cannabisnews.com: 3 Western States To Vote on Pot Proposals





3 Western States To Vote on Pot Proposals
Posted by CN Staff on October 10, 2004 at 10:51:44 PT
By David Crary, Associated Press
Source: Associated Press 
Portland, Ore. - The Bush administration's war on drugs stretches deep into Asia and Latin America, yet one of its most crucial campaigns - in the eyes of drug czar John Walters - is being waged this fall among voters in Oregon, Alaska and Montana.In each state, activists seeking to ease drug laws have placed a marijuana-related proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot as part of a long-running quest for alternatives to federal drug policies they consider harsh and ineffective.
If all three measures are approved, Montana would become the 10th state to legalize pot for medical purposes, Oregon would dramatically expand its existing medical-marijuana program, and Alaska would become the first state to decriminalize marijuana altogether.Walters has been campaigning in person against the measures, taking a particularly aggressive role in opposing Oregon's Measure 33. It would create state-regulated dispensaries to supply marijuana, let authorized growers sell pot to patients for a profit, and allow patients to possess a pound of it at a time instead of the current 3-ounce limit."They use medical marijuana as a Trojan horse," Walters said of the measure's supporters. "People's suffering is being used for legalizing drug use beginning with marijuana and moving forward."Oregon and Alaska are among nine states which, since 1996, have adopted laws allowing qualified patients to use medical marijuana. The others are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Vermont and Washington.The U.S. House defeated a proposal in July to stop the federal government from prosecuting people who use marijuana for medical reasons in states that allow it. A case raising that same issue is to be considered soon by the Supreme Court.Oregon and Alaska activists say their ballot measures would eliminate problems patients now face in obtaining enough marijuana to ease their suffering.In Oregon, for example, the 10,000 patients enrolled in the current program must grow their own pot or get it from designated "caregivers" who cannot be paid."It takes knowledge, money and everything going right to grow high-quality marijuana," said John Sajo, 48, a longtime drug-reform activist who runs the Measure 33 campaign from a cramped office. "Most patients suffering debilitating medical conditions just aren't able to grow their own."Madeline Martinez, a former prison guard, does manage to grow marijuana at her Portland home. She appreciates the chance to legally use pot, rather than powerful prescription drugs, to ease the discomfort of her degenerative disc and joint disease."Instead of being in a drug-induced stupor, I can interact with my grandchildren," said Martinez, 53. "It's given me the quality of life I wanted."The Oregon Medical Association differs, calling Measure 33 bad public health policy. Oregon's prosecutors also oppose the measure, which trails in statewide polls."There's enough stuff out in our world to lead young people astray without adding another one," said Benton County District Attorney Scott Heiser.Alaskans will vote on a measure even more far-reaching than Oregon's - to prohibit prosecution of anyone 21 or older who consumes, grows or distributes pot for private personal use. It would allow authorities to regulate marijuana along the lines of alcohol and tobacco - for example, taxing it and barring its use in public.Even a leading foe of the measure, former U.S. Attorney Wev Shea, believes it might pass, thanks partly to sophisticated advertising backed by national marijuana-reform organizations."They've got a lot of money behind them and they're running a very professional campaign," Shea said in a telephone interview. "It's difficult for us on the other side - we don't get paid a penny."Under a 1975 state court ruling, Alaskans already have the tacit right to possess up to four ounces of pot in their homes for personal use. Shea said decriminalization supporters suggest in ads that any crackdown on at-home pot use might be followed by a crackdown on gun ownership.Shea contended that the state's top elected officials, and Alaska-based federal authorities, have been too reserved in challenging the measure, apparently because of concerns that they shouldn't actively take sides in a referendum campaign."They're so worried about offending the so-called freethinkers in Alaska," Shea said. "But you've got to stand up for what you believe in."Walters acknowledged that Alaskans' libertarian attitudes might benefit the other side - but feels approval would be a disaster."I don't think there's another state that's suffered as much from substance abuse as Alaska," Walters added. "It's shocking that we'd have outside groups working to make this problem worse."In Montana, a recent poll indicated the medical marijuana measure would be approved, and few top officials have campaigned vigorously against it. The chief spokesman for the measure, investment adviser Paul Befumo, is aware that such proposals have always prevailed when going before voters in other states. "You don't want to be the first that loses," he said.National drug-reform groups hope state medical-marijuana programs will proliferate, and have produced studies asserting that existing programs don't trigger increases in youth marijuana use or other feared problems."It's slow and cumbersome to go state by state, but when you do get closer to the people, it seems you have a better chance," said Bruce Mirkin of the Marijuana Policy Project. "If people keep supporting reform measures, at some point a light bulb will go off over Congress and we'll see changes at the federal level." Source: Associated Press Author: David Crary, Associated PressPublished:  October 10, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Legalization Advocates Hope To Tax Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19623.shtmlAlaskans To Decide on Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19622.shtmlPain Relief with Legal Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19616.shtmlDeputy Drug Czar Opposes Legalizing Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19612.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by b4daylight on October 12, 2004 at 04:28:50 PT
