cannabisnews.com: MMJ Case Pits States' Rights Against Drug War





MMJ Case Pits States' Rights Against Drug War
Posted by CN Staff on December 04, 2004 at 19:34:26 PT
Editorial
Source: Western Courier
It's just the word. Marijuana. It sparks fear in the hearts and souls of Americans around the country. The word brings up images of gangs, slackers, baby killers - i.e. recent anti-drug commercials suggesting that those who use it will maim children, leave their families by the wayside or even accidentally kill their brother after smoking pot and then driving. But marijuana by any other name would still have the same medical uses. It would still help seriously ill patients deal with pain. In fact, prescription drugs by other names - morphine, Vicodin and Oxycontin - are perfectly legal when distributed by doctors. And California voters understand this. 
"Eight years ago, California voters approved a limited exception to the state's drug laws. Seriously ill patients were given the right to use marijuana for medical purposes if they had a doctor's recommendation," stated an article published in the Los Angeles Times.Now, that decision is being challenged. The United States Supreme Court will soon be deciding whether marijuana could be regulated commerce and therefore seized by federal authorities, stated the Los Angeles Times. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 1999 about 4 million people were using prescription drugs. Granted, none of those drugs can be grown in your backyard, but they are still able to produce highs just like marijuana would. They are still regulated and illegal for those without a prescription. And nobody is shouting for morphine to be taken off the market anytime soon because some teenagers might try to use it illegally. In fact, according to NIDA, about 12 million people do use prescription drugs without a prescription. Marijuana used by terminally-ill patients in their most painful times should not be illegal simply because the word marijuana is written on the prescription form.If it would make things easier, we could change the name of the drug for people using it for medical purposes. We could call it something medical, like, "Gangacil." The TV ads could show people having picnics in fields of marijuana, with an announcer telling you to ask your doctor about Gangacil today, "so you can live a better life tomorrow."Medical marijuana would not be the end of civilized society as we know it. It would just help some people who are trying to make it through their day.Complete Title: Medical Marijuana Case Pits States' Rights Against Drug WarSource: Western Courier (IL)Published: Friday, December 3, 2004 Copyright: 2004 College PublishersWebsite: http://www.westerncourier.com/Contact: http://www.westerncourier.com/main.cfm?include=submitRelated Articles & Web Site:Angel Raich v. Ashcroft Newshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/raich.htmLet States Decide Medicinal Pot Usehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19977.shtmlMedical Pot or Not? High Court To Decide http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19973.shtmlSanity's AWOL in War on Drugshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread19972.shtml
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