cannabisnews.com: Montanans To Determine Legality of Med Marijuana Montanans To Determine Legality of Med Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on October 27, 2004 at 09:57:35 PT By Jessica Wambach, Montana Kaimin Source: Montana Kaimin If Paul Befumo had known that marijuana could have eased his father’s pain during the last few months of his life, he would have broken the law to get it for him. Befumo, a 48-year-old registered investment adviser in Missoula, lost his father, also named Paul, to lung cancer two years ago after the family auditioned a long list of drugs to reduce his pain and nausea and to increase his appetite. What they didn’t try was the one treatment some chronically ill patients say has been their last, best resort: marijuana. Since then, Befumo has researched the drug’s benefits and hopes Montanans will reach beyond marijuana’s stigma on Nov. 2 when they’re asked to vote to legalize its medicinal use. “If you look up the definition of medicine, it doesn’t say something that’s injected, or comes in a pink pill or comes in a white pill,” Befumo says.Befumo is the spokesperson for the Medical Marijuana Policy Project of Montana, which has been encouraging voters to pass Initiative 148, the Medical Marijuana Act. If voters approve, Montana would become the ninth state to allow chronically ill patients to use marijuana with a doctor’s prescription. Others, like Jim Shockley, an attorney and state legislator from Victor, oppose the initiative. Shockley fears it would encourage the use of marijuana among the general population, overwhelming police and doctors who would have to monitor the drug’s legitimate use. Besides, he adds, legal treatment options already exist, such as Marinol, which contains synthetic versions of marijuana’s active ingredients. If passed, patients could use a limited amount of marijuana to relieve symptoms from illnesses such as cancer, glaucoma and HIV/AIDS or treatments that produce chronic pain, nausea, seizures, or muscle spasms and atrophy. A patient or caregiver could also register to grow up to six marijuana plants and possess no more than one ounce if they provide a physician’s certification that they have a debilitating condition and could benefit from marijuana’s use. Befumo says that since the initiative campaign began, he’s had calls from more than 50 Montana patients who say the passage of I-148 would help them. One of the people who called Befumo was Robin Prosser, a Missoula woman who has suffered for about 20 years from an immunosuppressive disorder and was arrested in May when police found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in her home. Prosser has said she used marijuana to treat her illness because she’s allergic to prescription narcotics. In September, a Missoula judge told Prosser she could continue to use marijuana medicinally if supported by a physician. She was also told that charges against her would be dropped if after nine months she has no additional trouble with the law. Prosser’s case marked progress in the Marijuana Policy Project’s national quest to legalize medical marijuana, Befumo says, but he adds that his own story shows how far there is to go. Befumo’s father tried many drugs, including Marinol, but couldn’t keep the pills down and still suffered from nausea and decreased appetite toward the end of his life. “My dad liked to be really present and in control of himself,” he says. “When I had gone to visit him the last few times, the pain medication he was on really kept him as kind of an invalid. When you talk to people who are in this situation, that’s one of the worst parts of the drugs.” Befumo says that for some patients, using marijuana has cut their opiate dosages in half, allowing them to be more coherent. And while alternative drugs like Marinol are available, some patients believe they’re not as effective. “When they came out with Tylenol, they didn’t take aspirin off the shelf,” Befumo says. “Not everything works for everybody.” Not everyone is as convinced as Befumo of the medicinal need for marijuana. Michael Spence has been the chief medical officer of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services for seven and a half years. Before that, he worked with HIV and AIDS patients on the East Coast for more than two decades. He says he doesn’t recall any patients who couldn’t take Marinol or another synthetic drug. “I really can’t say that was an observation that I made,” he says. “I’m not saying it doesn’t happen.” Shockley, whose own wife is undergoing chemotherapy treatments, says even if some people can’t use an alternative, it’s not a good idea for Montana to pass the law. “Are there some people in the world who nothing else will help? Probably. But I imagine they are very, very, very few,” he says. “If there are any, they’re just going to have to get by on something else.” But Befumo says his group has received letters and phone calls from many medical officials across the state who support the initiative. Spence