cannabisnews.com: Initiative Planned To Get Marijuana Curbs Eased










  Initiative Planned To Get Marijuana Curbs Eased

Posted by CN Staff on October 03, 2004 at 21:00:02 PT
By Rick Weiss, Washington Post Staff Writer 
Source: Washington Post  

Convinced they have sound science on their side, advocates for the medical use of marijuana plan to launch a novel effort today to get the federal government to ease restrictions on the illicit drug. Americans for Safe Access, a Berkeley, Calif., coalition of patients and doctors wanting easier access to pot for research and patient use, plans to file a petition with the Department of Health and Human Services charging the agency with spreading inaccurate information about the drug's medical value.
Unlike previous efforts to ease marijuana access, which relied on the courts and have dragged on for years, the petition invokes the Data Quality Act, a little-known but powerful law that gives people the right to challenge scientific information disseminated by federal agencies. The law demands that agencies respond to petitions within two months. The act's use by marijuana advocates represents a peculiar political twist. The act was written by a tobacco industry lobbyist and slipped into a huge piece of legislation after the 2000 election without any congressional discussion or debate. It has been used almost exclusively by corporations challenging the validity of scientific information that they fear might lead to costly regulations. Many consumer groups want the act repealed, saying its wording -- and the fact that it is, by law, coordinated by the White House -- makes it easy for companies to dismiss as "junk science" damning evidence that their products are harmful. But in one of the first uses of the act on behalf of a liberal, consumer-based cause, the new petition seeks to dismiss government assertions that marijuana is dangerous and medically useless, saying they contradict findings of the Institute of Medicine and other authoritative sources. "The government's position on medical marijuana is out of touch with public opinion, but most important it's out of touch with the science," said William Dolphin, a spokesman for the Berkeley group, which plans to announce its action today. "It's time the federal government gets out of the way and lets doctors make decisions for their patients." The petition calls for the government to correct "scientifically flawed statements" about marijuana published in the Federal Register, a move that would allow -- though not compel -- the Drug Enforcement Administration to declare it a "Schedule II" drug. That would allow it to be prescribed for specified conditions and more easily obtained for research. Schedule II drugs, including cocaine and morphine, are tightly controlled because of their high potential for abuse, but less stringently than Schedule I drugs (LSD, peyote and marijuana among them), which by definition have no accepted medical use. The petition challenges the government contention that "there have been no studies that have scientifically assessed the efficacy of marijuana for any medical condition." In fact, the group notes, a 1999 Institute of Medicine report concluded that studies have found marijuana helpful "for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation." The institute called for clinical studies to identify pot's beneficial ingredients and to create drug delivery systems safer than smoking. David Murray, a policy analyst with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, agreed it is "beyond dispute" that marijuana's efficacy has been assessed and potential benefits identified. But he dismissed as "lame" another of the Berkeley group's assertions: that pot has "currently accepted" medical uses in the United States -- a key requirement for reassignment to Schedule II. The Safe Access group cited a survey published in the New England Journal of Medicine finding that more than 40 percent of cancer doctors had recommended the drug to patients to relieve nausea from chemotherapy. The group also noted pot's emerging popularity among people with multiple sclerosis after studies suggesting the drug can reduce muscle spasticity. But Murray said it is up to the Food and Drug Administration to decide when a drug has "accepted" medical use. To leave that up to doctors and patients, he said, is like "leaving it to fans in the Redskins' end zone to call a touchdown, instead of the referees." Murray emphasized the negative health effects of marijuana smoke (studies show a possible increase in oral cancers) and concerns about effects on the brain. But Safe Access's executive director, Steph Sherer, and the group's San Francisco attorney, Joe Elford, pointed to a DEA administrative law judge's conclusion that pot was far safer than aspirin. "A smoker would have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response," Judge Francis L. Young determined in 1988. Marijuana, he concluded, "has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States . . . and it may lawfully be transferred from Schedule I to Schedule II." The ruling was upheld by a federal appeals court but was overturned on procedural grounds. Schedule I drugs are eligible for study under grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and pot from a government farm in Mississippi is occasionally provided for experiments. But advocates say the hurdles to winning a grant are extreme. "I can't understand why it isn't rescheduled," said John A. Benson Jr., the University of Nebraska Medical Center professor who led the institute study. Research on marijuana could probably lead to an array of useful new medicines, he said in a telephone interview. "But politically, socially, and in general, there's just a reluctance to take this on." Complete Title: New Initiative Planned To Get Marijuana Curbs EasedSource: Washington Post (DC)Author: Rick Weiss, Washington Post Staff WriterPublished: Monday, October 4, 2004; Page A02 Copyright: 2004 Washington Post Contact: letterstoed washpost.comWebsite: http://www.washingtonpost.com Related Article & Web Site:Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/Government Must Correct MMJ Misinformationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19579.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 

