument for many, especially in the medical field, who see the dangers of ever-younger kids smoking or, somehow, using marijuana. It is not the old wives' tale that the use of pot may lead obviously to use of harder, more addictive drugs. It is that drugs are drugs, and therefore dangerous within their own sphere. A good case can be made for controlling marijuana only for medical, not general use. “Most arguments for legalization in all its different forms start with the contention that the “war on drugs” has been lost and that prevailing criminal justice and social policies with respect to drug use have been a failure. To support the claim that current drug policies have failed, legalization advocates point to the 80 million Americans who have tried drugs during their lifetime. Since so many individuals have broken drug laws, these advocates argue, the laws are futile and lead to widespread disrespect for the law. A liberal democracy, they contend, should not ban what so many people do” (Kleber and Califano, Jr. 4). The fact remains that all the multi=million dollar campaigns to discourage use of marijuana and criminalization has only ended up that teens claim they are not smoking for fear of getting caught. There seems to be little concern about health problems or addition, merely being afraid of getting caught, going to jail or, at the very least, being out on trial, getting fines and probation. Kleber and Califano (2006) claim that legalization of marijuana, cocaine, and heroin for adults would mean that increased numbers of teenagers would smoke, snort, and inject these substances at a time when habits are formed and the social, academic, and physical skills needed for a satisfying and independent life are acquired.
Despite many authorities and medical practitioners' beliefs that marijuana is (or may be) harmful, more and more Americans tend to not feel that strongly: “Never before have so many Americans supported decriminalizing and even legalizing marijuana. Seventy-two percent say that for simple marijuana possession, people should not be incarcerated but fined: the generally accepted definition of 'decriminalization.' Even more Americans support making marijuana legal for medical purposes. Support for broader legalization ranges between 25 and 42 percent, depending on how one asks the question. Two of every five Americans–according to a 2003 Zogby poll–say 'the government should treat marijuana more or less the same way it treats alcohol: It should regulate it, control it, tax it, and only make it illegal for children” (Nadelman 30). Nadelman (2004) makes some good points: He explains that Marijuana prohibition is unique among American criminal laws. No other law is both enforced so widely and harshly and yet deemed unnecessary by such a substantial portion of the populace. Police make about 700,000 arrests per year for marijuana offenses. That's almost the same number as are arrested each year for cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Ecstasy, and all other illicit drugs combined. Roughly 600,000, or 87 percent, of marijuana arrests are for nothing more than possession of small amounts. Millions of Americans have never been arrested or convicted of any criminal offense except this. Enforcing marijuana laws costs an estimated $10-15 billion in direct costs alone.
“This is clearly an overreaction on the part of government. No drug is perfectly safe, and every psychoactive drug can be used in ways that are problematic. The federal government has spent billions of dollars on advertisements and anti-drug programs that preach the dangers of marijuana–that it's a gateway drug, and addictive in its own right, and dramatically more potent than it used to be, and responsible for all sorts of physical and social diseases as well as international terrorism. But the government has yet to repudiate the 1988 finding of the Drug Enforcement Administration's own administrative law judge, Francis Young, who concluded after extensive testimony that “marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man” (Nadelman 32).
Controlling marijuana use is not legalizing it. But, simplistic as it sounds, a strong effort must be made by the medical establishment to once and for all determine whether marijuana, for recreational use, is not dangerous or addictive. This is not something for politicians, churches, teachers or even parents to determine. There are warnings on cigarette packs, but people still smoke (although in fewer numbers). Alcohol can be dangerous to some, yet people- including young people, still drink. Just look at fraternity and sorority keg parties in many colleges. Taxation on cigarettes and alcohol brings in billions of dollars to state and federal governments. How many more billions could be garnered by the controlled sale of marijuana? Nadelman, among m any others claims that the bigger battle, of course, concerns whether marijuana prohibition will ultimately go the way of alcohol Prohibition, replaced by a variety of state and local tax and regulatory policies with modest federal involvement. All those anti-marijuana ads pretend to be about reducing drug abuse, but in fact their basic purpose is sustaining popular support for the war on marijuana. What's needed now are conservative politicians willing to say enough is enough: Tens of billions of taxpayer dollars down the drain each year. Control the sale and use of marijuana, yes! Make sure that it does not affect the health, intellectual and physical abilities of young people, and, especially, don't make marijuana a choice due to peer pressure. The danger may be more social (or anti-social) than physically harmful. There are too many dangers in our world affecting young people. Marijuana, wantonly used, is surely one of them.
