cannabisnews.com: A Medical 'Catch 22' A Medical 'Catch 22' Posted by CN Staff on March 29, 2004 at 16:56:46 PT Editorial Source: Las Vegas Sun Does it make any sense to legalize the use and possession of marijuana for medical purposes, but offer no legal way for patients to acquire it? No, but this is what has been going on in Nevada since our constitutionally backed medical marijuana law became effective Oct. 1, 2001.Under the law, patients must receive approval from their doctors to use marijuana. They must have their fingerprints checked, to ensure against prior drug convictions. They must apply to the state Department of Agriculture. Finally, they must get a card from the Department of Motor Vehicles. With this card, they may legally possess 1 ounce of marijuana and seven marijuana plants. But where does the patient get that 1 ounce? Or the plants? Or the seeds to grow them?That's the part the law does not address. So while it is legal for authorized patients to possess marijuana and use it to alleviate pain, it remains illegal for them to go out anywhere and acquire it. A month before the law went into effect, Jim Johnson, a member of the Nevada Board of Agriculture, said, "We're going into uncharted territory with this. But let's get it going and see where the problems are."In our view, access is the only problem. While we oppose legalizing the recreational use of marijuana, we support medical marijuana. Prescription pain killers can cost $500 a month or more. In contrast, marijuana is inexpensive and numerous studies show that it can be medically effective.Ten states and the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws but they are all wrestling with access issues. The root of the problem is the federal government, which opposes medical marijuana. While last year the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a federal appeals court ruling that doctors cannot be disciplined for prescribing marijuana, states still remain afraid of federal drug enforcement agents. We believe Nevada should work with the other states where marijuana is legal, and the federal government, to find a way to make its law work. Weekend EditionSource: Las Vegas Sun (NV)Published: March 27 - 28, 2004Copyright: 2004 Las Vegas Sun Inc.Contact: letters lasvegassun.comWebsite: http://www.lasvegassun.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by Rev Jonathan Adler on March 31, 2004 at 12:16:44 PT: 4 years running and still growing! Aloha and it is a priviledge to have legal rights. Here in Hawaii, we are registered with Dept. of Public Safety (Prisons) and re-new yearly our registry ID cards. I just sent my re-newal in yesterday for the 4th year running. Strangely enough I was registered to grow while incarcerated 6 months for growing it!? Our attempts to legislate legal distribution has been through the legislative process twice now and they still will not discuss it! Even when offering methamphetamine treatment as part of the legal distribution program we proposed.The back door legislative agreement is to not do anything for five years after making it legal. Let the patients flounder and fail to get their legally registered medicine. Sounds like politics again. We grow forward and still comply with all the statutes. Peace. Someday we wish to assist those needy patients with medical registry across the nation. see: www.medijuana.com *Mahaols. Hawaii Medical Marijuana Institute [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by afterburner on March 29, 2004 at 18:22:52 PT: Not Banned in Boston? Chronicle Pot Feature . "high time for a new perspective on pot" Running Time: 23 min Date Entered: 29 Mar 2004 http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-2593.html"A mainstream look at the ins and outs and pros and cons of marijuana legalization in this show from Boston MA. Topics include medical use, the facts from doctors, lawyers and police. Guest comments on a parent's perspective with Mike Barnicle. Special thanks to Kim for this excellent clip." [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on March 29, 2004 at 17:06:29 PT Can non-marijuana users do math? You can have seven plants, but only one ounce of pot?So what are people supposed to do, throw six of their plants in the garbage after harvesting? [ Post Comment ] Post Comment