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| Marijuana Proponents Seek House Vote Tuesday |
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Posted by CN Staff on June 13, 2005 at 09:40:36 PT By Devlin Barrett, Associated Press Writer Source: Associated Press 
Washington, D.C. -- Advocates for medical marijuana hope a recent setback in the Supreme Court will boost their strength in Congress, and a New York and California lawmaker plan to force a House vote on the issue Tuesday. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, has long supported allowing patients to use marijuana in states where it can be legally prescribed by a doctor. He will offer an amendment to a spending bill Tuesday that would bar federal authorities from making arrests in such cases. "This is a responsibility Congress should face up to," said Hinchey, who is offering the amendment with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif. Hinchey, known for his blistering broadsides against the Bush administration on issues ranging from the Food and Drug Administration to the war in Iraq, said the court's decision is a call for legislators to act. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 6 that federal drug laws trump medical marijuana statutes in 10 states, allowing federal authorities to prosecute people who smoke marijuana for pain relief on the recommendation of their doctors. New York does not permit doctors to prescribe medical marijuana. After the decision, federal officials said their focus has been on criminals engaged in drug trafficking, not the sick and dying. Hinchey's supporters say the decision only puts more pressure on Congress to craft a caring policy for those who want to treat their health problems with marijuana. And California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has in the past supported pot use by the sick, said the ruling means "it is now up to Congress to provide clarity." In the past two years, the Hinchey and Rohrabacher amendment has mustered only about 150 of 435 votes in the House, and even its boosters concede there is little chance of passage Tuesday. Opposition to Hinchey's amendment is being organized by Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., who heads the House drug policy subcommittee. Souder dismisses the effort as a political, not scientific, effort to to gradually legalize marijuana. The lawmaker argues that if scientific data supports marijuana as a pain medication, it should be studied and vetted through the regular FDA process. Hinchey dismisses such arguments. He said even if Congress isn't ready to accept it, public opinion in the nation has rejected past concerns about marijuana usage leading to other forms of drug abuse. Bill Piper of the Drug Policy Alliance, a group that supports laws allowing medical marijuana, said they hope to pick up about 10 votes. "That would send a message to the Justice Department that there are political consequences to their actions," said Piper. "If the Justice Department realizes momentum is building on this amendment, they're going to be less likely to go into states like California and arrest people for medical marijuana." The ten states with statutes that permit doctors to prescribe medical marijuana are California, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaiii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington state. Complete Title: Medical Marijuana Proponents Seek House Vote Tuesday Source: Associated Press (Wire) Related Articles & Web Sites: Drug Policy Alliance Medical Marijuana Information Links When Judicial Fantasies Take a Toll Congressional Leaders Should Act To Protect Will Congress Have The Guts To Tackle MMJ? Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #26 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 14:12:47 PT |
| http://cagle.slate.msn.com/news/MedicalMarijuana/main.asp Off Topic: They found Michael Jackson innocent. I am not found of MJ but I agree with the verdict. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #25 posted by The GCW on June 13, 2005 at 14:06:39 PT |
| US CO: Supremes take on medical marijuana is priceless Pubdate: June 13, 2005 Source: Summit Daily News (CO) Author: (My) State Rep. Gary Lindstrom Viewed at: http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20050612/COLUMNS/106120022&SearchID=73211053864578 (Coming soon to MAP)
Gary Lindstrom June 12, 2005 (in the print form on 6:13:5) Supremes take on medical marijuana is priceless The United States Supreme Court has ruled medical marijuana is not legal. I would not have expected a different decision from the justices. But there is some interesting reasoning in the justice's decision. Some of the more conservative justices voted with the minority, saying it is a states' rights issue and the federal government should butt out. (No pun intended.) The majority ruled that medical marijuana laws in states interfere with the free commerce of the United States. Yes. Free commerce. They said if individual states allow medical marijuana and others do not, it will cause the free-market prices of marijuana to be adversely affected. Man, what a stretch. The older I get, the less I understand why some courts make the decisions they make. Colorado voters approved medical marijuana use in a statewide ballot initiative in 2000. What we said was if a person has a note from his or her doctor, it is legal to grow and smoke marijuana for medical purposes. A couple of relatively local cases come to mind. The Summit County Drug Task Force raided a home in Park County a couple of years ago. The resident of the home had a prescription from his doctor for medical marijuana. Big controversy at the time. Up in Routt County, federal agents raided a home where a person was smoking and growing weed under permission from his doctor. The drugs were seized and all hell broke