REFERENCES:
Anonymous: “Repetition & insight help dissuade teens from drug use” Park
Ridger IL: Professional Safety.: Nov 2003 .Vol.48, Iss. 11
Kleber, Herbert, and Califano, Joseph A., Jr. “Marijuana: Panacea or Pandora's Box” World and I , National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University., Jan. 2006
Nadelman, Ethan A.: “An End to Marijuana Prohibition- The drive to legalize picks up” National Review July 12, 2004
Patrick, Robert:: “The Nation; Annual Teen Drug Study Finds Mixed Results; Survey: Most schools are free of illegal substances, but pot is easier to buy than liquor, students say” Los Angeles Times, Aug. 21, 2002
Tucker, Libby: “Burnings myths: This teen has lost friends to marijuana. Here, he teams up with experts to bust common myths about the drug” Scholastic Choices, Jan. 2005, vol. 20, i. 4
Walterrs, John P.: “Don't legalize drugs” New York: Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Jul 19, 2002.
Tags: california electorate, central valley, democrats, inaccuracy, independents, initiative, legalization of cannabis, marijuana, medicinal use of cannabis, percentage points, poll, public policy institute, republicans, state of california, survey found that
How Many Cannabis Collectives Does L.A. Have?
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
Well, the day both anticipated and feared by the medical cannabis community came today, when the new Los Angeles county law regulating Marijuana Dispensaries took effect.
A steady parade of filed into City Hall and paid their $324 registration fee, then were placed on the priority list of collectives that will be contacted within a month and notified if they are eligible to continue operation as a medical cannabis collective.
It was uncertain; however, what the outlook is for the more than 440 dispensaries that opened after the City Council imposed a cessation in November 2007. Many are ready to close, while still others hold out hope that a June 18 court hearing will topple the city law and allow them to continue operation.
You can't grow marijuana at home, even If you live in Mendocino, California according to ballot results from Voters on Tuesday, which leaned towards repealing the state's twelve-year old law that allowed for home-grown marijuana.
In 1996 California voted to allow limited marijuana cultivation and possession for medical purposes, and in 2000, Mendocino–a rural county north of San Francisco–voted to let its residents grow up to 25 marijuana plants, compared with the state limit of six.
Right now, according to the county clerk, one third of the vote against the plant has been counted, with 52 percent in supported of a repeal.
Local law enforcement officers say they seized 334,000 marijuana plants last year.
“[The measure] doesn't target the problem of criminals growing,” said a spokesperson for the campaign against repeal.
Tags: cannabis community, cessation, city hall, collectives, court hearing, los angeles county, marijuana community, marijuana dispensaries, medical cannabis, medical marijuana dispensary, medical marijuana patients, priority, registration fee
The Dumbest Place to Smoke MMJ
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
A young Montana man who was mauled after he smoked marijuana and entered a pen to feed a grizzly bear at Great Bear Adventures Park where he worked was awarded workers' compensation benefits. “When it comes to attacking humans, grizzlies are equal opportunity maulers; attacking without regard to race, creed, ethnicity or marijuana usage,” Judge James Jeremiah Shea is quoted as saying in the Flathead Beacon. “Hopkins’ use of marijuana to kick off a day of working around grizzly bears was ill-advised to say the least and mind-bogglingly stupid to say the most. However, I have been presented with no evidence by which I can conclude that Hopkins’ marijuana use was the major contributing cause of the grizzly attack.” I wonder if this young man will know qualify for a medical marijuana card?
