cannabisnews.com: Point Counterpoint: Marijuana Has Medical Benefits





Point Counterpoint: Marijuana Has Medical Benefits
Posted by CN Staff on October 20, 2005 at 15:50:52 PT
By Kelly Zwier and Josh Ahrens, Guest Writers
Source: Calvin College Chimes
Michigan -- According to a CNN/Time poll in November of 2002, 80 percent of Americans support the right to use medical marijuana. This right is also endorsed by organizations like the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association, and the American Nurses Association. Why are so many people in favor of legalizing the natural form of cannabis? Because marijuana has been proven to be more effective than Marinol — an oral medication containing marijuana’s main ingredient, THC (or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol for all you science people).
Both marijuana and Marinol can be used to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and decrease AIDS-related wasting. Marijuana, though, has also been shown to reduce pain and anxiety because it contains as least 60 other cannabinoids. Marinol is made only of THC, which is recognized solely for appetite stimulation and nausea control. It is interesting that Marinol is used for nausea control because patients must swallow the pill when it is often very difficult to keep food or medications down. Inhaling marijuana smoke is a much easier way to deliver the needed chemicals. In addition, because Marinol is taken orally, it cannot be effective until absorbed, whereas marijuana has immediate results. The bioavailability (the degree to which the drug is absorbed and becomes available at the desired site) of Marinol can also vary greatly from patient to patient, or from day to day for the same person, whereas marijuana is much more uniform. The side effects of marijuana and Marinol are very similar, including difficulty concentrating, distorted vision, and dry mouth and throat. Also, when marijuana is used to treat spasticity and pain for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, its side effects are less severe than the drugs that are currently prescribed. Using marijuana to treat MS patients would improve these patients’ quality of life. A final benefit of marijuana is its lower cost. According to the L.A. Cannabis Resource Center, If MS patients were to use medical cannabis for one year, they would need 336 grams, costing about $3965. With Marinol, on the other hand, patients would need 4562.5 mg, costing $8260. I feel it is critical for healthcare workers to be good stewards when there are already so many people struggling to pay medical bills due to a lack of insurance and other resources. The benefits of medical marijuana are indisputable, but are they sufficient to outweigh the risks of using marijuana? After some research, I believe there is enough evidence to answer, “Yes.” One obvious concern may be that smoking any substance will lead to an increased risk for respiratory disease. However, the amount of marijuana smoked by medical users is much lower than that used by recreational marijuana users, or tobacco smokers. An alternative technique called vaporization can also be used to avoid the harmful products present in marijuana smoke. This is done by heating cannabis to a temperature where the psychoactive ingredients such as THC evaporate without causing combustion. A second claim is that marijuana is an addictive drug. However, epidemiological studies show that there is a very high discontinuation rate. In 1993, a study done by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed that 34 percent of Americans age 12 and over had used marijuana at some point in their lives. But only 9 percent had used it in the preceding year, 4.3 percent in the past month, and 2.8 percent in the past week, indicating that most used marijuana only occasionally. It is possible that people could become psychologically attached to the “high” from smoking marijuana and not want to stop. This is not the same as the physical addiction caused by drugs such as nicotine, which is legal and readily available, and should not prevent marijuana from being available to sick people who could really benefit from it. Others believe that marijuana is a “gateway” to the use of other drugs, based on studies that show the majority of “hard” drug users first used marijuana. However, research has disputed the relationship between marijuana and other drugs because no consistent patterns have been found. Another study by the Department of Health and Human Services stated that as marijuana use increased in the 1960s and 1970s, heroin use declined. And, when marijuana use declined in the 1980s, heroin use remained fairly stable. Secondly, although marijuana use-rates fluctuated for the past 20 years, the use of LSD hardly changed at all. Finally, cocaine use increased in the early 1980s as marijuana use was declining. In the late 1980s, both marijuana and cocaine declined, but during the last few years, cocaine use has continued to decline as marijuana use has increased slightly. If marijuana really did lead to harder drugs, these rates would be expected to move in similar directions. A fourth claim is that impairment caused by marijuana will lead to more highway accidents. In high doses, marijuana would probably impair driving, just like having too much alcohol, or even drugs like antihistamines which can cause drowsiness. These legal products come with disclaimers and instructions for usage, which would be provided with marijuana prescriptions. In a study done by the U.S. Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2000 fatal accident cases were analyzed. The results showed that 6.7 percent of drivers tested positive for marijuana; however, alcohol was present in more than two-thirds of the cases. There is no reason to believe that low dosage prescriptions of marijuana used by responsible patients would significantly increase traffic accidents. A final concern is that some people will misuse their ability to obtain marijuana through prescriptions and sell it to others. Sadly, this is the case with many drugs, including Valium, Oxycontin and Ritalin. Just as these legal drugs are not banned because of a few “bad apples,” marijuana should not be either. As I have shown, the benefits of medical marijuana are considerable, while the downsides are either overstated or similar to other legally available substances. It is time to reevaluate the classification of this potentially valuable medicine. Marijuana Does More Harm Than GoodMany would claim that marijuana is simply a harmless high, a relaxing way to slow down and experience the world from a happier perspective. Others say that the use of marijuana could have medical benefits, while still more state that it is no more harmful than some other substances that have been legalized such as alcohol and cigarettes. “In the interest of freedom and for the good of humanity America should decriminalize