loose. Not sure the status of that case. In Denver a month or so ago, a drug grower and smoker was arrested and his dope was seized. A judge ordered the police to give the stuff back because the smoker/grower had a note from his doc. Several years ago the state decriminalized marijuana in small amounts, less than an ounce, for personal use. It became a petty offense, and a ticket can be issued to the possessor instead of going to the slammer. All of these laws make a lot of sense. The free market excuse does not. Sheriff Bill Masters down in San Miguel County has his own approach to the problem. He has said it is a waste of time and money to enforce any drug laws. He is a Libertarian and has gained national prominence for his position on drugs. I have to agree with the sheriff. In my more than 30 years experience in law enforcement, I have never seen anyone hurt from smoking marijuana. The only damage done is to the nearest bag of chips. I suppose someone could bang his head if he started nodding too much. There are more people killed in the United States every year in car accidents than were killed during the entire Vietnam War. Most died because of alcohol, not wearing seat belts, or both. I am not aware of anyone ever being killed in a car accident as the result of smoking marijuana. When have you ever heard a news report of a fatal car accident where they said the cause was smoking marijuana? In almost every fatal accident the reporter will say, "The police suspect alcohol was involved." I suppose an argument could be made that marijuana smoking causes the user to fall asleep. Falling asleep while driving is not good. Talking on a cell phone while driving is not good either. Smoking your cell phone while driving could be fatal, too. Maybe if we legalized marijuana we could set the market price nationally to placate the Supreme Court. We could also heavily tax it and gain government benefit from legalizing it. Maybe we could use the tax revenue for important things like education and health care. For health reasons, I oppose smoking. People should not smoke marijuana, tobacco, phone books, or old tires because smoking anything is bad for your health. But not that it creates pricing issues and interferes with the free trade of the United States of America. That is just plain silly. State Rep. Gary Lindstrom of Lakeview Meadows represents Summit, Eagle and Lake counties. He writes a Monday column. He can be reached at gary@garylindstrom.com, or visit his website at www.garylindstrom.com. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #24 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 14:04:43 PT |
| MASON-DIXON POLL ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA
JUNE 2005 A random sample of 732 registered voters nationwide was interviewed by telephone June 8-11, 2005 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. of Washington, D.C. Margin for error is plus or minus 3.7%. The survey was commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project.
68% of Americans say the federal government should not prosecute medical marijuana patients Poll: http://www.mpp.org/2005MasonDixonPoll/index.html [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #23 posted by siege on June 13, 2005 at 13:57:05 PT |
| Montel William: to call the hill and give them something to THINK ABOUT
art [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #22 posted by jose melendez on June 13, 2005 at 13:43:49 PT |
| http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-15-2005/0003622490&EDATE= Acute CINV When Added to a Standard Antiemetic Regimen MARIETTA, Ga., May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Results of a new study showed MARINOL(R) (dronabinol) CIII Capsules helps to reduce delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). MARINOL(R) is a synthetic version of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is one of more than 400 compounds found in the marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa L). The research was presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. The research also suggested that adding a small dose of MARINOL(R) (2.5mg) to the standard preventive antiemetic regimen helped relieve CINV on the day of chemotherapy. On Days 2 through 5 following chemotherapy, the study concluded that continued treatment with MARINOL(R) alone, or in combinationwith ondansetron (a commonly used serotonin receptor antagonist), was more effective than placebo in reducing delayed CINV and comparable to ondansetronalone. - - - see also: http://www.marinol.com/home.html Don't Take Harmful Drugs http://www.happinessonline.org/BeTemperate/indexdrugs.htm Aren't those dirty hippies dead yet? Margin of Error: 'T’was a great victory. Sort if like Iraq.' - Richard Cowan http://www.marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=737 A Study in Corruption http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Political_Reform/CaseStudyCorruption_HTOTG.html [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #21 posted by kaptinemo on June 13, 2005 at 13:38:12 PT:
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| Don't give the swine any ammo. And, as far as I am concerned, Oswald was just what he said he was before Ruby killed him; a patsy. [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #20 posted by runruff on June 13, 2005 at 13:11:15 PT:
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| Marinol is manufactored by the Eli Lilly Corp. A huge portion of which is owned by the Bush clan. Question: Where's Lee Harvey Oswald when you need him? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #19 posted by ekim on June 13, 2005 at 13:01:17 PT |
| Comment #3 posted by BGreen on June 08, 2005 at 15:03:51 PT
POLL
Do you think that patients who use marijuana as a prescribed medical treatment should be prosecuted?