When traveling throughout Europe you will be able to experience all of the beautiful seasons. As for most of Europe the weather is the same as in the United States, the cold and snow in the winter months and hot and rainy in the summer. Europe is a beautiful place to visit and a Chance to visit could be one of a lifetime. Listed below are a few facts to help you to prepare for your journey.
Important documents
If you don't already have a passport, please do so early. Make sure that you have all of your proper identification before you leave the states. Before your trip, you should make photocopies of all of your documents in case
they're lost or stolen.
European Customs
When you make purchases for various items the sales tax is already included in the price and this also includes food. When it comes to dining out it is not customary to leave a tip and be careful when it comes to drugs and alcohol. The drinking age there is under 18 years old, but people tend to drink on a more social level, like with dinner. There are very strict laws against public intoxication and open containers and even though you are able to smoke marijuana in some to the cafes in Amsterdam it is not legal to carry it around.
Safety
Everywhere that you go, you should always be aware of your surroundings, especially in a foreign country. Although you will be visiting the country, it is important that you do not stand out as a tourist. There is no need to wear American t-shirts or have a camera around your neck. Make sure that you're comfortable and try to blend in instead of standing out. Always pay close attention to your luggage and always know where you're going. Another helpful tip is to grab a few business cards from the hotel that you will be staying at, so if you get lost you can have a taxi bring you back to the correct hotel.
Languages
Of course when you go to a new place, you should learn how to speak the language. In all of Europe the popular languages are German, French, Spanish, and Italian. Books, video and audio in these languages can be found at your local library or a book store.
Money
When it comes to traveling in the U.S. many of us like to have a lot of cash on hand. Recently in Europe the U.S. dollar has weakened against the euro and the currency rates change constantly. To avoid being taken advantage of I would suggest that you take a little cash and a Visa or Master card debit or credit card. Try to avoid taking cards such as Discover, American Express and Diners Club because they are not widely accepted.
You can obtain cash from the ATM in which they are called bancomats or caisses automatiques in Europe. To avoid some of the bank fees, foreign cash can be ordered through your local bank at least a month before your trip. Also note that some merchants will not except debit cards, for instance some rental car companies, so therefore take at least one credit card.
Before you leave the states, please check all of the expiration dates on your credit cards and make sure that you have all of your correct pin numbers. Check out the foreign exchange column in any large news paper such as the Wall Street Journal. Write down the exchange rates for each country that you will be traveling through. This will give you a general idea on the exchange rate that's available to the general public in that area.
Business Hours
In Europe most businesses are open Monday through Friday and that includes most of the shops. Business hours are generally from 9:00am to 6:00pm.
Internet Service
If you need to conduct business while you're in Europe, all of the hotels will have free wireless. You can also find wireless at the many coffee houses and Internet cafes.
Before you travel abroad make sure that you research the area in which you will be staying, traveling through Europe will surely be a very memorable experience and maybe a trip of a lifetime. Be Safe and Enjoy!
Tags: compensation benefits, equal opportunity, ethnicity, great bear, grizzlies, grizzly attack, grizzly bear, grizzly bears, jeremiah, judge james, marijuana card, marijuana usage, medical marijuana, montana man, race creed, regard, shea, use of marijuana, workers compensation, young man
Medical Marijuana Part of The Local 5
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
Medical Marijuana-friendly Oakland California is working hard at bring in money by licensing, and taxingmedical marijuana growers. Meanwhile, Oaksterdam “U” which has over 100 employees voted on Friday (5/29/10) to unionize as part of a retail agriculture and community patient care union. The Local 5’s organizer Dan Rush stated that MMJ Dispensaries ,medical marijuana doctors and the industry as a whole “will get the same respect as law enforcement, nurses, doctors” …. Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City councilwoman and prospective contender for mayor, told CBS that the unionization was “a good day for Oakland,” the city of Oakland has an unemployment rate of over 17 %.
The Miami Dolphins franchise was founded by lawyer Joe Robbie and actor Danny Thomas in 1965. They became an expansion member of the American Football League in 1966. The AFL had originally began in 1960.
Thomas would eventually sell his interest in the company to Robbie.