marijuana.” is the ideal of the pro-legalizationist. Yet there is much that proponents of decriminalization will not admit. According to medical research, smoking marijuana produces more problems than cigarette smoking; four times as much tar is deposited on the lungs and marijuana cigarettes contain the majority of harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. The chemicals found in a marijuana cigarette also wreak havoc on the immune system, killing off white blood cells that are necessary to fight infection. Users furthermore experience imprecise control of their body movements because marijuana interferes with their ability to perceive space and slows down their muscle movement. Those diseases that it can be used to treat (such as glaucoma) or as a way of restoring appetites (like those lost to chemo-therapy) can also be treated by other methods that are proven to be more effective and less harmful than the effects of smoking marijuana. In those cases where marijuana is a medically sound option, doctors can use a drug called Marinol that simulates the medical benefits of marijuana by imitating THC but does not include the health risks that are associated with smoking marijuana which contains additional harmful chemicals. Because of the distortion of perception experienced by those who use marijuana, users are more likely to get into traffic accidents. The perceived “mellow” of those who use marijuana translates into a physical slow-down. They cannot react as fast or take in information as quickly. These symptoms combine to make users very dangerous while driving. In 1990 the Transportational Safety Board conducted a study of fatal truck accidents and found that just as many of them were caused by marijuana as by alcohol. Because of the increased health risks of smoking marijuana combined with marijuana’s ability to deaden the senses and slow down reaction times, it was deemed unsafe and is therefore illegal. The government is not simply trying to stop people from having a little harmless fun, it is trying to protect us from doing something harmful to ourselves and others. Some claim that marijuana is no worse than other substances like alcohol or cigarettes. To them I ask, how many incidents of violence each year are linked to alcoholism? How many die because their reaction times are slowed? Some of the effects of marijuana — such as the impairment of motor skills — can still be affecting the user a full day later, long after the high has worn off. Smoking tobacco is a scientifically verified health risk. Seeing that these two substances are damaging to the population, should we really allow another destructive substance? Let us even assume that we should not stop other people from performing self-destructive behavior because it injures them. Let us assume that if their actions do not harm other people that everything is acceptable. Then we still have to face the fact that insurance costs more for everyone. For those insured by their work, the cost of that insurance is affected by those who abuse alcohol or have lung problems and so everyone has to pay for one person’s solitary vice. This is ignoring the cost of treatment for those who have poisoned their livers with alcohol or those who are injured by drunk drivers. Teenagers now find it easy to acquire alcohol and cigarettes by raiding their parents or enlisting the aid of elder siblings. They can do this because it is alright for their parents to use these substances. If we legalize marijuana then we will have similar problems for that substance. Marijuana has been shown to have even more detrimental effects, some of which can be permanent, when used by a still developing mind. Teenagers could lose the ability to comprehend massive amounts of information and it can severely handicap their ability to solve problems. Use of marijuana was decriminalized in 1975 in the state of Alaska. Although they had set a legal age limit for its use, abuse of marijuana by teenagers more than doubled. Four years later 10 more states had followed suit. The abuse of marijuana by teenagers led the states to re-criminalize it for the safety of the state. Finally some people believe that if marijuana is decriminalized the crimes associated with its use will decrease. This will happen because marijuana will no longer be illegal and so will not need to be smuggled in. Yet what people do not realize is that people under the age of 21 are the most common users of marijuana. Since decriminalization will not legalize marijuana for the most common users the black market will still exist Therefore, because marijuana is not useful as a medicine but is, in fact, harmful, because it can damage developing brains and because the loss of motor control and spatial perception can be dangerous, marijuana should not be decriminalized but rather remain an illegal substance. Source: Calvin College Chimes (MI)Author: Kelly Zwier and Josh Ahrens, Guest WritersPublished: Volume: 100, Issue: 7 -- 10-21-2005 Copyright: 2004-2005 Calvin College Chimes Website: http://www-stu.calvin.edu/chimes/Contact: http://www-stu.calvin.edu/chimes/mailchimes.phpCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #60 posted by FoM on November 09, 2005 at 11:33:17 PT
Afterburner 
Now you've got mail.
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Comment #59 posted by afterburner on November 09, 2005 at 10:34:25 PT
FoM, RE Comment #47 
You have mail.
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Comment #58 posted by FoM on October 26, 2005 at 11:18:28 PT
aspleep 
aspleep sounds like a cool word too! LOL!
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Comment #57 posted by FoM on October 26, 2005 at 11:16:29 PT
afterburner 
Please don't worry. I have everything I need and rest for you is important because you are working so hard. 
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Comment #56 posted by afterburner on October 26, 2005 at 11:15:12 PT
aspleep 
That's asleep, of course! Double d'oh! 
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Comment #55 posted by afterburner on October 26, 2005 at 11:13:26 PT
D'oh, FoM
I fell aspleep waiting for the rebroadcast and missed it. I'm so looking forward to getting some software to record web-radio sites soon. I'm still too busy to fully research it yet. However, I have some good news: I'll email you soon when I get more time.
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Comment #54 posted by FoM on October 24, 2005 at 11:38:50 PT
afterburner
What I think it is is something to do with a firewall that the satellite has for people who use a satellite. Maybe if I could turn off the firewall that would work but I don't know if it is easy to do or not.Let me know how you are doing when you have time. 
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Comment #53 posted by afterburner on October 24, 2005 at 11:35:22 PT
Sad News about the 'Q', FoM (Censorship?)