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Comment #40 posted by FoM on October 05, 2004 at 13:46:00 PT

CorvallisEric
Thank you. I walked around the house last night and was upset because people don't understand. I consider myself a thinking person and I imagine the future with Bush and I can barely stand it. I am at a lose for words when people aren't grasping the seriousness of this election. I just don't understand anymore. I hate feeling disappointed but I have been so disappointed. 
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Comment #39 posted by CorvallisEric on October 05, 2004 at 13:39:46 PT

FoM
I haven't wanted anyone to be a president like I do Kerry. Never! .. I'm just very disappointed that people aren't looking at the seriousness of this election.Exactly how I feel, and I've lived through Johnson and Nixon with great disgust. It's almost all I think about all day. It needs yelling!
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Comment #38 posted by FoM on October 05, 2004 at 13:25:31 PT

CorvallisEric
I wasn't yelling at you but it could seem like I was. I'm just very disappointed that people aren't looking at the seriousness of this election. That was an excellent article you posted. Thanks.
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Comment #37 posted by FoM on October 05, 2004 at 13:13:39 PT

CorvallisEric
Kerry is nothing like Bush. I think John Kerry is a fine man. I haven't wanted anyone to be a president like I do Kerry. Never! I was too young to vote for JFK but I want Kerry that bad and there isn't anyone who can hold a candle to him. There I feel better.PS: I have never been anti-establishment. I am liberal but I am conservative too. I am very mainstream. I hope this makes sense.
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Comment #36 posted by CorvallisEric on October 05, 2004 at 13:02:00 PT

didididadadadididit - comment #34
Anyone else scared?I'm very scared about hurdle #2 - have Kerry win because of Nader and the tons of poo I've read about "Bush and Kerry are the same."I just heard a piece on NPR "Talk of the Nation" about the prospects for the Supreme Court: "liberals have more to fear from a Bush-appointed Court than conservatives do from a Kerry-appointed Court" because of the greater ideological zeal of the Republican Party [roughly paraphrased from memory].A good list of Bush's errors is in the editorial endorsing Kerry in Bush's hometown paper, The Lone Star Iconoclast: http://news.iconoclast-texas.com/web/Columns/Editorial/editorial39.htm If you're curious, the main page is: http://news.iconoclast-texas.com/web/default.htm {sorry if this appeared previously). Of course, it dealt mostly with the conventional top-10 complaints, but it mentions a dangerous shift away from the basic freedoms established by our founding fathers.
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Comment #35 posted by FoM on October 05, 2004 at 10:01:39 PT

dididadadidit
I worry about Kerry too. It's sure not like we haven't seen horrible things happen to people who are stepping out for our good. I actually pray for his safety. That's serious for me.
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Comment #34 posted by dididadadidit on October 05, 2004 at 09:50:56 PT

