cannabisnews.com: Fight To Legalize Marijuana Taken To A New High





Fight To Legalize Marijuana Taken To A New High
Posted by CN Staff on October 14, 2004 at 23:19:33 PT
By Christina M. Wright
Source: The Hilltop
Advocates for the legalization of marijuana are stepping up their efforts to remove restrictions on using the drug for medical purposes. The group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has filed a petition with the Department of Health and Human Services. They charge the agency with spreading inaccurate scientific information concerning the use of marijuana for medical purposes. ASA is calling on the government to correct published statements from the federal registrar that they say gives false information about marijuana.
ASA filed the petition under "The Data Quality Act," which allows individuals to challenge scientific information being circulated by federal agencies and requires a response from the agency within two months of the petition's filing. In the complaint, ASA contends that marijuana is currently labeled a "Schedule I" drug, which puts it in the same category as LSD and peyote. These drugs are declared to have no medical use. ASA believes marijuana can be used for medical purposes and want the Drug Enforcement Administration to declare marijuana a "Schedule II" drug, which would give doctors more leverage to prescribe the drug to ailing patients. It would also make it easier for researchers to obtain marijuana for research. Many high profile celebrities have joined in with ASA and are calling on the federal government to ease the restrictions on using marijuana for medical purposes."If we think our doctors are smart enough to prescribe morphine and cocaine...the same doctors are smart enough to say, I think this person can benefit from this," said talk show host Montel Williams in a broadcast of a recent show about legalizing marijuana.Williams admits to using marijuana to ease the pains of living with multiple sclerosis. Williams said during the show that he has uncovered an ongoing government program that provides seven people across the nation with marijuana each month to use for medical purposes. The program began as a research program in 1992 with 13 people. Six have died.  "Why can't the federal government expand this program to include the people like myself so that I don't have worries about getting locked up to come in and pay taxes to keep you and people like you employed," said Williams in a challenge to Dr. Andrea Barthwell, former White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Deputy Director For Demand Reduction.The ASA petition insists that marijuana is more helpful than harmful for the patients who are allowed to use it. A 1999 report issued by the Institute of Medicine said that studies have found marijuana to be helpful "for pain relief, control of nausea, vomiting and appetite stimulation.""It definitely helps with the side effects of my Hepatitis C, and chemotherapy," said a patient and authorized marijuana user, Monte Levine. "It also helps with the compressed disks in my back." Levine lives in Washington where marijuana is legalized for medical purposes and is an active member of ASA.The most widely spread connotation about the medical harm of smoking marijuana is that it can cause lung cancer, and therefore should not be legalized. ASA directs attention to the 1988 findings of DEA administrative Judge Francis L. Young, who concluded that marijuana was 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 Young said.He concluded that marijuana had "accepted medical uses in treatment in the United States." Although he then decided that it be moved to Schedule II, the ruling was later overturned.To reduce any chances of lung harm, some marijuana users consume the medicine through alternative methods including vaporization and tincture. "Three days a week, I don't smoke it...I eat it," Williams said.Marijuana can be authorized by a doctor for medical usage in nine states (Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Hawaii, Maine, Nev., Ore., and Wash.), however authorized patients are still being raided by federal agencies. According to Levine, the federal government of the West district of Washington "strongly encouraged state prosecutors to go after medical marijuana users.""I've been raided three times," said Levine. "My partner was even tortured in one of the raids. They locked him in a car on the hottest day of the year for an hour and a half."Users are very adamant about keeping marijuana as their go-to medicine, even if it is made completely illegal.Williams, who is currently not authorized to use marijuana for medical purposes, defiantly stated that he also would continue to use the drug. "I'm breaking the law now, and I am going to continue to break the law everyday."Source: Hilltop, The (Howard U, DC Edu) Author: Christina M. WrightPublished: Friday, October 15, 2004 Copyright: 2004 The HilltopWebsite: http://www.thehilltoponline.com/Contact: http://www.thehilltoponline.com/main.cfm?include=submitRelated Articles & Web Sites:Americans For Safe Accesshttp://www.safeaccessnow.org/Medicinal Cannabis Research Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/research.htmPot Shots: ASA Goes To Washingtonhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19619.shtmlGroup Challenges U.S. Marijuana Lawhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19601.shtmlTranscript: Montel Williams on Medical Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19519.shtml 
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Comment #13 posted by Ferre on October 17, 2004 at 09:27:39 PT
Exposing more lies
Nixon Tapes Show Roots of Marijuana Prohibition: Misinformation, Culture Wars and Prejudice.
Declassified Oval Office tapes from 1971-1972 demonstrate that the foundation of marijuana criminalization is misinformation, culture war and prejudice. The release of the newest set of tapes coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse (“the Shafer Commission”) appointed by President Nixon, and highlights the discrepancy between Nixon’s personal agenda and his Commission’s highly researched recommendations.
The most important recommendation of the Commission was the decriminalization of possession and non-profit transfer of marijuana. 
Decriminalization meant there should be no punishment – criminal or civil – under state or federal law.CSDP Research Report, March 2002 (pdf)http://www.thc-ministry.net/downloads/shafernixon.pdf _______________________________________"The Discriminatory Origins of the American Drug Wars, The Creation of the Drug Criminalization Industry, And The Effect On Modern Fourth Amendment Law: Using Luhmannian Concepts to Determine The Historical Origins & Effects of Social Phenomena."
Paper Presented at Copenhagen Business School, Center For Corporate Communication, Copenhagen, Denmark, May 25, 2003.http://www.thc-ministry.net/downloads/AnnParrLori.pdf _______________________________________Cannabis Use Not Linked with Psychosocial Harm!
