cannabisnews.com: Bush Wants Marijuana Ruling Struck Down





Bush Wants Marijuana Ruling Struck Down
Posted by CN Staff on July 11, 2003 at 10:18:06 PT
By Gina Holland, Associated Press
Source: Associated Press
Washington -- The Bush administration wants the Supreme Court's permission to strip prescription licenses from doctors who recommend marijuana to sick patients. The administration, which has taken a hard stand against state medical marijuana laws, asked the high court to strike down an appeals court ruling that blocked the punishment, or investigation, of physicians who tell patients they may be helped by the drug.
The administration's appeal, filed this week, gives the Supreme Court a chance to revisit the subject of legalized marijuana. Two years ago, the court ruled that there is no exception in federal drug laws for people to use pot to ease pain from cancer, AIDS or other illnesses. That case also involved a ruling of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.Solicitor General Theodore Olson said the latest 9th Circuit decision keeps the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration from protecting the public. He said the ruling licenses doctors to treat patients with illegal drugs and that physicians who urge patients to use pot are no different than those recommending heroin or LSD.Medical marijuana laws are on the books in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.At issue is a policy, put in place during the Clinton administration, that requires the revocation of federal prescription licenses of doctors who recommend marijuana.The appeals court said that the policy interferes with free-speech rights of doctors and patients. Physicians should be able to speak candidly with patients without fear of government sanctions, the court said, but they can be punished if they actually help patients obtain the drug.Graham Boyd, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing patients, doctors, and other groups, said a government victory at the high court would gut the medical marijuana laws and hurt doctor-patient relationships."This case is about doctors providing honest and accurate medical advice to patients and the government wanting to censor that advice and leave patients to the Internet, their friends and back alley information in order to make medical decisions," Boyd said Friday.Justices will likely decide this fall whether to review the case.The case is Walters v. Conant, 03-40.On The Net:Supreme Court case file: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/docket/03-40.htm Source: Associated PressAuthor: Gina Holland, Associated PressPublished: Friday, July 11, 2003Copyright: 2003 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Conant vs. Walters & Judge Kozinskihttp://freedomtoexhale.com//cw.htmBush Escalates Marijuana War http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16827.shtmlBush: Marijuana Laws Up to States http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3373.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by Jose Melendez on July 13, 2003 at 06:33:40 PT
great game
takes a while to download, pretty fun to play:http://bloofish.sytes.netGeorge Bush's Weed PartyPlay as George W. Bush and “get high” by collecting marijuana leaves and rolling joints.
stay away from overdose-bags and poor marijuana leaves and have a party of you life.
Smoke With George
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on July 12, 2003 at 07:31:12 PT
Welcome Home Dr. Russo!
Get rested up and then let us know how your trip was. It sure is good to see you back! 
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Comment #7 posted by Ethan Russo MD on July 12, 2003 at 03:58:18 PT:
Homecoming
This is some homecoming after 17 days in Canada and England seeing how relative freedom for medical use of cannabis can work. Hopefully, freedom of speech still means something. Bush and his administration are playing with fire now. 
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Comment #6 posted by freedom fighter on July 11, 2003 at 19:09:05 PT
Same ole Lie!!
"Solicitor General Theodore Olson said the latest 9th Circuit decision keeps the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration from protecting the public. He said the ruling licenses doctors to treat patients with illegal drugs and that physicians who urge patients to use pot are no different than those recommending heroin or LSD."Reality Check!Pot is like heroin!Pot is like LSD!Pot is like green Crack!Reality Check!THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!Pot is like just exactly what it is.....POT!So here's the quick POT pop-quiz1: Pot is like ?A: HerionB: LSDC: Any strange substanceD: PotThere be no real 'justice' until the neoconfreaks are banished from the land of the free..pazffPS) The answer is D.. oh dear...
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Comment #5 posted by lag on July 11, 2003 at 16:52:14 PT
fractured community
I had a thought the other night regarding fractured community (community values should not be based on everyone thinking the same way, but by a sense of understanding and respect for the individuals that make up a rich community) and Virgil reminded me of it. Thanks. 
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Comment #4 posted by afterburner on July 11, 2003 at 11:53:23 PT:
Put the Shoe on the Other Foot.
California should just provide medical cannabis to all adults, unless they have a doctor's note saying they DON'T need it! All cannabis grow-operations should be designated medical unless they specifically apply to be exempted from medical regulations for product purity!ego transcendence follows ego destruction, overgrow the government.
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Comment #3 posted by Virgil on July 11, 2003 at 11:48:47 PT
The destruction of America
Isn't that what will happening? It used to be a man might work for the same company 40 years in the same community with one wife and attend his boyhood church until his tombstone is erected there. The fracturing of everything has changed the way it used to be forever. Everyone feels like they are being hunted, either by preditory lenders or the next salesman looking to see if your credit can take another purchase. All I am saying is that the mental health of the country is sliding as the economy goes to cheaper lands and the nation ages and the isolation of the individual that is now resigned to his numbered status at his employer becomes the occupying force. I went to see my 80 year old aunt at the rest home where she is on medicare. I could not help but wonder what would happen for real if Free Cannabis were introduced into such a sad and lonely place and mainly thinking of Canada and a real introduction. Then I think of the cartooning that would happen if this made a Hollywood movie. Well, people might not want to get real now, but as everything implodes, people will have to get real to turn the upside down right again. Better not speak out. We have onerous laws that can get a person thrown in jail for life for spitting on an officer in Oklahoma and no telling what the guy that threw the water balloon at Hasert's vehicle in the parade will get. The prisoners of war in Guantanamo were offered a plea of 20 years in order to streamline the process with the death penalty presented as the alternative if conviction does come or maybe that should be when.It is enough to make me gag everytime some lawyer says we have the best system of justice in the world. Another bold lie floated as truth hoping the ignorant saps will buy it with their apple pie and Budweiser.The system has already experienced meltdown. If we keep penetrating the lies we will soon have 50% of the people calling for the regulation of cannabis like T&A. Everyone should be talking about 80% of us being ignored along with all reason to prohibit the natural herbal wonder that is cannabis. In the cannabis wars, I see Canada like Gettysburg. We saw the efforts to get 14 years for growing in Canada and the UK and the Swiss moving back the final vote. Forces are being marshalled against reason, but when Canada falls and it will, the US will have lost its ability to aggress and fight defensively until their treason is overcome.All the broken fragments of lives over the last 30 years lie heaped and dry everywhere waiting for a spark. It will be a Canadian spark. Let there be fire. Let there be smoke. Let there be soup.We have passed the righteous indignation of the prohitionists. As soon as the conviction of our cause settles in, we will show them some righteous indignation. Now is the time to steel your convictions and convert a prohitionists. Got spark?
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Comment #2 posted by WolfgangWylde on July 11, 2003 at 11:37:54 PT
California...
...tried to do the right thing and tie patient access to doctor recommendations.  They should now just say "screw it" and not require anything at all for access to medical marijuana.
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Comment #1 posted by Trekkie on July 11, 2003 at 11:31:09 PT
Interesting - 
While not neccessarily good news (unless the supreme court rules in our favor), this was a FAIRLY UNBIASED report from AP, of all places.That, in itself, is big news; level reporting from a national newswire.Optimistically, I think we're winning, and inch at a time...
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