No Schedule One Change with Busch as Furher
It will do no good whatever to bother to send faxes to any members of this administration attempting to get them to ease up on their cannabis irrational persecution policy. There is simply no way, zero chance, of any relief from these people. A Schedule I change is off the table until January 20, 2004 (or 2008 or later if the bad guys steal another one).It is interesting that they let it slip that a goodly piece of the insanity is driven by the urge to funnel ever more money to big pharma (big contributors, pony up millions for billions in return, best damn gov't money can buy). A closet grow of the natural product at a $20 a month bump in the electric bill is certainly a threat to the 50 times as much thousand dollar a month Marinol prescription, richly subsidized with borrowed money from our children and grandchildren. No way these fascist corporate pigs are going to screw up their own money scheme by even entertaining the idea of a Schedule I change.Sorry.Hopefully, come January, if we can get this mafia outta there. Remembering Paul (how convenient) Wellstone, I fear if Kerry looks like a winner, he better be damn sure about the mechanics servicing his plane. We have 4 hurdles to get over; one, have the election on time, two, have Kerry win, three, have the vote verify the Kerry win, and four, see the SOBs leave on schedule in January.Anyone else scared?Cheers?
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Comment #33 posted by kaptinemo on October 05, 2004 at 04:17:03 PT:

All right, all right, I'm nauseated! :)
But seriously, this issue has been simmering for a long time, and with the new studies coming out almost weekly, the matter can no longer be ignored as it has been. We can expect a propaganda counterstrike calling the credentials of those doctors on our side into question almost any day now. It's the anti's usual pattern; they're so predictable.
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Comment #32 posted by john wayne on October 04, 2004 at 21:30:41 PT

worth repeating ad nauseum
Ok, I'm going to be very annoying in this post because one sentence (as a previous posters have noted) is of paramount importance in this article."The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively."The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively.That's right. Pain and suffering matter not at all. The problem, as the government sees it, is unfair competition to the pharmaceutical industry's dangerous drugs. (Vioxx anyone?)
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Comment #31 posted by FoM on October 04, 2004 at 20:02:43 PT

ASA: Take Action Now: Write/Call HHS Today! 
Phone/ Fax Slam to Tommy Thompson, Secretary of Health & Human Services - Tuesday, Oct 5 
As you know, Oct. 5, ASA is imploring HHS to do the right thing, and allow for the rescheduling of marijuana. For those of you who cannot attend the Washington DC event, you can still join us by sending a fax and calling HHS On Tuesday, Oct. 5!Send a free Fax or Email from the ASA online action center on Tuesday. http://www.safeaccessnow.org/
Follow up with a toll-free phone call to 877 696 6775. Tell Tommy Thomson, the head of HHS: - Marijuana does have a currently accepted use in medical treatment. - Please remember that the health and safety of people who benefit from the medical use of marijuana is in your hands. 
WHY HHS? To ensure safe access for ALL patients, marijuana must be rescheduled, and its medicinal value recognized on the federal level. Health and Human Services (HHS) has the power to make this change. If HSS allows that marijuana has medical value, the DEA must recommend rescheduling. However, in 2001, HHS ruled that marijuana had, "No currently accepted medical use in treatment." They did not address the mountain of data recognizing cannabis as a useful treatment. This allowed the DEA to reject rescheduling and gave them implicit permission to raid patients. Six months later, the DEA started raiding and closing California dispensaries. Our highest health officials can stop this abuse simply by doing their job and applying sound science to this policy debate. Reschedule marijuana now!

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Comment #30 posted by Hope on October 04, 2004 at 19:57:59 PT

Hello, Kaptinemo
Glad to see you. So glad.Today's news was very exciting. I'm feeling more normal now...back down to earth and ready to keep on keeping on. It was exciting to see the Washington Post appearing to finally get a clue. It's horrible that a completely helpless man had to die to kick them into action. I'm glad he got to tell them he wasn't going to quit using something that he said made him feel better...I'm glad he got to experience the wonder of that in his poor body. He paid a terrible price but he helped others like him, I hope.Next thing I want to hear and see is Wretched Judith Retchin resigning or being forced to.It seems sometimes that there's people and there's people just pretending to be people.
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Comment #29 posted by kaptinemo on October 04, 2004 at 18:25:08 PT:

"Calling Dr. Freud! Calling Dr. Freud!"
Because if that wasn't a 'slip', I don't know what was.During the mid-1990's, it became common knowledge that approximately half of all Americans used traditional herbal remedies in lieu of pharamceuticals. This is turn set off an assault by Big Pharma to have it's in-the-pocket legislators attempt to 'regulate' herbal medicine out of existence. But the naturopathic community fought back, causing the legislators to realize exactly how much support existed among the population for natural - and safe and cheap - remedies.The ecomomic ramifications for relegalized cannabis for Big Pharma are well known to cannabists, but still have not quite reached the level of consciousness of average Americans. Cannabis has been called the "Swiss Army Knife" of plants, practically a pharmakopeiea of it's own, with new discoveries of medicinal efficacy being made literally every week. I feel safe in saying that perhaps its' greatest uses remain to be discovered. A fact Big Pharma fears to the marrow of it's corp-rat bones. And has been worriedly whispering in urgent tones to its' 'kept' pols to use the faux concerns about 'public health' to keep cannabis illegal.But they've let the cat out of the bag, and this particular cat grows by the minute. They can't fit it back into the sack. And one day, it'll get sick of the manhandling and start scratching.
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Comment #28 posted by dr slider on October 04, 2004 at 14:30:28 PT:

If its not effective why would anyone stop taking 
their "pain medications"?
I'd love to hear their tortured logic.
Mareehuonna is a schedule one drug.
Schedule one drugs have no medical uses.
Citizens have been conned by George Soros.
You and your doctor just "believe" that the pain (or leukemia, brain tumor, loss of appetite...) are gone.
You have been bamboozled into thinking you don't need my sponsor's...er, uh forget that ...legal drugs.
Did I say its schedule one? schedule one drug have no medical uses.
QED
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Comment #27 posted by siege on October 04, 2004 at 11:23:13 PT

USERS
The harms to the internal organs of the body 
that the consumption of lawful pain medicines
doze to one. The Bush administration lives on Harm for personal use of Medical Marijuana.
If we are not with him [bush] we are against him and all ***  Medical Marijuana*** USERS are U.S. terrorists. I hope this person gets a live before long. 
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Comment #26 posted by Hope on October 04, 2004 at 11:22:47 PT

We've been saying it for years
Now they've slipped up and said it themselves.If the antis really do check out this site...they are probably scrambling to try to change that wording. Uh Oh...(mysterious ways?)
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Comment #25 posted by dongenero on October 04, 2004 at 11:12:18 PT

Bush Admin. strategy
I am thankful for the wording of the Bush Admins strategy.It would seem ridiculous for the Supreme court to support them on such grounds. At least we'll find out who is bought and sold in the judicial system.
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Comment #24 posted by dongenero on October 04, 2004 at 11:09:01 PT

protect the pharm. industry?
"The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively."Yes, that is telling. They are asking the Supreme Court to aid in fascism by propping up the pharmaceutical industry against a pain reliever that anyone can grow on their own patio....for free.
Here is an ethical test for the judicial branch of Our government.
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Comment #23 posted by FoM on October 04, 2004 at 11:03:20 PT

CorvallisEric
I thought that was very interesting myself!
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Comment #22 posted by CorvallisEric on October 04, 2004 at 11:02:23 PT

FoM (comment #19)
... would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines ...Would be nice if that's exactly what they said and the court picked up the unintended nuance.
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on October 04, 2004 at 10:58:45 PT

siege
I never heard of Safe Families TV. If I didn't have Direct TV I wouldn't have more then one channel or maybe two to watch.
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Comment #20 posted by siege on October 04, 2004 at 10:49:51 PT

                   Tv.
This type of Tv. is sicking they cut anything of importance they think they know best these 
wrongdoers will be all over it soon, maybe not this is the south some don't want change Clear Channel Communications Inc.Safe Families Tv. the only 2 I get..
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on October 04, 2004 at 10:24:32 PT