Yes: 16.8% No: 83.2% Total Votes: 738 Springfield (MO) News-Leader Poll Comment #8 posted by FoM on June 07, 2005 at 21:24:48 PT Poll: Seattle Post Intelligencer Should the use of marijuana for substantiated medical reasons be legal? Current Results: 28.0% -- Yes, it makes no sense to add prosecution to sick people's suffering. 0.5% -- No, it's a dangerous drug that's an entrée to even more dangerous ones. 68.6% -- Yes, marijuana use should be decriminalized for everyone. 2.9% -- No, this whole "medical" marijuana business is hooey. Total Votes: 207 Please Vote: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/227513_medweeded.asp Comment #9 posted by jose melendez on June 07, 2005 at 22:17:51 PT polls take toll on anti-pot rhetoric http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n904/a06.html?397 " . . one poll in President Bush's home state last fall, The Scripps Howard Texas Poll, found that 75 percent of residents in the Lone Star State favored a bill in the state legislature to use marijuana to treat symptoms of cancer and other serious illnesses. Among the sample of 900 Texans, 67 percent of Republicans favored medical marijuana. "These are not exactly latte-sipping liberals with a permissive attitude on drug use," Merkin said. "When Republicans from George Bush's own state of Texas express by a margin like that their support for medical uses of marijuana, you know that this is not exactly a case of the conservative bloc universally in favor of a policy." Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 07, 2005 at 15:40:58 PT Rhode Island: News Article from News Channel 10 R.I. Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill Governor Has Promised Veto June 7, 2005 PROVIDENCE -- The state Senate approved a medical marijuana bill on Tuesday, aiming to make Rhode Island the 11th state to shield from prosecution those who use the drug to treat health problems. *** Survey: Should Rhode Island pass a law legalizing the use of marijuana for certain medical conditions? Percentage of 778 Votes Yes -- 712 -- 92% No -- 49 -- 6% I'm not sure -- 17 -- 2% Do you agree with the Supreme Court's ruling to outlaw the use of medical marijuana? Choice Votes Percentage of 18616 Votes Yes 3336 18% No 14595 78% Unsure 685 4% WFTV.com Video -Marijuana Patients Angry Medicine Taken Away -Supreme Court Snuffs Out Medical Marijuana Previous Stories: * June 6, 2005: High Court Rules Against Medical Marijuana Users http://www.wftv.com/health/4573173/detail.html sponsor Comment #2 posted by Taylor121 on June 07, 2005 at 00:17:51 PT Christian Science Monitor Poll http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0607/p01s02-usju.html Should federal law trump state law on medical marijuana? No, states should 'serve as a laboratories for new ideas,' even if federal law disagrees. 88.4% Yes, the federal government should have the right to ban or regulate all drug use. 11.6% Total votes: 250 Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 06, 2005 at 21:22:46 PT USA Today Poll Should patients be allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes? Current Results: Yes under any circumstance -- 43% Yes with a doctor's prescription -- 42% Only in extreme circumstances -- 6% Almost never -- 2% No -- 8% TOTAL VOTES: 2613 Please Vote: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-06-06-medical-marijuana_x.htm?csp=34 [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on June 06, 2005 at 21:19:55 PT 2 POLLS Vote here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8118359/ Should the federal government prosecute medical marijuana users, now that it has been given the OK by the Supreme Court? * 69575 responses Yes 10% No 88% I'm not sure 2% &&&& LOU DOBBS TONIGHT QUICKVOTE Do you believe the federal government should prosecute doctors who prescribe medical marijuana? Current Results: Yes -- 7% No -- 93% Total: 3264 votes http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/ [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #18 posted by VitaminT on June 13, 2005 at 12:42:12 PT |
| Does anyone know the status of the Epis case? As I recall he was released pending resolution of Raich/Monson. I guess the the next big public relations move by the inJustice Dept. will be to throw him back in the hoosegow. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #17 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 12:31:40 PT |
| http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread20788.shtml#2 [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #16 posted by ekim on June 13, 2005 at 12:23:02 PT |
| or the usa today poll. i thought it would be good to have them up on this page as the congress votes tomorrow. seems that every poll i read was overwhelmingly for med use. sorry for maken more work for you. i will reread and see if i can find them. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #15 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 12:14:52 PT |
| Meth just faded away in the 70s. The problem was not drug testing but they trained dogs to sniff out Pot and Meth was easier for people to smuggle I believe. The war on Cannabis made hard drugs more popular. I agree with you. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #14 posted by BGreen on June 13, 2005 at 12:09:29 PT |
| It was never a societal scourge until the war on cannabis shifted the focus to concentrated, quickly produced and much more profitable substances per gram. The crack and meth epidemics are a direct byproduct of cannabis prohibition. The Reverend Bud Green [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #13 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 12:07:18 PT |
| I never put any polls on my FTE web site. Was I suppose to or did I say I would and didn't do it? What polls and maybe I can find them on CNews. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #12 posted by ekim on June 13, 2005 at 12:04:14 PT |
| i looked at your freedom page and did not see a section just on the polls last week am i looking in right section.