Right wing emocracy
So here is a question.Suppose you took no prescription medication because you can not afford it. "National sales figures indicate that from 1998 to 2002, sales of anti-depressants increased 73% to more than $12 billion, while analeptics, drugs like Ritalin and Adderall that stimulate the central nervous system, increased 167%, according to IMS Health, a pharmaceutical information and consulting company. Even more distressing, physicians wrote more than 1 million prescriptions for Strattera, a nonstimulant treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in its first six months on the market."Suppose you do not drink Alcohol. "One of the most serious consequences is for the liver. In response to long-term alcohol exposure it starts producing more alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme which it uses to break ethanol down.This means, you need more alcohol for the same effect. This worsens the addiction. The liver then becomes over-active, cells die and the tissue hardens. The result is cirrhosis of the liver. Other risks of long-term drinking include heart disease, stroke, dementia and brain damage, myopathy - a weakening of the muscles - and shrivelled sex organs. Cancers related to alcohol include those of the liver, colon, rectum and breast cancer in women."Suppose you did not drink coffee. "The other physiological changes wrought by caffeine are all dependent upon it's effect as a nervous stimulant. It can cause back and neck pain, as those muscles are constantly in a state of contraction, leading to tension headaches. Caffeine raises blood pressure and stimulates the heart rate, worsening and even causing arrhythmias, hypertension and glaucoma. Caffeine inhibits digestion, decreasing the secretion of bile and pancreatic enzymes, as well as the secretions of the mucus membranes and salivary glands. Caffeine causes the depletion of minerals such as potassium as well as Vitamins B from the body on account of it's diuretic action, interferes in the absorption of Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron, and is a factor in osteoporosis, infertility, birth defects and immune dysfunction. Caffeine places undue stress upon liver function, causing damage to the liver cells and congestion from chronic inhibition of bile secretion, a key role in the development of migraines, poor fat digestion and hepatitis. Caffeine causes damage to the bowels, causing spasms, colic and flatulence and is a factor in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Many practitioners note that caffeine-containing products seem to produce metabolites in the body which build up in the joints, promoting arthritis and joint inflammation.."Suppose you do not use tobacco. Tobacco kills more than 400,000 Americans each year. This figure represents more deaths than from Aids, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs and fires combined."Increased risk for smokers Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (gum disease), Muscle injuries, Angina (20 x risk), Neck pain, Back pain, Nystagmus (abnormal eye movements), Buerger’s Disease (severe circulatory disease), Ocular Histoplasmosis (fungal eye infection), Duodenal ulcer, Osteoporosis (in both sexes), Cataract (2 x risk), Osteoarthritis, Cataract, posterior subcapsular (3 x risk), Penis (inability to have an erection), Colon Polyps, Peripheral vascular disease, Crohn’s Disease (chronic inflamed bowel), Pneumonia, Depression, Psoriasis (2 x risk), Diabetes (Type 2, non-insulin dependent), Skin wrinkling (2 x risk), Hearing loss, Stomach ulcer, Influenza,Rheumatoid arthritis (for heavy smokers) ,Impotence (2 x risk), Tendon injuries. Optic Neuropathy (loss of vision, 16 x risk), Tobacco Amblyopia (loss of vision), Ligament injuries, Tooth loss, Macular degeneration (eyes, 2 x risk), and Tuberculosis
Function impaired in smokers Ejaculation (volume reduced), Sperm count reduced, Fertility (30% lower in women), Sperm motility impaired, Immune System (impaired), Sperm less able to penetrate the ovum, Menopause (onset 1.74 years early on average), and Sperm shape abnormalities increased
Symptoms worse in smokers
Asthma, Graves’ disease (over-active thyroid gland), Chronic rhinitis (chronic inflammation of the nose), Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetic retinopathy (eyes), and Optic Neuritis (eyes)
Disease more severe or persistent in smokersCommon cold, Pneumonia, Crohn’s Disease (chronic inflamed bowel),Tuberculosis, and Influenza"Suppose you do not gamble. "Inability to stop, Denial, Severe depression and mood swings, Blackouts–Brownouts, Addition used to escape from pain, Preoccupation, High of gambling similar to rush of cocaine, poverty, and causes Dysfunctional families"Suppose you only have safe sex. "Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), once called venereal diseases, are among the most common infectious diseases in the United States today. More than 20 STIs have now been identified, and they affect more than 13 million men and women in this country each year.