This Says A Lot
The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively. 
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on October 04, 2004 at 10:23:27 PT

Portion of Article from The Washington Post
In Ashcroft v. Raich, 03-1454, the court will determine whether the federal government has the power to outlaw the personal cultivation and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, even when the marijuana stays in a user's home and never crosses state lines. Angel McClary Raich is a brain tumor patient in California whose doctor advised her to smoke marijuana for pain relief. This is permissible under a 1996 California law, but federal agents have arrested medical marijuana users. So Raich joined a lawsuit in October 2002, asking a court to bar Attorney General John D. Ashcroft from enforcing federal drug laws against her. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco, sided with Raich last year, ruling that the federal government cannot punish drug use that does not affect interstate commerce. The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that an exemption for personal use or free distribution would discourage the consumption of lawful pain medicines and thwart Congress's intent to regulate the drug market comprehensively. Complete Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5121-2004Oct4_2.html

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Comment #17 posted by FoM on October 04, 2004 at 09:41:43 PT

Thank You kaptinemo
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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Comment #16 posted by kaptinemo on October 04, 2004 at 09:35:20 PT:

According to what I heard, the newsies
will be all over this.I was at the ASA set up yesterday, helping with banner production, shirt stenciling and the cleanup, and heard that because of the expected showing of interest by newsgroups, the media people will be allowed into the conference room first, with ASA supporters second. I wish I could be there today, but have to - like so many of us 'lazy, shiftless, no-good' cannabists - earn my daily bread by working.With all the heavy-hitting 'professionals' they brought, this is one media event that should be on national news. I wish I had a TV here, but we'd be too busy to watch it anyways (smile).
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on October 04, 2004 at 09:04:47 PT

Just a Note
I gave up waiting on what CNN was suppose to mention. I wish they wouldn't say something and not do it. I know that many people today are in Washington DC and I wish them success and maybe this could help turn mmj around for all of us. I am anxious to read how it all goes. Good luck everyone!
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on October 04, 2004 at 08:10:08 PT

Heads Up: CNN Headlines
They just said they are coming back after commercial and will talk about Medical Marijuana and what's going on today in Washington DC!
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Comment #13 posted by siege on October 04, 2004 at 07:31:07 PT

decision 
The fallout from a decision to give the Data Quality Act now! is going to be on the U.S. Supreme Court will deal with issues of [marijuana] is it going to [set back] Supreme Court for 2-3 months.  Data Quality Act: Hemp is cannabis grown specifically for industrial use. Hemp Industries Association, would be wise to try this Act to grow what is neaded for this country and to make a living.
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Comment #12 posted by kaptinemo on October 04, 2004 at 06:59:37 PT:

Unrelated: More on Chicago
It's looking better and better in Chicago. An ABC website article on the growing support for decrim there. Better go see before it gets archived and you have to go through pesky sign-ups to read it:Daley Hints at Change for Ill. Drug Laws
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley Says Prosecuting Small-Time Marijuana Cases Is Waste of Time, Money
The Associated Press
CHICAGO Oct. 3, 2004 
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20041003_554.htmlOne comment stands out; the mayor is a former prosecutor, so as one source puts it, "No one can say he's soft on drugs." Classic "Only Nixon can go to China."It may be Autumn, but it's getting hot in Chicago.

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Comment #11 posted by kaptinemo on October 04, 2004 at 06:35:59 PT:

Legislative jiu-jitsu
This is going to be VERY interesting.So...the corp-rat sired and Republican approved legislation meant to shield corporate wrongdoers from repercussions of their sins will now be used to shame the government into living up to the letter of the law? I love it.As to Mr. Murray's assertion that ASA's contention of 'accepted medical uses' is somehow 'lame'? Like most ONDCP mouthpieces, he is either woefully ignorant of the mounting pile of RECENT reports of the efficacy of cannabis in a medical milieu - or he IS aware, and is whistling past the bureaucratic graveyard. If anyone's position is limping noticeably regarding medicinal cannabis, it's his and his associates.In the link FoM provided, there's one last germane paragraph. I'll insert it here:*The University of Pittsburgh's (Arthur) Hellman said the California case will challenge conservative members of the Supreme Court, who have opposed an expansive interpretation of Congress' power under the Commerce Clause, to remain true to their principles even if the result pleases liberals. "What we're going to find out is if this court really believes in federalism," Hellman said.*Right there in a nutshell, is the problem - for the Supremes, that is. The vast majority of the SC's Black Robes *claim* they are 'federalists', meaning they believe in strict divisions and seperations of powers among the Federal, State and local levels of government.Or, at least, they profess they do. Let's see if they are as good as their words...
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Comment #10 posted by global_warming on October 04, 2004 at 04:43:08 PT

Horrendous Sentences
http://rense.com/general58/iso.htm Horrendous Sentences For
Simple Drug Use In America
From Mary Sparrowdancer
10-3-4
 David Frederick
http://www.november.org/thewall/cases/frederick-d/frederick-d.html
 MY GOD!!! Please read some of these!!!
http://www.november.org/thewall/cases/brown-a/brown-a.html
 
 Alphabetical index of "drug war prisoners"
http://www.november.org/thewall/MJ-index.html
 Below - click on these womens' faces to see how many years they were sentenced to for using drugs, then click again to see full story. I'm beyond words. I am actually speechless.
http://candoclemency.com/
(Note: you will need the flash/shockwave plug in)
http://rense.com/general58/iso.htm
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Comment #9 posted by The GCW on October 04, 2004 at 04:02:30 PT

I like this.
This is another good way to stop the ignorant cannabis prohibitionists.420Cannabis is not a weapon of mass desstruction.
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Comment #8 posted by dr slider on October 03, 2004 at 23:13:43 PT:

the post gets a clue?
These people (washigngton post et. al.) that "don't understand" HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 03, 2004 at 22:35:34 PT

Excerpt of Article from The Post-Gazette 
Sentencing Guidelines Gain Court PriorityBy Michael McGough, Post-Gazette National BureauMonday, October 04, 2004In another case that tests the limit of Congress' powers under the Commerce Clause, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is disputing a federal appeals court's suggestion that Congress lacks the authority to outlaw the cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes within a state.Although California voters approved a referendum in 1996 allowing the medicinal use of marijuana, the Justice Department told a federal district judge that the law was superseded by the federal Controlled Substances Act, which makes the manufacture and possession of marijuana illegal.The district judge agreed, refusing the request of a cancer patient that the federal government be enjoined from enforcing the act against the medical use of marijuana in California. But the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court, saying Ashcroft probably would lose at a full-scale trial because it was unlikely "the intrastate, noncommercial cultivation and possession of [marijuana] for personal medical purposes" would substantially affect interstate commerce.Complete Article: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04278/390036.stm
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on October 03, 2004 at 22:12:09 PT

THE WASHINGTON POST is reporting this!
I'm so excited and so grateful that I can hardly stand it. 
The Washington Post!I can't believe they are reporting this. Finally, real mainstream media is saying something. Finally!Oh...I hope they have the stamina to keep this ball rolling!
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on October 03, 2004 at 21:58:41 PT

Ignorant prohibition
is being attacked at it's "feet of clay".Whoo Hoo!!!
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on October 03, 2004 at 21:54:19 PT

"consumer-based cause"
I like the sound of that..."consumer-based cause"FoM, do you see the size of that hole that's been knocked into the base of that impossible mountain...or wall or whatever it is, that we've been fighting for so long?The Washington Post. I'm so pleased. It's wonderful.
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on October 03, 2004 at 21:38:56 PT

Wonderful!
This is going to be some historical month!
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 03, 2004 at 21:09:36 PT

On CNN
They just mentioned the Supreme Court and Medical Marijuana on the scroll bar on the bottom of the page!
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 03, 2004 at 21:00:44 PT

Go ASA
In the Washington Post too! Yes!
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