Thank you [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #11 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 12:04:07 PT |
| I am a person who was dependent on Codeine in the form of Tylenol 4, Fioricet for headaches and Meprobamate a tranquilizer. When I went thru detox which for me was no drugs just going into a hospital and going thru seizures and hell I swore I would never take any drugs again unless I am in really bad health and need something for pain. I turned my back on pharmaceuticals back in 94. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #10 posted by PainWithNoInsurance on June 13, 2005 at 11:58:32 PT |
| I am one of those guinne pigs that have taken vioxx and celebrex. They did nothing for me but make me broke, so I stopped taking them. The meth crisis is so sad I get emotional about it. I wonder if these new and dangerous drugs are a result of cannabis prohibition because no matter what, people seem to be attracted to something that makes them feel better. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #9 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 11:42:53 PT |
| You're welcome. Last night I was talking with my husband about legal and illegal drugs. Back in the 70s it was common to be careful about trying an illegal drug like Meth or Heroin. You knew it wasn't pure and could be cut with substances that could make it dangerous. When it comes to legal drugs we believe they are safe because they have an FDA stamp of approval and in turn people don't fear them. That is dangerous since we know that we become the statistics if a legal pharmaceutical drug gets pulled from the market. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #8 posted by PainWithNoInsurance on June 13, 2005 at 11:35:24 PT |
| Thanks for your wonderful work here at Cannabisnews.com. These articles are full of stunning support for compassion from some of the biggest names in media. I am amazed at that recent article about prescription drugs being more deadlier than illegals. I think if someone would suggest some of these news articles to other online news sites they would post them, especially the one about the prescription drugs being more dangerous than the illegals. It wasn't until I had tried a whole lot of different pharms that I relized it myself that some prescription drugs really aren't that good and in fact are garbage. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 11:18:48 PT |
| Souder dismisses the effort as a political, not scientific, effort to to gradually legalize marijuana. The lawmaker argues that if scientific data supports marijuana as a pain medication, it should be studied and vetted through the regular FDA process. **** How can it be vetted thru the FDA when it's the DEA that won't let it get out of being a Schedule I drug? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 11:15:35 PT |
| I agree it's way past time to re-schedule Cannabis. To me that is the only way to go. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #5 posted by afterburner on June 13, 2005 at 11:12:36 PT |
| 80% of the people are "duped" by medical cannabis. 20% of the people *know* that medical cannabis is a fraud. Representatives to Congress and Senators represent your constituents! Stop arresting medical cannabis patients. Reschedule cannabis to acknowledge its long-standing medical utility. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 11:10:49 PT |
| I don't understand the Hinchey and Rohrabacher amendment. Could someone please help me understand how this will help us if it would pass? [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by FoM on June 13, 2005 at 11:09:06 PT |
| Study: Prescription Drugs More Deadly Than Illegal Ones June 13, 2005 WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- In Florida, more people die each year from prescription drugs than illegal drugs, according to a new study by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In 2004, Florida medical examiners reported more than 1,800 deaths from prescription drug overdoses -- up nearly a quarter from the year before. Nearly 300 of those fatalities occurred in people younger than 25 years old. Deaths in young people caused by methadone -- a painkiller that's an alternative to oxycodone -- almost doubled since 2002. Doris Carroll, the community coordinator for the Palm Beach County Substance Abuse Coalition, said parents need to keep track of their own medications. Students can often find many prescription pain killers in their own medicine cabinets, where they have free access. Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by observer on June 13, 2005 at 11:03:11 PT |
| breaking news US: Study: Prescription Drugs More Deadly Than Illegal Ones Found: Mon Jun 13 10:01:03 2005 PDT Webpage: http://www.wesh.com/news/4601691/detail.html Newshawk: http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/ [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by PainWithNoInsurance on June 13, 2005 at 10:28:37 PT |
| Souder would be smoking joints every day if he where in pain all of the time and ruining his body on expensive pharms that barely work. It sure would be a different story then. [ Post Comment ] |
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