is not surprised. “I think that for the most part, the medical profession is willing to look at anything that might be beneficial to our patients’ outcome,” he says. “If this might be helpful, why not give it a whirl?” Still, he cautions, there are many uncertainties surrounding the policy. “Different people have different pain thresholds,” Spence says, adding that he’s concerned about the initial uncertainty that would result from not knowing how much marijuana to tell a patient to use. Because the law would allow a patient to grow up to six plants and possess up to one ounce of marijuana, Shockley says he’s worried patients may be allowed to grow too much and there could be a problem with patients selling or giving away their extra supply. “We’d have marijuana gardens all over the state,” he said. “This law creates a tremendous loophole for people who want to grow marijuana illegally.” But Befumo insists that the patients who would be allowed to grow marijuana wouldn’t run the risk of being imprisoned and losing their medication. “If you look at the people they’re going after, they’re not people you would consider criminals,” he says. “You don’t want to be covered under this statute.” He adds that because any authorized user would have to carry a registration card, the law would not provide an extra burden for police beyond counting how many plants a person has. “Most police officers I know can count up to six,” he says. But Lt. Levi Talkington, a Lewistown policeman and president of the Montana Police Protective Association, says the issue is more complicated than that. “With any new statute, there’s always kind of that gray area that needs to be tested,” he says. “At first I would think there would be some increased workload on the law enforcement.” Talkington suggests the state would need a watchdog force to keep the prescribed use of marijuana within legal bounds. He would also like a clearer interpretation of whether police would be able to search a person’s house to see how many plants they were growing. “How do I know that they have the legal limit of what they’re supposed to have and not an entire grove in the back of their house or something?” he says. He also worries I-148 is a move toward the general legalization of marijuana. “It’s kind of one step closer,” he says. “We are (already) seeing a lot more marijuana. It’s not uncommon anymore when you arrest someone and search them to find marijuana on them.” Befumo concedes the initiative may change society’s attitudes about marijuana but says its purpose is not to make the drug legal for everyone. “If you look at the statute, it’s just very narrowly defined,” he says. “But there have to be hundreds of people, even thousands in Montana, who that could work for.” Shockley, Spence and others are also concerned that marijuana has long been identified as a stepping-stone toward other, more dangerous drugs. “It’s certainly considered by many people as a gateway drug and legalizing (it) is giving someone entry into a harder line of drugs,” Spence says. Joan Cassidey, chief of Montana’s Chemical Dependency Bureau, says more people are admitted to treatment programs for marijuana abuse than for the abuse of any other drug except alcohol. Of nearly 7,000 admissions in 2003, 1,400 were for marijuana. But Befumo says the “gateway drug” argument is questionable. The fact that many hard-drug abusers say they’ve used marijuana doesn’t mean most marijuana users go on to harder drugs. Nor does Befumo, a father of three, agree with Shockley’s concern that allowing the use of medicinal marijuana usage sends a bad message to children. “What’s the wrong message?” he said. “We shouldn’t put sick people in jail? I don’t have a problem with that message.” Nor do most Montanans, according to a Lee newspapers poll conducted in late September. Some 58 percent supported I-148, 29 percent opposed it and 13 percent were undecided. California was the first state to allow the possession, use and growth of medicinal marijuana in 1996. Since then Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Colorado and Maine have been added to the list. Arizona has legalized its use with a doctor’s prescription and Maryland now protects marijuana patients from incarceration, but not arrest. Befumo says medicinal marijuana has triumphed in every state where voters have been asked to allow its use. “I’m cautiously optimistic,” he says. He adds that the best part of this campaign has been educating patients and their loved ones about the benefits medical marijuana could provide. He says the way he sees it, those who do know about it have two choices if their loved ones are sick: Don’t use it or use it illegally and risk getting caught. “I would have tried it,” Befumo says. “I would’ve obtained it illegally for him. I don’t think people should have to face that choice.”Source: Montana Kaimin (MT Edu)Author: Jessica Wambach, Montana KaiminPublished: Wednesday, October 27, 2004Copyright: 2004 Montana KaiminContact: editor selway.umt.eduWebsite: http://www.kaimin.org/Related Articles & Web Site:Montana Careshttp://montanacares.org/Medical Marijuana Debate a Smoking Issuehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19718.shtmlMarijuana Should Be in The Toolboxhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19664.shtmlTheir Lips are Movinghttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19643.shtmlMontana To Vote on Medical Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19528.