I'll try to record the program tonight. Thanks for your concern about my struggles. I'll email you some details in the near future.
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Comment #52 posted by FoM on October 24, 2005 at 11:29:28 PT
Afterburner
I turned off my pop up blocker and it still wouldn't work. There must be something else that maybe is satellite related that is causing it to not work. I can listen to different radio shows with no problem but just not Q107. 
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Comment #51 posted by afterburner on October 24, 2005 at 11:26:06 PT
FoM
The program is called "Under the Influence of Bob [Dylan]." Musicians who were influenced by Bob Dylan, including two who were referred to as "the next Bob Dylan." It's repeated tonight at midnight EDT (12am - 1am) on The Mighty Q if you can bypass your popup blocker.
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Comment #50 posted by FoM on October 23, 2005 at 13:26:26 PT
Afterburner
I meant Q107 to try to listen to Dylan tonight. I'm sure it's the pop up blocker because the help section says something about it when I checked. It's OK I'm listening to Neil as usual. LOL!
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Comment #49 posted by afterburner on October 23, 2005 at 13:19:21 PT
FoM
I'm not sure if you mean the link to Jr. Walker or to Q107. If you are using Google pop-up blocker, hold down the Ctrl key when you click the link. Jr. Walker site took a long time to play the song with no progress meter, but it did finally play.
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Comment #48 posted by FoM on October 23, 2005 at 13:12:09 PT
afterburner
I hope everything is working out for you. I figure you have been very busy recently. We just built a wall this afternoon. I wish all building was that easy. I tried to get the radio station but it doesn't start for me. I do have a pop up blocker and maybe that's why it won't work for me.
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Comment #47 posted by afterburner on October 23, 2005 at 13:01:32 PT
Hope and Toker00
I have been performing the 'love project, target: J.P. Walters.' Lately, he hasn't had much to say, preferring, it seems, to leave that task to underlings, like Tom Riley. Fortunately for me, as I have been personally distracted of late by economic battles and neighbourhood squabbles. These issues seem to be winding down with the help of the Lord, who sent me the grace of strangers and the innocence of children to cheer me in my struggles.As to the shunning, I too am largely immune, thanks to this site and to the many good and smart people who visit here and voice their opinions, facts, and experiences. And to great musicians, like Junior Walker.Rise and Shine by Junior Walker and the All Stars:Motown Legends: What Does It Take.
Artist: Junior Walker.
Release Date: 1993.
http://www.gofish.com/detail.html?gfid=10-104577
[click Listen]Rise and Shine by Jr. Walker & the All-StarsExcerpt:"Outside two happy birds they sing, oh, a happy song of love, nowYou are a light, a morning starNo matter what they say you areRemove the clouds that's in your mindCome on now, let yourself unwindYou can ride the wind, high above your sorrows"[click Rise and Shine to hear it yourself]BTW, Legends of Classic Rock features Bob Dylan tonight [Sunday   9pm - 10 pm], repeated after Monday [early morning of Tuesday   12 midnight - 1 am] on Q107 
Q107 webcast
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Comment #46 posted by Toker00 on October 23, 2005 at 05:53:40 PT
The shunning.
I think thirty years of being shunned by my own family qualifies me to be immune to any outside insults. I love my family very much, and only wish they would understand that DEA does not spell GOD. I just think they are afraid. Like most people who have fallen victim to the governments fear campaign(s). But I never give up hope they will someday, at long last, understand me.Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!
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Comment #45 posted by Hope on October 22, 2005 at 13:15:26 PT
But...be prepared for a bit of "shunning"...
And a really amazing amount of encouragement. "Everyone just keep talking up Cannabis. It is the only way we will win. Don' stop talking about tomorrow..."
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Comment #44 posted by Toker00 on October 22, 2005 at 11:46:57 PT
Amen, Hope.
But take heart. The crouds I have experienced at recent rallies are getting larger and louder. Groups are combining their efforts to make this happen. This is a national day of protest, Hope, Not just in Dallas. You probably know that, though. It really doesn't matter if there are twelve, or twelve thousand. As long as SOMEONE is out there, IN THEIR FACE, change is possible. Texas will probably continue to lag behind more progessive states in numbers who actually get out and DO something, but when enough of us have educated enough of them, Texans will have the numbers to pass the initiatives. Everyone just keep talking up Cannabis. It is the only way we will win. Don' stop talking about tomorrow...Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! 
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Comment #43 posted by FoM on October 22, 2005 at 10:25:58 PT
Dankhank
I still am a non conformist but not in areas where I felt I needed to conform to make a life for myself. I actually only absorbed all of this from something inside me but actually wasn't a part of it if that makes sense. I was raised catholic and had many questions and that special generation opened my eyes and helped solve some of the questions I had about religion and values.
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Comment #42 posted by Dankhank on October 22, 2005 at 10:18:57 PT
Monterrey
Great .. . Back then, friends and I parked on the road and watched Monterrey Pop at the local drive-in from the "free seats."I was living about six miles from the site of the Second Atlanta Pop and hung around the site for many days prior to the show. Could have been deep into the organization then, perhaps, if I had been willing to work for free ...re: nonconformity ... yes predictable nonconformity was interesting. We literally rejected all we could. I still reject a lot ...
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Comment #41 posted by Dankhank on October 22, 2005 at 10:12:46 PT
more .;...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000DG00B/103-1304942-9799840?v=glancefor some allman bros july 1970http://digital.uncg.edu/webpages/undergrads/huffine/indexmm.html for some hendrix photos...http://homepage.eircom.net/~mojodk/circle/rock1970/rock1970.htmlfor Rock 1970 /...http://www.classicbands.com/allman.htmlfor more than you may want to know about the Allman Bros.
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Comment #40 posted by FoM on October 22, 2005 at 10:09:11 PT