Robbie selected the team name 'Dolphins' for his Miami-based franchise after nearly 20,000 entries were submitted. He clarified the raison d'être of the team name in his quote during the 1965 inauguration of the team name. He said, “the dolphin is one of the fastest and smartest creatures of the sea”.
This was the first franchise based in Miami, Florida since 1946 when the National Football League's Miami Seahawks became the Baltimore Colts.
George Wilson was named as first the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins played their first regular season game on September 2, 1966 at the Orange Bowl against the Oakland Raiders. In front of an estimated crowd of 26,776, the Dolphins were defeated by the Oakland Raiders by a score of 23-14.
The Dolphins finally won their first game on October 16, 1966 when they defeated the Denver Broncos 24-7.
The Dolphins introductory season ended with a flawed record of 3-11.
With the fourth overall pick in the 1967 NFL draft, the Dolphins selected quarterback Bob Griese out of Purdue.
Following a 3-10-1 record in 1969, Wilson was replaced with Don Shula as the head coach. Shula was the former head coach of the Baltimore Colts. The ensuing season provided the Dolphins with a noteworthy 10-4 record. This was the first winning season for the Miami Dolphins franchise. The Dolphins would face the Oakland Raiders in their first ever post-season game and would put up a good fight. Adversely, they were edged out by a score of 21-14.
Nevertheless, the Dolphins established that their accomplishment in 1970 was no happenstance as they finished the 1971 regular season with a remarkable record of 10-3-1. The Dolphins' success was mostly accredited to their solid offense; however, their 'No Name Defense' solidified them as the team to beat in the AFC Eastern Division.
With victories over the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Colts, the Dolphins were Super Bowl bound for the first time in the team's brief history. The Dolphins faced the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI. The thrust that the Dolphins had built with victories in the AFC playoffs did not carry over to the Super Bowl as they were trounced by the Cowboys 24-3.
As the 1972 NFL season commenced, fans in Miami had no clue that their adored Dolphins were about to re-write the professional football history books. The season began with a 20-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium. The opening day victory set the tone for the season as the Dolphins would cruise through their season schedule with an undefeated record of 14-0. Nonetheless, the Dolphins and their fans understood that the record would be considered insignificant if they could not hoist the Super Bowl trophy.
The Dolphins defeated the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoffs en route to their showdown with the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. With their 16-game winning streak on the line, the Dolphins defense became a hindrance for the Redskins, and the Dolphins posted a 14-7 Super Bowl triumph. It was the first Super Bowl title for the Dolphins franchise, and they became the first modern-day team to finish a season undefeated. Their convincing record of 17-0 is undoubtedly deemed as one of the greatest single seasons in NFL history.
The memorable winning streak ended after 18 games with a loss to the Oakland Raiders. Nonetheless, the Dolphins became the first team to appear in the Super Bowl three successive seasons after they defeated the Raiders in the AFC Championship Game.
The Dolphins defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 in Super Bowl VIII. They were led by full back Larry Csonka, as he rushed for 145 yards and scored two touchdowns.
The Dolphins would put a cap on a 31-game winning streak on their home field in 1974. However, a fourth straight Super Bowl appearance was not to be as they were toppled by the Oakland Raiders 28-26 in the AFC Divisional Playoff game.
The Dolphins began a downward spiral as they failed to reach the post-season in each of the following three seasons. They would not return to the post-season until 1978.
The Dolphins returned to the sought-after Super Bowl in 1982, as they shared the gridiron with the Washington Redskins. Just a decade earlier, the Dolphins defeated the Redskins, capping off an undefeated season. However, they could not repeat that performance in Super Bowl XVII, as they were defeated by a score of 27-17.
In the 1983 NFL Draft, the Dolphins selected quarterback Dan Marino out of Pittsburgh as the 27th overall pick.
In his first full season as the Dolphins starting quarterback, Dan Marino led the Dolphins to Super Bowl XIX as they were matched-up against Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. In the regular season, Marino became the first quarterback to pass for more than 5,000 yards in a single season. Additionally, Marino threw a record-breaking 48 touchdown passes. That standard-setting record stood until 2004 when Peyton Manning threw 49 touchdown passes. Marino's unbelievable stats could not carry the Dolphins passed the 49ers. They would suffer a 38-16 defeat in their fifth Super Bowl appearance.