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #26 posted by FoM on October 28, 2004 at 14:37:44 PT Endorsement from The Missoula Independent October 28, 2004Ballot Initiative 148: FOR or AGAINST allowing the limited use of marijuana, under medical supervision, by patients with debilitating medical conditions to alleviate the symptoms of their conditions. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) still classifies marijuana more stringently than it does cocaine and methamphetamine. In 1988, a DEA judge ruled that the medical benefits of marijuana should be grounds for its reclassification (from Schedule I to Schedule II). “Placement in Schedule II would mean, essentially, that physicians in the United States would not violate Federal law by prescribing marijuana for their patients for legitimate therapeutic purposes,” wrote DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young. Ultimately, the DEA did not act on Young’s ruling. Possession of marijuana for medicinal use remains illegal in much of the country. The Medical Marijuana Act, if passed, would allow for regulated and limited use of the substance. It would allow patients with a “debilitating medical condition” (defined in full in the initiative), confirmed by their physicians’ written certification, to be issued ID cards by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MDPHHS). A cardholder would be allowed to legally possess up to six marijuana plants and one ounce of useable marijuana. Cards would be renewed annually. The MDPHHS would annually report details (also specified in the initiative) to the Legislature. The initiative makes provisions for minors and caregivers, for example precluding convicted drug felons from serving in the role of caregiver and card-holder. In addition to protecting patients, the initiative would protect prescribing physicians from arrest or prosecution by the board of medical examiners. It would also institute fines and jail time for people misrepresenting their need for marijuana. Since 1999, nine other states have decriminalized the medicinal use of marijuana. The most vocal opposition still comes from law enforcement. The Office of Drug Control Policy’s Scott Burns paid a recent visit to Montana to warn of the dangers of considering marijuana medicine: confused and dope-happy youth. Even back in 1988, however, Francis Young showed this argument to be ill-reasoned: “There are those who, in all sincerity, argue that the transfer of marijuana to Schedule II will ‘send a signal’ that marijuana is ‘OK’ generally for recreational use. This argument is specious. It presents no valid reason for refraining from taking an action required by law in light of the evidence…The evidence in this record clearly shows that marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving the distress of great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under medical supervision. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance…” That was 1988. It’s still true. Vote FOR 148 to give physicians and patients relief. http://www.missoulanews.com/News/News.asp?no=4423 [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by mayan on October 27, 2004 at 18:03:04 PT "Wrong Message" Nor does Befumo, a father of three, agree with Shockley’s concern that allowing the use of medicinal marijuana usage sends a bad message to children. “What’s the wrong message?” he said. “We shouldn’t put sick people in jail?Befumo's statement,in a nushell, totally annihilates the prohibitionist's argument! How can the use of any medicine which helps the sick be considered a "wrong message" to anyone??? Even the children are more intelligent than Shockley as I'm sure they wouldn't ban a viable medicine even if they had the power and they sure as hell wouldn't throw someone in jail for using it!Sorry if this has been posted...Measure 33 Would Expand Medical Pot Program: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/opb/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=700676The way out is the way in...9/11 Families, New Yorkers To Petition New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer To Open Full Criminal Investigation of September 11 Attacks: http://www.summeroftruth.org/pr102604.htmlJustice For 9/11 - Toward a New Criminal Investigation into the Events of 9/11: http://www.justicefor911.org/100 Respected US Leaders & Families Demand 9/11 Investigation ! http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/archive/scoop/stories/48/11/200410271435.c560be28.html9/11 - The Achilles' Heel of the Bush Regime: http://www.oilempire.us/911.html9/11 - Indian Summer of Truth: http://www.summeroftruth.org/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by global_warming on October 27, 2004 at 16:58:42 PT Misery In Missoula "If Paul Befumo had known that marijuana could have eased his father’s pain during the last few months of his life, he would have broken the law to get it for him. "...If Paul Befumo had realized that this world is shaped not on easing one's pain but in gathering more money, he might have been a wiser person.If Paul Befumo had been a wiser person, he might have better understood the sacrifices that people have been making for 2004 years.The death of Jesus, marked the beggining of an awareness of our place in this world, Jesus was crucified or incarcerated in modern parlance, by the so called establishment, the rich and powerful, who have many lawyers to hire, looked for and found ways to control and kill this visionary soul.It is my understanding that Jesus martyred himself, so that future generations might be able to glimpse the forces of this universe.His last words were a prayer to mankind, to the Father, asking for forgiveness, for they do not understand.Jesus, lived a life that was a testament of forgiveness, he healed, he brought joy and comfort, in all his steps, he comforted.It is my current understanding that these people that continue this prohibition, and this current world view, share not in the understanding that can heal our world, they seek to divide and continue to oppress the many humans on this planet. The ones who who provoke wars and social hatreds are the ones who have the most to lose financially.The world will survive the most deep hatred, and life will rise up to the plate, for even the most greedy bastards will some day lay in a hospital bed awaiting their reward.-gw [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 16:47:13 PT I Missed Him America Votes 2004Wednesday, October 27, 2004 Former Reagan White House Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein joins us to talk about the final push before Election Day. Then, billionaire hedge fund manager George Soros tells us why he's supporting Sen. John Kerry. Next, David Sullivan, voter protection coordinator for Ohio Democrats, and Robert Bennett, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, "Face Off" over whether Ohio's polls are vulnerable to fraud. And, singer and author Kinky Friedman joins us to talk about his book, "'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out: Reflections on Country Singers, Presidents and Other Trouble Makers." http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 16:44:16 PT Was He On Lou Dobbs Too? I was busy and didn't see the whole show but I did catch George Soros. [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by Hope on October 27, 2004 at 16:43:56 PT FoM, apparently I watched the wrong Lou Dobbs. I thought it was Lou Dobbs. I'd have liked to have seen Mr. Soros, but Mr. Friedman was quite interesting. I guess you saw it, BGreen? He was having more than a little trouble with his cigar though. [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 16:42:17 PT Thanks BGreen I never heard of him. [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by BGreen on October 27, 2004 at 16:38:16 PT Kinky Friedman wants to be your governor, Hope Kinky for Governor? Texas politics needs this kind of boost Dallas Morning News: 12:02 AM CST on Sunday, March 28, 2004The Kinkster running for governor? Evidently.Kinky Friedman – novelist, humorist and pioneer of Jewish country-western music – wants to hurl himself into the ring for the 2006 governor's race. And we mean hat, cigar, mouth ... everything.http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/dallasmorningnews.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 16:29:02 PT Hope I'm sorry but I don't understand what you mean. George Soros was on Lou Dobbs Money Line which I enjoy watching and he spoke out strongly for Kerry and his idea of an Open Society. That's the first time I've ever heard George Soros speak and he is fired up. He said in Ohio there are over 800,000 new voters registered and they are not counted in the polls so he is very hopeful for victory but he was humble too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 16:24:50 PT sukoi Thank you for the link. I did post it as a link on one of the articles. I didn't think I should bother posting it because it isn't Cannabis just a compound. I've noticed that these articles always pop up around the time medical marijuana is in the news. It's like they want people to believe a compound will work and we don't need the plant. I could be wrong though. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by sukoi on October 27, 2004 at 16:14:17 PT From Science Daily Marijuana-Like Compounds May Aid Array Of Debiliatiing Conditions Ranging From Parkinson's Disease To Pain http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041027102621.