Psychological and social sequelae of cannabis and other illicit drug use by young people: a systematic review of longitudinal, general population studies.http://www.thc-ministry.net/downloads/cannabis.pdfVery educational conclusion here:http://www.thc-ministry.net/downloads/cannabis-comm.pdf_______________________________________
The Amsterdam Cannabis Ministry
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 15, 2004 at 20:08:08 PT
goneposthole
You know how to make me smile! Thanks!
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Comment #11 posted by goneposthole on October 15, 2004 at 17:55:07 PT
One thing I have noticed
during those 34 years: I used to have 'cold sores' or 'fever blisters' on a regular basis. Herpes simplex 1 infections are more or less non-existent anymore. I attribute the far fewer incidents of 'cold sores' to cannabis use. When I am out of kind bud, I fear having a 'fever blister' breakout. I'm only human. 'I'm pert near as old as I look' :-) 
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Comment #10 posted by Agog on October 15, 2004 at 16:01:48 PT
Paxil Zoloft .... age
Hello Cnews Community..How about these stories about the relative harmlessness of cannabis v. drugs.... a little bit of soulshine coming through!! 
The FDA won't outlaw them necessarily but will now require the "Blackbox" warning on the so called anti-depressants because they at times increase the suicidal thoughts of the children they are prescribed to. Of course because they have been blessed by the "state" they are OK and after all it is for the children's own good.Agog
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 15, 2004 at 11:12:02 PT
Oh EJ
I want you to know I am only kidding with you about mentioning your age. It doesn't matter about how old anyone is. I feel like I think the same way as when I was in my late teens but I'm now a lot wiser and a good bit slower.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 15, 2004 at 10:27:36 PT
EJ Just a Comment
I understand what you mean. You confuse me about how old you are because you like rap music and seem to be more up with the times in music then me. I won't ask you how old you are but I've always wondered about your age. If you tell me I promise I won't tell anyone! LOL!
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Comment #7 posted by E_Johnson on October 15, 2004 at 10:18:44 PT
goneposthole this is verrry interesting
"I look 34 years older after smoking marijuana for 34 years."I have noticed by and by that people in the pot community that I meet often turn out to be much older than I would have guessed based on their looks.People also say that about me. Nobody can guess my age now.I know smoking tobacco causes wrinkles.Gosh wow gee whiz -- maybe smoking pot prevents them.I wonder what Dr. Russo would think of this.The marijuana community really needs to be studied objectively. There's so many interesting things to be seen in this community, like the fact that people tend to be older than they look, and also sicker than they look -- this all needs to be understood by science.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 15, 2004 at 08:11:07 PT
Truth
I agree with you. I've decided the best way to get thru the next few weeks until elections is to listen to music. The divide in our country has never been like it is now. That's a good thing though. O'Reilly's problem, Bush's strange box on his back in the first debate, voter fraud and on and on. One thing I know is Kerry is nothing like Bush. I feel sorry for Kerry if he's elected. He will inherit the mess in Iraq and that will be so difficult to fix. As difficult as these times are they are full of hope for me. Everytime I say I have hope someone tries to take it away from me but I won't let it bring me down it's only castle's burning. 
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Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on October 15, 2004 at 07:02:37 PT
safer than anything
I have smoked marijuana for 34 years now. I feel fine.Take Zoloft for 34 years. Take Ritalin for 34 years. Take Paxil for 34 years.See how you look after 34 years.I look 34 years older after smoking marijuana for 34 years.I doubt if there ever will be a shortage of marijuana. It might get a little dry sometimes. I can cope with that.Never at anytime during those 34 years has there been no marijuana. Always been there, always will be. It's everywhere, all of the time. Good old marijuana. What would you rather have? Zoloft, Ritalin, Paxil or marijuana?
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Comment #4 posted by Truth on October 15, 2004 at 06:44:16 PT
bush
bush is on his way out. So is prohibiting people from their right to freedom. Good things are happening.
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on October 15, 2004 at 05:46:52 PT
The bush Department of Health and Human Services?
As Oprah Slaps Bush 
With 30 states poised to smack down women's rights again, the one true savior emergeshttp://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2004/10/13/notes101304.DTL
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Comment #2 posted by mayan on October 15, 2004 at 05:30:49 PT
Great!
This is a great article from the student paper of a doctoral/research university in the nation's capital, nonetheless! Way to go, Christina M. Wright! Each and every passing day that we share here at Cannabis News makes the government's stance on cannabis look more and more absurd. How I so look forward to the day when we can look back and remember how we fought so relentlessly in the "trenches" of the great drug war! In the meantime, the casualties mount. The blood is on the hands of those who have made us their enemies. We didn't choose this battle, it chose us. We didn't start this war but we WILL finish it.Sorry if these have been posted...Council set to vote on medical pot law(San Luis Obispo)
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/9916637.htmCulkin Pleads Not Guilty:
http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGBSFQZUB0E.htmlThe way out is the way in...As the effort to expose 9/11 gets more successful, the mainstream media get more hysterical in their opposition. A couple of 9/11 Truth activists take apart three recent examples, responding to each in that time-honored format -- the "open letter."
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/101304_open_letters.shtmlThis war on terrorism is bogus: 
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/comment/0%2C12956%2C1036687%2C00.htmlThe making of the terror myth:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,12780,1327904,00.htmlPaul Thompson's Complete 9/11 Timeline:
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/project.jsp?project=911_project
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Comment #1 posted by Truth on October 15, 2004 at 05:22:56 PT
and the wall....
come tumblen' down.....
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