cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Users Fight for Law Reform 





Medical Marijuana Users Fight for Law Reform 
Posted by CN Staff on February 04, 2003 at 17:00:53 PT
By Carl Weiseth
Source: Western Front Online
Increased drug raids, prosecution and publicity have medical marijuana users and suppliers fighting for their right to possess the drug even though it is in accordance with current state law. The number of arrests for marijuana possession has increased by more than 20,000 arrests per year since 1998, according to FBI crime reports.In 1998, Washington voters passed Initiative 692 allowing patients with certain terminal or debilitating illnesses to use medical marijuana.
Despite its legality for medical use under state legislation, federal law still considers marijuana illegal under any circumstances, a fact the Drug Enforcement Agency has used repeatedly to arrest users."The federal law is just plain wrong," said JoAnna Mckee, co-founder of the Seattle-based Green Cross Patient Co-op, an organization that helps supply seriously ill patients with medical marijuana.Sixty-year-old Mckee, an active medical marijuana user and drug policy reformist, had her home raided for marijuana cultivation in 1995. Mckee has been confined to a wheelchair since 1992 and uses marijuana to help ease a variety of debilitating problems."I have this giant red ball of pain when I wake up in the morning, and I can't think of anything else," Mckee said. "I smoke some medicine, and the pain doesn't stop, but I can set it aside."Mckee said she uses marijuana several times a day. For her and many other patients, it is the only thing that can help ease suffering, she said. "I know a lot of people with cancer or muscular-skeletal problems who have given up all or most of their narcotics for using a small amount of marijuana," Mckee said.Despite arguments for the value of medical marijuana, DEA agent Thomas O'Brien said marijuana is not better than other pharmaceutics.On April 14, 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-0 that marijuana is not a medical necessity to manufacture, distribute or possess. "The DEA does not acknowledge the term 'medical marijuana,'" O'Brien said. "We know there is no medicinal use for marijuana, as stated by the United States Supreme Court."O'Brien said the DEA will continue to enforce marijuana laws regardless of state initiatives as long as marijuana remains a federally illegal drug.He said the current push for medical marijuana is merely a ploy used by groups seeking recreational legalization. "I believe, as does the DEA, that this whole term 'medical marijuana' that is used for compassion legislation is strictly a move afoot by these (recreational marijuana) legalizers," O'Brien said.Bellingham Police Lt. Craige Ambrose said local police rarely get involved in medical marijuana cases, preferring to target cases of marijuana trafficking and distribution."If someone out there is selling large amounts of marijuana then we're going to take notice, but if someone is using personal amounts of prescribed medical marijuana." Ambrose said. "It's really not a big deal." Dr. Mark Steinberg, a Bellingham naturopathic physician with 20 years of experience, said although he cannot currently prescribe marijuana for medical use, sometimes it would be nice to have the option."Medical marijuana is something I think should be used in the appropriate situation," Steinberg said. "The side effects are less than that of a lot of other drugs out there."Tyree Callahan, head of the Bellingham Drug Policy Reform Group, said the last thing seriously ill patients need is to be arrested and persecuted. Callahan, whose father is serving a 27-and-a-half-year sentence for marijuana-related federal charges, said the main reason some people are afraid of federally legalizing medical marijuana is misinformation. "People seem to think it's some kind of slippery slope," Callahan said. "If you legalize marijuana then suddenly heroin is available right alongside the Juicy Fruit at the store. What we really have to do is assure people that legalization means regulation."Callahan is a strong proponent for the state's rights to enforce its own laws. He said he believes what people in each individual state decide should supercede the federal law."I'm completely for state's rights, and I think the feds should get out of it all together," Callahan said. "A Supreme Court justice once said that states should be laboratories for democracy, and I completely agree with that."Western junior Amber Howard organizes the Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a club on campus that works to promote drug policy reform and education. Howard said she also supports the state's right to enforce its own laws. "I think the government needs to come to grips with the fact that medical marijuana can really benefit a lot of people," Howard said. "(The state law) is helping people out, and there's nothing going wrong until the feds come in and bust them."Howard said people have misconceptions about marijuana because of government propaganda and that the deciding factor in reforming marijuana law is going to be education."I think there are a lot of people out there who just don't know about all the good uses marijuana can have," Howard said. "Medical marijuana does have proven results different from other drugs, and I think the government should let people have the freedom to choose for themselves."Source: Western Front Online (WA)Author: Carl WeisethPublished: February 04, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Western Front Contact: wfront cc.wwu.edu Website: http://www.westernfrontonline.com/ Related Articles & Web Sites:SSDPhttp://www.ssdp.org/Green Cross Patient Co-ophttp://www.hemp.net/greencross/Washington State Initiative 692http://www.eventure.com/i692/Ruling: No Punishment for Doctors Endorsing Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14613.shtmlSeattle Police Crack Down on Medical-Pot Purveyor http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10489.shtml 
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Comment #1 posted by The GCW on February 04, 2003 at 19:48:41 PT
There is that "drug" word again.
"...medical marijuana users and suppliers fighting for their right to possess the drug..."Don't get Me wrong, this is a good story. An important much appreciated one... If You are drinking coffee for the effect of ridding fatigue or to wake up in the morn... We don't say You went to the grocery for the "drug"."People put marijuana down because it was looked at as a drug at one time, but it's not," Johnson said. "It's 100-per-cent herb." (Pot Now Available for Minor Illnesses http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread15367.shtml)
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