Dankhank
I did a fast search but couldn't find a sountrack either. What a great link to Georgia's Woodstock. We have the DVD of Monterey Pop. What was so good about Festival Express to me was the way young people didn't conform except to non conformity.
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Comment #39 posted by Dankhank on October 22, 2005 at 09:47:02 PT
Train
The IMDB site claims to list the sounmdtrack , but can't find.A comment from there: Traffic and Ten Years After played in Montreal but didn't entrain so were left out of the movie.So sad ... I liked those bands much better ...In GA in the late sixties only some of the bands from the west coast could penetrate the consciousness of a generation trying to come to terms with 1968 Southern Folk.The Dead never really did ... We had the Allman Brothers starting in about 1970.Had a Monster Pop Festivel in central GA July 3,4,5th, 1970, 2nd Atlanta Pop Festival, so we weren't exactly isolated.http://www.me.umn.edu/~kgeisler/700704.htmlcheck it out ... This movie was great, though, for showing the frenetically partying generation of peace and love from the "west coast." :-)This was when the bands/musicians were young and feisty.Good show ...
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Comment #38 posted by FoM on October 22, 2005 at 08:13:18 PT
Dankhank
I absolutely loved Festival Express. When they stop the train in Saskatoon because they run out of alcohol and buy up the whole store and then they find gelatin caps floating in the one bottle of Canadian Club and then they are all tripping and acting totally silly was just great.The song Jerry Garcia sings is so beautiful but I don't know what the same is. They play it when they show the credits at the end. I love the Band too.
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Comment #37 posted by FoM on October 22, 2005 at 08:06:06 PT
Off Topic: For Entertainment Purposes Only
I haven't found any news to post but I turned on http://www.xpn.org/listen.php and it is playing nice mellow rock type music today and thought some might like to check it out.
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Comment #36 posted by Dankhank on October 22, 2005 at 08:05:41 PT
Train
Watching the festival train ......Nice start to this day, Coffee, medicine, festival ...
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Comment #35 posted by Hope on October 22, 2005 at 07:08:02 PT
But....and thankfully so
There are a few people...like we are...who think that maybe they really can do somthing about it. Doing anything about the problem is so much better than doing nothing.
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Comment #34 posted by Hope on October 22, 2005 at 07:05:09 PT
Toker
If I can make it to Dallas that day...I probably won't be hard to locate in the twelve or so people who do make it. :0(
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Comment #33 posted by FoM on October 21, 2005 at 18:37:12 PT
John Tyler 
So right you are.We're watching this movie called Festival Express on Showtime. I'm grinning from ear to ear.Composed of vintage concert footage, never-before-seen interviews and candid backstage scenes, this documentary tells the true story of a traveling rock festival. In 1970, the Grateful Dead, The Band, Janis Joplin and others boarded a passenger train that stopped at several Canadian cities to stage massive live shows. An artistic smash, the event was a financial disaster, resulting in this rare footage being locked away unseen for 35 years - until now. "A momentous achievement in rock film archaeology" - Amazon.com.http://www.sho.com/site/schedules/product_page.do?seriesid=0&episodeid=124172
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Comment #32 posted by runderwo on October 21, 2005 at 18:06:04 PT
haha
"For those insured by their work, the cost of that insurance is affected by those who abuse alcohol or have lung problems and so everyone has to pay for one person’s solitary vice."Bullshit, that is what premiums are for. Not everyone pays the same rate and people's vices ARE taken into consideration when they apply for insurance (at least smoking and pre-existing alcohol related disease is)."This is ignoring the cost of treatment for those who have poisoned their livers with alcohol or those who are injured by drunk drivers."And? Who is going to poison their liver with marijuana or be injured by a stoned driver? And in any case, it's not like the person who injured them gets a free ride; they are usually slapped with the bills they caused."Teenagers now find it easy to acquire alcohol and cigarettes by raiding their parents or enlisting the aid of elder siblings. They can do this because it is alright for their parents to use these substances. If we legalize marijuana then we will have similar problems for that substance."And that is an issue between the parent and child, not between the government and the parent. Only if the child is intoxicated, or the parent was aware of this going on, should the government become involved. (That is one form of parental neglect.)"Marijuana has been shown to have even more detrimental effects, some of which can be permanent, when used by a still developing mind."Shown by whom to be permanent? What effects?"Teenagers could lose the ability to comprehend massive amounts of information and it can severely handicap their ability to solve problems."Yes, while they are under the influence. Sort of like alcohol."Use of marijuana was decriminalized in 1975 in the state of Alaska."It was never use that was illegal. And anyway, possession was out-and-out legalized for consumers - I don't know what they did on the supply side."Although they had set a legal age limit for its use, [abuse] of marijuana by teenagers more than doubled.""reported" abuse, use = abuse, youthful experimentation, parental guidance, initial post-prohibition experimentation as established by post-alcohol-prohibition, ... yada yada."Four years later 10 more states had followed suit. The abuse of marijuana by teenagers led the states to re-criminalize it for the safety of the state."Huh? Possession of small amounts was not "recriminalized" unless by criminal, you mean you could receive a citation for it. (By that definition speeding is a criminal offense.) In fact it remains decriminalized in several states to this day. So this fellow is just blowing smoke.
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Comment #31 posted by John Tyler on October 21, 2005 at 17:46:10 PT
on good thoughts
Looks like peace, love and understanding are good for you after all, and not just some stupid hippie ideas.
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Comment #30 posted by mayan on October 21, 2005 at 17:18:05 PT
siege