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by Hope on October 27, 2004 at 15:51:53 PT Sorry... I didn't see Mr. Soros...only Kinky somebody. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Hope on October 27, 2004 at 15:48:19 PT Kinky is more like a "cowboy" to my mind than George Bush could ever manage. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Hope on October 27, 2004 at 15:46:06 PT Hey! I liked that Titanic and Ark comparison. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 15:33:04 PT George Soros On Lou Dobbs Now He just came on! [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by Hope on October 27, 2004 at 15:02:30 PT Mamawillie I really like Catherine Crier, too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Hope on October 27, 2004 at 14:55:37 PT "blinding illiteracy" It’s phenomenal to see but I’ve seen supposedly educated men and women stand up there and say they don’t see the same thing in the report that we do. They say we’re “reading in to it”. It looks to me like their having some sort of “If I don’t see it…it won’t be there.” scenario. It leaves me rather speechless. I can’t reason with that sort of behavior. They have no natural intellect anymore.They refuse to have it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by mamawillie on October 27, 2004 at 14:51:43 PT more about CC live Catherine Crier has been a great advocate for not only MMJ, but also for giving sentencing discretion back to individual judges. I remember seeing her one time last year actually pounding on her desk while saying "Let them have their medicine!"She had as guests a man who was a first-time drug offender with no prior record who served 12 years of a 15 year to life sentence before it was commuted. Andrew Cuomo was also a guest and they talked about the out-dated and draconian Rockerfeller Drug Laws.. that were an over-reaction to heroin in New York 20 years ago. Also, they discussed about how the state of New York probably spent 500,000 keeping this guy in prison... and for what, they asked?The first man (can't remember his name).. has a web site called http://www.15yearstolife.comThere was nothing new... but I always welcome CC's help in spreading the word! She has a totally mainstream show, so lots of people who NEED to hear this stuff will.Mama [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 14:36:35 PT mamawillie Thank You! I was watching MSNBC and quick changed the channel and caught a minute or two. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by mamawillie on October 27, 2004 at 14:24:50 PT COURT TV RIGHT NOW!! 4:20 CST Catherine Crier talking about mandatory minimums and non-violent drug offenses.... she's a former judge... [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Hope on October 27, 2004 at 13:55:03 PT Guess maybe he's not alive Perhaps that's why Kwan is telling his pitiful story. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Hope on October 27, 2004 at 13:44:31 PT Then why's he still alive...unless "The man said he remembered smoking marijuana for fun at first, Kwan reported. Then, he said he was unable to live without it." [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on October 27, 2004 at 11:30:43 PT: 'Marijuana addicts' (sigh) Here we go again I imagine reading (and comprehension) is a requirement for pubic service? Yes? Then why is it the antis seem to have selective (and very convenient) bouts of blinding illiteracy when it comes to reading the Institute of Medicine's 1999 report on MMJ? Not to mention all the previous studies? Studies that debunk thoroughly the 'adddiction' paradigm?Upton Sincliar again: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." Or study something when to do so marks you as a possible traitor to your cause for reading something so 'subversive' as THE TRUTH.Antis, burying your head in the sand only makes it easier for us to kick...your...*ss. As we're doing, State by State. As to the self-proclamed 'marijuana addict': straighten your lazy arse up and quit blaming a weed for your sloth and sloven. Admit it: you were that way *before* you first toked, and you allowed yourself to fall apart. When I was a (real) public servant, back before Feds casually ruined me for medicinal usage, I toked every night for relief of sciatica (caused by Service related injuries). I received nothing but commendations for my work, no matter what done or where. 