In 1985, Marino would lead the Dolphins back to the AFC Championship game, only to be eliminated by their AFC Eastern Divisional foes, the New England Patriots. The Patriots defeated the Dolphins 31-14.
As the NFL players went on strike in 1987, the first game that was to be played at their new stadium, Joe Robbie Stadium, was cancelled. Once the settlement was reached, the Dolphins hosted the Buffalo Bills at their modernized facility, only to lose 34-31 in overtime.
On January 7th, 1989, Dolphins owner and co-founder Joe Robbie passed away due to respiratory complications. Robbie was 73 years of age.
After a four-year post-season sabbatical, the Dolphins returned to contention in 1990. In 1992, the Dolphins hosted the AFC Championship Game against their AFC Eastern rivals, the Buffalo Bills. Clearly outmatched by the Bills on both sides of the ball, they were handed a 29-10 defeat.
In 1993, head coach Don Shula would surpass former Chicago Bears coach George Halas' NFL record of 324 victories with a 19-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Shula was awarded the Sports Illustrated Sportsmen of the Year.
The Dolphins would clinch post-season berths in 1994 and 1995, but playoff disappointment would follow. Nevertheless, the 1995 season was noted for several record breaking achievements for quarterback Dan Marino. He broke the career pass completions record (3,913), pass yardage record (48,841), and touchdown passing record (352).
Following the 1995 season, Don Shula would resign as the Dolphins head coach. His career included 347 wins and two Super Bowl victories with the Miami Dolphins. Former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson was hired as his replacement. Johnson led the Dallas Cowboys to Super Bowl triumphs in 1992 and 1993.
From 1997 to 2001, the Dolphins appeared in the NFL post-season. The 1999 season marked the end of an era for the Dolphins, as quarterback Dan Marino announced his retirement from the NFL. His career-concluding game in the NFL was tainted by a 62-7 thrashing to the inner-state rivals Jacksonville Jaguars.
In 2000, former Chicago Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt replaced Johnson as the Dolphins head coach.
In 2002, the Dolphins acquired running back Ricky Williams in a trade with the New Orleans Saints.
Prior to the 2004 season, running back Ricky Williams was faced with a one-year suspension after testing positive for marijuana. Williams returned in 2005, but his role on the team was reduced. He was suspended for a second time prior to the 2006 season.
Following the 2004 season, head coach Dave Wannstedt was replaced with former LSU head coach Nick Saban. After two seasons in which the Dolphins failed to reach the post-season, Saban left the Dolphins. Cam Cameron was hired as his replacement.
Tags: associatedcontent, cannabis clubs, cbs, city of oakland, collectives, contender, doctors, law enforcement, Marijuana growers, medical marijuana, nurses, oakland california, oakland city, patient care, retail agriculture, rush, unemployment rate, unionization
Congress Asks For Banking Rules on Medical Cannabis
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
U.S. Representative Barney Frank is among 15 members of Congress urging for the Treasury Dept. to set policy that would help facilitate the banks in providing financial services to medical marijuana dispensaries.
“Legitimate state-legal medical marijuanabusinesses are being denied access to banking services, which does not serve the public interest,” the lawmakers said in a May 20 letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner.
In other words if you are a MMJ collective, or a MMJ Doctor’s office, etc… and in a medical marijuana state, you will be able to get a merchant card services account for your business.
For many decades now a violent undercurrent of hatred has been brewing within the minds of Mexicans and black African Americans, particularly in Southern California.
Recently the Mexican government slapped tariffs on 90 American agricultural and manufactured exports on America in retaliation for the Obama administrations' move to block Mexican trucks from using U.S. highways.
Mexican Economy Minister Gerardo Ruiz was quoted by Adriana Barrera and Doug Palmer saying that “about $2.4 billion worth of exports from 40 U.S. states would be affected and that his government would soon publish a list of them.”