FAUX NEWS is already irrelevant. I believe their ratings have slipped in half in the last few months. Bush's and Congress' ratings are at all time lows also. All the spin in the world can't save their sinking ship! Let FAUX keep lying as the masses have finally figured that out. The William Kristol's of the world are only outing themselves as lying,murderering,raping war-mongers every time their faces appear on that channel. Thanks to FAUX NEWS we know who the real threats to freedom and peace are. FAUX has become irrelevant and the few remaining dolts who believe anything on that channel are irrelevant also. Only a complete makeover can save the "neo-con network" from the dustbins of history. They can give us the truth or go to hell where they belong.The internet reigns supreme!
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Comment #29 posted by Hope on October 21, 2005 at 16:44:12 PT
Toker...Thanks.
I understand now.
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Comment #28 posted by Toker00 on October 21, 2005 at 14:20:57 PT
Well...Hope...
Ummm...I thought your newest family member was named Zoe...so I thought...oh well. I'll just yell: "HOPE!". See you there if you can!Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on October 21, 2005 at 13:42:14 PT
runruff
Having patience is hard for many of us these days and I understand.
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Comment #26 posted by runruff on October 21, 2005 at 13:26:44 PT:
Testy me.
I guess I got a little testy with Josh and Kelly. I'm not happy with myself for doing that. I sometimes feel my
patients getting a bit frazzled. Sorry Josh and Kelly. You both have a lot of time to learn and I know that in time the truth will win out.
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Comment #25 posted by FoM on October 21, 2005 at 10:23:49 PT
Hope
I have found that when a situation isn't in my control and that I have no way of changing it I try to focus on something that I can change. Something that is in my own ability.
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Comment #24 posted by FoM on October 21, 2005 at 10:19:00 PT
Hope
Yes it does. 
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Comment #23 posted by Hope on October 21, 2005 at 10:18:09 PT
Love is good for you.
It builds better brain circuits...fast.
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on October 21, 2005 at 10:12:31 PT
Hope
I don't think of Bush and when he is on tv I change the channel. I'm not angry with him because I feel he is to be pitied. He has been manipulated by those around him. History will show how bad he was and that in itself will be a living hell for him. He doesn't need my hate.
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Comment #21 posted by Hope on October 21, 2005 at 10:01:43 PT
I've been really concentrating on trying to
actually "love" and care about Souder lately, to help you out, Afterburner, or is he your "project", FoM? I think it was Afterburner and you were focusing on "loving" Bush. I haven't thought so much about our Andrea lately. Might ought to get back to that.
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Comment #20 posted by Hope on October 21, 2005 at 09:57:36 PT
last paragraph from article in comment 9
"Think positive, loving thoughts: Finally, a decade of research at the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior led by neuroscientist Richard Davidson found that choosing specific thoughts and emotions can permanently change the working of the brain.When participants practiced feeling love and compassion, their brains went into action -- connecting and building new circuitry at high speed.Davidson has concluded that emotions play a strong role in mental acuity and that spending just 10 minutes a day focusing on feeling loving and kind can make you smarter -- and happier."Maybe that "love project" I got involved in a couple of months back has been that good for me. Maybe my improved mood has a bit to do with the "love project" and wasn't just an "extra good batch of Prozac substitue" (I mean generic brand...not that other natural Prozac substitute") that has made me feel better and more optimistic lately.
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Comment #19 posted by Hope on October 21, 2005 at 09:48:51 PT
Toker
What's a "Zoe patch"? Sound like something I might need, too.
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Comment #18 posted by runruff on October 21, 2005 at 09:40:14 PT:
You remember Josh and Kelly?
They were those two kids in high scool addicted to parental and staff approval. I'd say the existance of an intire
generation and exhaustive research: La Guardia comission,
Nixon comission, Lester Grinspoon, University of California School of Pharmacy, 30 years of legalization in Holland, 5-7 thousand years of many uses by mankind, the pre-1937 AMA [neerly half of Americas pharmacopia contained cannabis, including
Meds for kids] Lets see? My own personal expierence with cannabis for more than 40 years. honestly I could go on but I think I made my point. Josh, Kelly, shut the hell up!!!!
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on October 21, 2005 at 09:31:40 PT
Dankhank
You're very welcome. I am really looking forward to seeing it. I'm going to try to record it too.
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Comment #16 posted by Dankhank on October 21, 2005 at 09:28:15 PT
festival
got the festival set to recordthanks for the up ...
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Comment #15 posted by Toker00 on October 21, 2005 at 09:20:48 PT
Hope
Kool. If you make it, I'll be the guy with the Zoe patch on my shirt.Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!
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Comment #14 posted by siege on October 21, 2005 at 07:11:57 PT
Fox News
Dear arthur 
Fox News Channel's political agenda is coming to a local television station near you.Roger Ailes, the architect behind the right-wing tilt of cable news, is now remaking 35 local television stations -- broadcasting to nearly 40 percent of America’s homes -- in Fox News Channel’s image.Tell News Corp., local stations and Congress: “Don’t Fox with my local news!”