'Slacker stoners' my hairy tochis! I did more work than my 'straight' counterparts did, (a fact not unnoticed by my supervisors come promotion time) and my co-workers had no 'excuse' as you're trying to pull!Damn lazy-*ssed bums give us all a bad name... [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 10:56:50 PT News Article from NBC5.com HealthWatch: Is Pot More Potent?Debate Over Medicinal Marijuana ContinuesOctober 27, 2004CHICAGO -- To control the symptoms of her multiple sclerosis, Julie Falco regularly eats brownies -- with marijuana baked in.Images: HealthWatch Report: Potent Pot?http://www.nbc5.com/slideshow/health/3860163/detail.htmlVideo: Pot Could Be More Potenthttp://chicagotv.feedroom.com/index.jsp?fr_story=26d8c6e3cfe95068b79e28554e416c76df1d60d1&auto_band=xFalco said the marijuana controls the spasms and stiffness, NBC5 HealthWatch reporter Nesita Kwan reported on Tuesday. "I wouldn't be able to stand here this long, normally," she said. "If you saw me first thing this morning, I was beat, just totally weak, totally spastic and have to sit down."Illinois state representative Larry McKeon will propose a bill that protects those who -- like Falco -- use marijuana for medicinal purposes from arrest and imprisonment, Kwan reported.But the drug that Falco said makes her mobile severely impacted a 23-year-old man, who said he is recovering from his addiction to marijuana."I'm a fairly social person and I became so anti-social -- it was just like, 'Duh,' throughout the whole day," said the man, who did not want to be identified. "I was worthless. The only thing that was fun was going straight from school to my buddy's house and get high."The man said he remembered smoking marijuana for fun at first, Kwan reported. Then, he said he was unable to live without it. He said he quit the cross-country team and almost flunked out of high school.Those who advocate legalizing marijuana tout its benefits, but opponents have just as many studies and evidence showing how badly it impairs memory, for example, and how it potentially damages the heart and immune system.Rick Sanders, Chicago special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency, said that on average, marijuana seized in Chicago is twice as potent as the marijuana used in the 1960s and 70s."If you want to equate it to alcohol, it's like this is 99 percent proof," Sanders said.Andrea Grubb-Barthwell, the former deputy drug czar, said she herself overcame an addiction that began when she was 17 years old, Kwan reported. Grubb-Barthwell said she fears that young people are now starting to use marijuana at a younger age and using a stronger version of the drug than she ever used."If you have a more intense experience with the using, you're going to see a more rapid progression from experimentation to use to abuse to dependence," Grubb-Barthwell said. "It is delivered directly to their brain, where it has an impact on their brain. A 12-year-old would have profound and disturbing effects from having initiated drug use that, in fact, can be lifelong."That is one reason that the government's new anti-drug campaign pushes parents to get involved, Kwan reported.However, Matt Atwood, who leads an Illinois group advocating the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, said the government commercials are fear-mongering at its worst."This myth about 'superpot' is absurd," Atwood said. "When someone uses cannabis, they'll only smoke as much as they want to produce the desired effect. So somebody that smokes higher-potency [marijuana] will smoke less of it than someone who smokes lower-potency marijuana."Atwood said that means those who smoke marijuana these days have less lung damage. Atwood also dismissed claims that marijuana causes brain damage."There's absolutely zero evidence in the peer-reviewed medical and scientific literature proving marijuana is dangerous -- that THC is dangerous."The man who is recovering from marijuana addiction said, though, that he is still trying to repair damage from a time when all he lived for was the next toke, Kwan reported."You have no control," he said. "You think you do, but you don't." Copyright 2004 by NBC5.com http://www.nbc5.com/health/3860036/detail.html?z=dp&dpswid=2265994&dppid=65192 [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 10:26:58 PT Endorsement from Helena Independent Record I-148Yes. This measure would allow the limited use of marijuana, under medical supervision, by patients with debilitating medical conditions to alleviate their pain and other symptoms. Why on earth not? Opponents say the initiative, similar to laws passed in nine other states so far, would make pot more available to young people. But that hasn't happened in those other states, probably because the purveyors of recreational pot are quite capable of supplying their customers in any event. Arguments that marijuana hasn't been proved to relieve ill persons' suffering fall flat in the face of the opposite conclusion reached by the likes of the American Nurses Association, the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians and other credible groups. It is apparent that for some people, marijuana is the treatment of choice to reduce their agony. In those cases, of course they should have it.http://www.helenair.com/articles/2004/10/27/opinions_top/a04102704_01.txt [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 27, 2004 at 10:03:36 PT Article About George Soros Exposing And Opposing George Soros: http://www.americandaily.com/article/5572 [ Post Comment ] Post Comment