Recently the U.S. Congress canceled funding for a test program begun by the Bush administration that allowed Mexican long-haul trucks to circulate in the United States in compliance with the North American Free Trade Agreement.
According to Reuters news reports, “Backers of the truck program, including former presidential candidate and Arizona senator John McCain, lamented the Mexican decision but said it was expected.
“Unfortunately, this is a predictable reaction by the Mexican government to a policy that now puts the United States in clear violation of NAFTA and was inappropriately inserted into the Omnibus appropriations bill,” McCain said.
“Racist Mexican gangs have been indiscriminately targeting blacks who aren't even involved in gang culture, as part of an orchestrated ethnic cleansing program that is forcing black people to flee Los Angeles”, according to Prison Planet.
“The culprit of the carnage is the radical Neo-Nazi liberation theology known as La Raza, which calls for the extermination of all races in America besides Latinos, and is being bankrolled by some of the biggest Globalists in the U.S.”, according Prison Planet's web page.
The author of this article has twice been attacked and severely beaten by Latino South Side 18th Street gang members is Los Angeles. There are hundreds of thousands of Mexicans, Latinos, and Hispanics from South America involved in the drug trade and money laundering in Southern California.
These people are very militant and violent. They train daily for battle and combat and carry illegal weapons, many of them take methamphetamines to “keep them strong”.
They have been training for war for years and soon there will be rioting as economic tensions rise during this current global economic depression and the United States, if it loses the war, may wind up ceding large parts of the South including Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico to Mexico.
The last War between Mexico and the United States resulted in Mexico losing a lot of territory and this has been the mantra of many Mexicans who see this as a justification to take it back - with violence.
Growing concerns about a potential economic collapse in Mexico - “is mounting in Washington D.C. as an all-out war involving 45,000 Mexican military personnel fails to quell rising drug violence that is spilling from such Mexican cities as Tijuana into the United States,” according to a recent San Francisco Chronicle story.
My confidential intelligence sources have given me data that indicates that certain factions of the extremist violent Mexican Mafia see the United States in a very week position with the majority of its military strength stretched thin in Iraq and Afganistan such that if an agressive attack with illegal guns and automatic weapons waged against the Los Angeles County Government would allow the complete takeover of Southern California, requiring the U.S. military financial industiral media complex to declare martial law to drive the aggressors out or imprison them.
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, is quoted by the SF Chronicle who described “beheadings of Mexican Mayors and Police Chiefs” and said “Mexican drug gangs have infiltrated the cannabis fields on both public and private lands in Northern California. He said Mexican villagers are kidnapped and smuggled into the northern coastal forests to grow pot, leaving environmental wreckage in their wake.
There are as many as 100 legalized marijuana medical dispensaries in Los Angeles County and recently the DEA was ordered by the Obama administration to cease and desist from any further seizures and arrests of grow operations pending review of existing laws and further negotiations with Mexican Officials over the trade disputes.
We are talking about hundreds of billions in illegal cash and drugs flowing from the Southern America's into Los Angeles County such that the majority of Banks, mostly Bank of America and JP Morgan (which took over thousands of former Washington Mutual branches for pennies on the dollar) would completely collapse and utterly fail if their money laundering cash flow operations were stopped by a violent war.
“Acting on orders from the Mexican Mafia, Latino gang members in Southern California are terrorizing and killing blacks,” according to Brentin Mock of SPLC Intelligence Report in a story published more than two years ago at Alternet.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “Fueled by non-white immigration, the economy and the rise to power of a black president, the number of hate groups rose to 926, a record, in 2008.”
Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands (San Bernardino County), recently told the Associated Press that violence in Mexico is “a lot more important, in my own judgment, than Afghanistan at this moment.”
USA Today recently reported that “Mexico's government says cartel violence killed 6,290 people across Mexico last year and more than 1,000 in the first eight weeks of 2009. Some of the violence has spilled over to the U.S., where Mexican drug cartels are believed to operate in 230 cities, according to a recent Justice Department report”.