http://www.freepress.net/action/foxnewsAiles plans to replace local news with the biased infotainment that’s a hallmark of Fox News Channel. He has moved oversight of the local station group to Fox News headquarters in New York. He has flown in local news personalities for retraining on how to deliver the news Fox-style.This month, he replaced station programming with "Geraldo at Large," a show produced out of Fox News’ studios. Other Fox News Channel programs -- a lineup that includes Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity -- are waiting in the wings.One thing is certain: With Roger Ailes in charge, local news will take a turn for the worse.Media consolidation made Ailes’ takeover of local news possible. News Corp. already owns both a Fox and a UPN affiliate in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago -- the country’s three biggest markets -- and other duopolies in six more of the top 20 markets, including Dallas, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. (Click here for an interactive map of Fox-owned stations.)http://www.freepress.net/action/foxnewsAs I write this, News Corp.'s lobbyists are schmoozing officials in Washington to further loosen regulations that prohibit one company from owning even more local news outlets. Instead, we need to break up the big media conglomerates and get higher quality news and information in return for free use of the public's airwaves.As you’ve proven with Sinclair Broadcast Group, "payola pundit" Armstrong Williams and the partisan attack on public broadcasting, mobilized citizens can stop media abuses. Now it’s time to keep News Corp. from turning the public airwaves into a mouthpiece for Fox News Channel.You can stop the "Fox Effect" on local news by signing our declaration now.http://www.freepress.net/action/foxnewsWe will deliver your declaration to the doorsteps of Fox-owned stations and directly to Fox News headquarters and Congress. But we'll also be organizing, community by community, to pressure federal regulators to stop Big Media’s march against local control. We’re gathering forces for an upcoming ownership fight at the FCC. To protect local media from corporate consolidation, millions of Americans need to stand up and be counted.Sign the petition now and forward this e-mail to all your friends and colleagues.Onward,Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
Free Press
www.freepress.netP.S. Visit our "Don't FOX with Local News" campaign.
http://www.freepress.net/foxnews/
P.P.S. Read a recent Variety article on Ailes’ plans to Fox with local news. 
http://www.freepress.net/news/11892
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Comment #13 posted by siege on October 21, 2005 at 06:38:44 PT
 brain washed
It looks like the Writer are under 30 and D. A. R. E. brain washed...Luke: 
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye entered not in yourselves, and then that were entering in ye hindered.ephesians:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against power, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
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Comment #12 posted by OverwhelmSam on October 21, 2005 at 05:21:28 PT
This Guy Acts Like Prohibition Is Working
He speculates that legalization will cause all of these problems, when in fact many people are using marijuana now and I don't see any of his dramatizations manifesting in Society today. 
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Comment #11 posted by global_warming on October 21, 2005 at 05:18:28 PT
The Heads v. Feds debate
"Many saw the debate as a victory for the Heads. Random bursts of applause and cheers came after several of Hager's remarks, most notably the comments on simply getting high."
Campus group sparks debate
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Comment #10 posted by potpal on October 21, 2005 at 04:14:30 PT
Please note
A final benefit of marijuana is its lower cost. According to the L.A. Cannabis Resource Center, If MS patients were to use medical cannabis for one year, they would need 336 grams, costing about $3965*. With Marinol, on the other hand, patients would need 4562.5 mg, costing $8260*Or one plant next to the tomatoes.
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on October 20, 2005 at 21:38:54 PT
Very interesting article.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/Careers/10/14/brain.power/index.html
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 20, 2005 at 19:48:39 PT
Dankhank
I wish we had seen the whole movie but I just stumbled on to it. I know the song but never saw any of the movie until tonight. Hopefully it will be on again. I can't find anything good on TV tonight. Tomorrow night on ShowTime is Festival Express. I know I'll totally enjoy it.Composed of vintage concert footage, never-before-seen interviews and candid backstage scenes, this documentary tells the true story of a traveling rock festival. In 1970, the Grateful Dead, The Band, Janis Joplin and others boarded a passenger train that stopped at several Canadian cities to stage massive live shows. An artistic smash, the event was a financial disaster, resulting in this rare footage being locked away unseen for 35 years - until now. "A momentous achievement in rock film archaeology" - Amazon.com.http://www.sho.com/site/schedules/product_page.do?seriesid=0&episodeid=124172
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Comment #7 posted by Dankhank on October 20, 2005 at 19:38:16 PT
Alice's Restaurant
A good Thanksgiving Movie ...A tongue in cheek look at the Draft, Independence, freakyness, life ...Good Movie ...
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Comment #6 posted by Hope on October 20, 2005 at 19:18:42 PT
Toker
I shall certainly see if I can make it.
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Comment #5 posted by Toker00 on October 20, 2005 at 19:10:09 PT
Another rally...
TIME IS UP: WE NEED OUR MEDICINE NOW!
WHAT: RALLY FOR RESCHEDULING MARIJUANAWHERE: HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS), 1301 YOUNG STREET, DALLAS, TXWHEN: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2005 - 12 NOONWHO: PATIENTS, DOCTORS, ADVOCATES & YOU!WHY: MARIJUANA WAS WRONGLY PUT IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS HEROIN AS A DANGEROUS DRUG WITH NO MEDICAL VALUE. WE ARE CALLING ON HHS TO LISTEN TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND RECOGNIZE MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE!This is where I will be next Wednsday. Can anyone else from C-News, Texas, make it?Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!
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Comment #4 posted by mayan on October 20, 2005 at 18:27:43 PT
JAIL???
Therefore, because marijuana is not useful as a medicine but is, in fact, harmful, because it can damage developing brains and because the loss of motor control and spatial perception can be dangerous, marijuana should not be decriminalized but rather remain an illegal substance.Sure. Even if one one-hundredth of what this dolt says in the second article is true,which it isn't, it still doesn't justify caging a person who is harming nobody else's person or property for using a natural substance which has never killed anyone. Observer, I wish the folks who write the stuff you dissect could see your analysis! They would feel mighty dumb! THE WAY OUT IS THE WAY IN...9/11 AGENTS LAX ... BUSH KNEW?
http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=143126 Anomalies of 9/11(video):
http://911busters.com/video/IQ1_30_IAN_WOODS_TOP_ANOMALIES_25.16_.wmvGeorge W. Bush - Terrorist in the White House:
http://nogw.com/
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Comment #3 posted by observer on October 20, 2005 at 17:15:09 PT
propaganda analysis
 