Genital HerpesGenital herpes affects an estimated 60 million Americans. Approximately 500,000 new cases of this incurable viral infection develop annually. Herpes infections are caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). The major symptoms of herpes infection are painful blisters or open sores in the genital area. These may be preceded by a tingling or burning sensation in the legs, buttocks, or genital region. The herpes sores usually disappear within two to three weeks, but the virus remains in the body for life and the lesions may recur from time to time."Suppose you knew not to, and did not take synthetic drugs."Enough said."Suppose you did not eat pesticides. "Some examples of chemically-related pesticides follow. Other examples are available in sources such as Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings.Organophosphate Pesticides - These pesticides affect the nervous system by disrupting the enzyme that regulates acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. Most organophosphates are insecticides. They were developed during the early 19th century, but their effects on insects, which are similar to their effects on humans, were discovered in 1932. Some are very poisonous (they were used in World War II as nerve agents). However, they usually are not persistent in the environment.Carbamate Pesticides affect the nervous system by disupting an enzyme that regulates acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. The enzyme effects are usually reversible. There are several subgroups within the carbamates.Organochlorine Insecticides were commonly used in the past, but many have been removed from the market due to their health and environmental effects and their persistence (e.g. DDT and chlordane).Pyrethroid Pesticides were developed as a synthetic version of the naturally occurring pesticide pyrethrin, which is found in chrysanthemums. They have been modified to increase their stability in the environment. Some synthetic pyrethroids are toxic to the nervous system.Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to nearly 20 pesticides per day, on average."Suppose you only ate Wild salmon or "Salmo salar". "David Suzuki Foundation: In January 2001, BBC News produced a program "Warnings from the Wild, The Price of Salmon". The program cited a pilot study conducted by Dr Easton with David Suzuki Foundation. The study found that farmed salmon and the feed they were fed appeared to have a much higher level of contamination with respect to PCBs, organo-chlorine pesticides and polybrominated diphenyl ethers than did wild salmon." Suppose you never ridden in a car. "42,643 died last year in automobiles." Yet you end up in jail for mushrooms, peyote, and marijuana.
Why will you not honor other countries views as in studies or pilot programs?
If justice does more harm than the drug then we should vote to realign our efforts and laws. 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on October 11, 2004 at 09:59:29 PT
Poll on Medical Marijuana
War On Drugs Includes Fighting Medical MarijuanaPlease Vote: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/3799806/detail.html
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on October 10, 2004 at 16:34:07 PT
There is no debate; stop caging Cannabis drinkers.
THE MARIJUANA DEBATE An interesting debate, but Lea Palleria Cox is obviously misled in her belief that marijuana is harmful. What is harmful is being caught up in the legal system for something that really should be no business of the federal government. The only young person I know who was destroyed by marijuana was not hurt by the drug but by the court system. Marijuana is not the danger being portrayed by the government. Mark Bowman http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1437/a06.html?397
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Comment #2 posted by global_warming on October 10, 2004 at 12:06:04 PT
Out On A Limb
"Walters has been campaigning in person against the measures, taking a particularly aggressive role in opposing Oregon's Measure 33. It would create state-regulated dispensaries to supply marijuana, let authorized growers sell pot to patients for a profit, and allow patients to possess a pound of it at a time instead of the current 3-ounce limit."October 10, 2004 John Walters, if you truelly want to save mankind, and if you are a true man, will you stand up and help us, will you, John Walters, come forward and apply the salve on the wounds that have been bleeding for 2000 years, will you John Walters be there to receive the body as it comes down from the cross, or will you hide behind your pitiful fear, John, may you find fulfillment in your job, in your life, but be warned, that you John, are inflicting more damage to the mortal flesh than time may record, you are standing up for some puppet idea of salvation, some bureaucratic modernism that is not in line with the passion of the martyrs, that is not in line with the world.There is always time for a person to find God, and there is always time to beg for forgiveness, but there will come a time when it is too late, it is at that portal that the soul will shiver and cry eternal tears, for the Light will pass by, like a big machine this universe unfolds, this world is moving closer to God, and all the paychecks in this little world are not enough to pay the ransom for forgiveness.My prayers are for those human souls who battle with addictions, not only with addictive substances, but with addictions to power and greed, addictions of ignorance and helpless fear, these are our brothers and sisters, our mothers and fathers, these are our children, our offerings to the God of this universe.John, you, or me, cannot change this world, but, you and I, can be the start, the first seeds, that will grow into tree's that will shade and comfort our world into the grace of God.Peace and Understanding...gw
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 10, 2004 at 11:23:30 PT
No Trojan Horse but The Truth
He can't fight us on our turf so he leads people to believe that everyone believes all drugs should be legal and that is not true. Some do and some don't. We all agree that the laws on Cannabis should be changed. ***"They use medical marijuana as a Trojan horse," Walters said of the measure's supporters. "People's suffering is being used for legalizing drug use beginning with marijuana and moving forward."
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