5 million illegal immigrants were recently blamed for the mortgage crisis while California property values continue to plummet below 1990 price levels.
According to Rebecca Diamond, “Some are blaming NAFTA for the explosion in drug trade across the U.S./Mexico border.
The North American Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1994 by Canada, the United States and Mexico, with promises of increased prosperity for all.
The white population in Southern California is rapidly dwindling and personally I think Hollywood should move quickly to Fremont, the Center of the Universe, before the Civil Wars between Mexico, the Drug Cartels and the United States spreads out.
SOURCES
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=1027
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/intrep.jsp
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/12/MNSK16DEDP.DTL
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-03-16-juarez_N.htm
http://www.alternet.org/story/46855/?page=entire
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=1011
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/02/18/mexico.drug.violence/
Tags: banking services, banks, barney frank, being denied access, collectives, financial services, geithner, lawmakers, legal medical marijuana, legitimate state, marijuana dispensaries, members of congress, merchant card services, public interest, representative barney frank, treasury dept, treasury secretary
Marijuana…Legal In Ca.?
Posted by admin | Filed under Uncategorized
California electorate is divided over an initiative on the November ballot that would legalize marijuana for recreational use.The Public Policy Institute of Ca. poll out Wed (05/19/2010) found t 49 percent of likely voters would support legalization of cannabis, while 48 percent oppose it. The poll has a margin of inaccuracy of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The state of California already allows medicinal use of cannabis, but would become the first state to legalize recreational use if voters approve the initiative.The poll found that Democrats and independents are far more likely to support the initiative than Republicans. Not overly surprising. Support also is higher in the Bay Area, while L.A. and the Central Valley remain divided.The survey found that men are more likely to favor legalization than women.
The history of the Obama marijuana position shows that he is in favor of decriminalization but at the same time doesn't want to legalize marijuana. Why are so many voters surprised?
January 2004 - Will Obama Legalize Marijuana?
A YouTube recording shows a younger Barack Obama discussing the failure of the war on drugs. He suggests that he is in favor of decriminalizing marijuana; however, he does not want to legalize it. What is the happy middle ground?
July 2008 — Obama Marijuana Take against a Failed War on Drugs
In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, then-candidate Obama mentions a pattern change when it comes to combating drug use. He determines that moving the issue into the public health arena - much like smoking tobacco or using a seat belt - rather than letting the legal system deal with it is bound to have the best results.
December 2008 - Voters Want to Know: Will Obama Legalize Marijuana?
With his groundbreaking use of the Internet to connect with voters, the Obama campaign took a question posted on their website. It dealt with the legalization of marijuana for the sake of taxing and properly regulating it. The unequivocal response was that then president-elect Barack Obama was against legalizing marijuana.
March 2009 - Obama Online Town Hall Meeting Once Against Brings Up the Obama Marijuana Stance
There is nothing new on the western front, and no matter how many times Barack Obama is asked whether or not he will legalize marijuana, the answer is a consistent no. It is interesting to note that the specific Obama online town hall meeting question dealing with pot is - at least according to CNN - virtually identical to the one asked on the Change.gov site toward the end of last year.
Is the Democratic Party Divided when it comes to Legalizing Pot?
San Francisco, California democrat Tom Ammiano has come forward with a controversial Marijuana Bill that proposes to legalize cannabis while also imposing a cannabis tax. Public sentiment is divided about the legalization of the drug, although more and more voters appear to be in favor of it as this point.
This stands in sharp contrast to the president's position on the issue, and has more than just a few of those in favor of legalizing marijuana wondering just where the change is.
Sources
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQr9ezr8UeA; http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/21472234/a_conversation_with_barack_obama/print; http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/open_for_questions_round_2_response/; http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/26/obama-marijuana-is-not-a-good-strategy-to-spur-economy/; http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1510881/california_marijuana_bill_proposes.html
Tags: california electorate, central valley, democrats, inaccuracy, independents, initiative, legalization of cannabis, marijuana, medicinal use of cannabis, percentage points, poll, public policy institute, republicans, state of california, survey found that