[9]
In those cases where marijuana is a medically sound option, doctors can use a drug called Marinol that simulates the medical benefits of marijuana by imitating THC but does not include the health risks that are associated with smoking marijuana which contains additional harmful chemicals.
(Sentence 9) re: "health risks" - Drugs, claim the prohibitionist, cause insanity, violence, and terrible sickness. (Madness,Crime,Violence,Illness (propaganda theme 2) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme2.htm#2 ) 
 
 
[10]
Because of the distortion of perception experienced by those who use marijuana, users are more likely to get into traffic accidents.
(Sentence 10) re: "perception", "accidents" - Prohibitionist propaganda claims that horrible dangers are caused by "drugs." (Madness,Crime,Violence,Illness (propaganda theme 2) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme2.htm#2 ) re: "use marijuana" - "This strategy equates the use and abuse of drugs and implies that it is impossible to use the particular drug or drugs in question without physical, mental, and moral deterioration." [W.White,1979] (Use is Abuse (propaganda theme 4) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme4.htm#alluseisabuse ) 
 
 
[11]
The perceived mellow of those who use marijuana translates into a physical slow-down.
(Sentence 11) re: "use marijuana" - Prohibition propaganda claims that all use of any "drug" is abuse. (Use is Abuse (propaganda theme 4) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme4.htm#alluseisabuse ) 
 
 
[14]
In 1990 the Transportational Safety Board conducted a study of fatal truck accidents and found that just as many of them were caused by marijuana as by alcohol.
(Sentence 14) re: "accidents" - Prohibition propaganda rarely misses an opportunity to link crime, violence, and insanity with "drugs". The propagandist insinuates that prohibited drugs cause evil, and if it weren't for "drugs" bad things would not exist. (Madness,Crime,Violence,Illness (propaganda theme 2) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme2.htm#2 ) 
 
 
[15]
Because of the increased health risks of smoking marijuana combined with marijuana s ability to deaden the senses and slow down reaction times, it was deemed unsafe and is therefore illegal.
(Sentence 15) re: "health risks" - Drugs, scream prohibitionists, cause all bad things in life: crime, violence, insanity, etc. If not for prohibition (i.e., jailing drug users), then criminality, violence and psychotic behavior would explode upon the land, the prohibitionist assures us. (Madness,Crime,Violence,Illness (propaganda theme 2) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme2.htm#2 ) 
 
 
[18]
To them I ask, how many incidents of violence each year are linked to alcoholism?
(Sentence 18) re: "violence" - Drugs, the prohibitionist explains, are a wicked bane on modern man. Why if not for the noble drug war (i.e. jailing drug users), exclaims the propagandist, then people will run amok, and violence, death, psychosis, and plague shall cover the land. (Madness,Crime,Violence,Illness (propaganda theme 2) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme2.htm#2 ) 
 
 
[20]
Some of the effects of marijuana  such as the impairment of motor skills  can still be affecting the user a full day later, long after the high has worn off.
(Sentence 20) re: "impairment" - Prohibition propaganda rarely misses an opportunity to link crime, violence, and insanity with "drugs". The propagandist insinuates that prohibited drugs cause evil, and if it weren't for "drugs" bad things would not exist. (Madness,Crime,Violence,Illness (propaganda theme 2) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme2.htm#2 ) 
 
 
[28]
Teenagers now find it easy to acquire alcohol and cigarettes by raiding their parents or enlisting the aid of elder siblings.
(Sentence 28) re: "Teenagers" - Drug war propaganda plays on parental fears for the well being of their kids. If drug users are not jailed, says the prohibitionist, then your children will surely suffer. (Children Corrupted (propaganda theme 5) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme5.htm#5 ) 
 
 
[30]
If we legalize marijuana then we will have similar problems for that substance.
(Sentence 30) re: "legalize" - Any mention of lessening the harshness of drug laws is portrayed as a sinful "legalization". Only total prohibition (or more jailings) will be righteous. (Total Prohibition or Access (propaganda theme 7) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme7.htm#7 ) 
 
 
[32]
Teenagers could lose the ability to comprehend massive amounts of information and it can severely handicap their ability to solve problems.
(Sentence 32) re: "Teenagers" - Prohibitionists play on parental fears by exaggerating the dangers to children of drugs. Adults must be jailed (reason prohibitionists), because kids might be corrupted with drugs. (Children Corrupted (propaganda theme 5) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme5.htm#5 ) 
 
 
[34]
Although they had set a legal age limit for its use, abuse of marijuana by teenagers more than doubled.
(Sentence 34) re: "teenagers" - "Since the Harrison Act of 1914, the user and the seller of illicit drugs have both been characterized as evil, criminal, insane, and always in search of new victims, the victims are characterized as young children." [W.White,1979] (Children Corrupted (propaganda theme 5) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme5.htm#5 ) 
 
 
[36]
The abuse of marijuana by teenagers led the states to re-criminalize it for the safety of the state.
(Sentence 36) re: "criminalize" - The rhetoric of prohibition asserts that insanity, crime, and violence are caused by drugs, or are controlled by prohibition. (Madness,Crime,Violence,Illness (propaganda theme 2) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme2.htm#2 ) re: "teenagers" - "Nothing can so excite an adult population as can anything which appears to threaten their own children." [W.White,1979] (Children Corrupted (propaganda theme 5) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme5.htm#5 ) 
 
 
[37]
Finally some people believe that if marijuana is decriminalized the crimes associated with its use will decrease.
(Sentence 37) re: "crimes" - Prohibitionist propaganda claims that horrible dangers are caused by "drugs." (Madness,Crime,Violence,Illness (propaganda theme 2) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme2.htm#2 ) 
 
 
[40]
Since decriminalization will not legalize marijuana for the most common users the black market will still exist  Therefore, because marijuana is not useful as a medicine but is, in fact, harmful, because it can damage developing brains and because the loss of motor control and spatial perception can be dangerous, marijuana should not be decriminalized but rather remain an illegal substance.
(Sentence 40) re: "legalize" - Onward prohibitionist drug warriors, fighting the epidemic and scourge in the battles of the war against drugs! (Drugs declared evil by politicians, that is.) (Total Prohibition or Access (propaganda theme 7) http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/theme7.htm#7 ) 
 
 
http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/
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Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on October 20, 2005 at 16:40:13 PT
more harm than good
I am now entering my 36th year of smoking cannabis for health and pleasure.Had I been drinking alcohol, I don't think I would be all that healthy.Had I been smoking cigarettes during all that time, I wouldn't be all that healthy.If marijuana does more harm than good, I don't know what harm that would be.I feel fine. All four of my children are as healthy as horses.Don't knock it until you have tried it.25,000 metric tons of cannabis is impacting the US economy by approximately 3 percent of total goods and services each and every year. Just a guesstimate. It would be fairly close, though.25,000 metric tons of cannabis is more or less de facto legalization.The drug war is a bad joke. It is government sanctioned domestic violence. The drug war is the problem.The drug war has done more harm than good.http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7546.shtmlIt would be nice if it would stop.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 20, 2005 at 16:08:14 PT
Off Topic: Alice's Restaurant
I never saw the movie. It's now on Flix.
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