cannabisnews.com: Support for Maine's Medical Excuse MJ Init. Stalls


cannabisnews.com: Support for Maine's Medical Excuse MJ Init. Stalls





Support for Maine's Medical Excuse MJ Init. Stalls
Posted by FoM on November 01, 1999 at 16:39:43 PT
Source: Business Wire
Support for Maine's proposed medical excuse marijuana initiative is stalled this week, as several notable organizations have denounced the measure as flawed. 
Under the proposed amendment, marijuana cigarettes would be available as "medicine" for anyone, including children and prison inmates, for virtually any ailment. The most prominent opponents of the measure include Governor Angus S. King, Jr., Maine Medical Association, Maine Pharmaceutical Association, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine Sheriffs Association, Maine Chiefs of Police Association, Christian Civic League of Maine, Christian Coalition of Maine, Drug Free America Foundation and Save Our Society From Drugs. "This initiative is bad for Maine because marijuana cigarettes have not been proven as a valid treatment for any medical condition," states Calvina Fay, the executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation, a non-profit organization specializing in educating the public about drug use, drug abuse and drug policy issues. "This initiative implies patients would be required to obtain a prescription from their doctor to smoke marijuana as a "medicine." In fact, no such requirement is written into this proposed law." Critics warn that the lack of established dosage controls or safety guidelines harm patients who are truly ill and need scientifically researched and tested medications. As the measure is written, patients will be permitted to skip visits to the doctor and pharmacist by diagnosing themselves and growing their own "medicine." "The more important issue is that many safe and effective medications preclude the need for marijuana as well as pure THC," said Dr. Eric Voth of Drug Strategy International. "Suggesting that marijuana be smoked as a medicine would be like proposing tobacco be used for anxiety or weight control or smoking the foxglove plant to treat heart failure." "The primary directive from the physician's oath is to do no harm," said physician and Maine State Representative Thomas Shields. "The immediate danger is that sick people will use marijuana in lieu of real medicine, have their symptoms masked by the psychoactive effects of the drug, and return to legitimate treatment too late to be helped. Prescribing/recommending a crude, smoked psychoactive weed for conditions for which we already have excellent legitimate medicines would seem to be bad medicine." "Marijuana is just another intoxicant, like alcohol," states Maine Representative Henry Joy, who says this initiative troubles him as a father and grandfather. "It also has drug effects like alcohol and other intoxicants. However, no ethical physician would prescribe booze for depression or pain." With more that 400 chemicals in crude marijuana, many of which are known carcinogens, several highly respected national health institutions have also rejected marijuana as a "medicine." Among them, the American Medical Society, Maine Medical Society, International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis, American Glaucoma Society and American Academy of Ophthalmology. Distributed via COMTEX.  CONTACT: Drug Free America Foundation, Inc. St. Petersburg Katherine Ford, 727/893-2616 Monday, November 01, 1999 6:30 PM EST Copyright © 1999, Business WireRelated Articles & Web Site:Mainers For Medical Rightshttp://www.mainers.org/Initiative Aims Only At Helping The Sick - 10/31/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3496.shtmlMedical Marijuana Retains Strong Support - 10/28/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3469.shtmlMarijuana Vote Sparks Little Controversy - 10/16/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3312.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Wabo on November 02, 1999 at 14:50:57 PT
Useful Text
I printed this article and put it at the bottom of the bird cage so Petie could poop recycled hemp seeds on it.
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Comment #5 posted by Doug A on November 01, 1999 at 18:53:28 PT:
Pathetic Prohibitionists Parrot More Propaganda!
How low will the prohibitionists go?>"The primary directive from the physician's oath is to do >no harm," said physician and Maine State Representative >Thomas Shields. Too bad the police officer's oath doesn't state this.>"This initiative is bad for Maine because marijuana >cigarettes have not been proven as a valid treatment for >any medical condition,"Neither have tobacco cigarettes, but people don't get thrown in jail for smoking them.>"The immediate danger is that sick people will use >marijuana in lieu of real medicine, have their symptoms >masked by the psychoactive effects of the drug, and return >to legitimate treatment too late to be helped.This is the most ridiculous straw-man argument against MMJ I've ever heard. For one thing, many of these people are in so much pain and suffering that many don't even report feeling psychoactive effects! For another, these people are not stupid, as prohibitionists like to portray. Of course they will have gone to doctors and tried all sorts of 'legal' but ineffective synthetic medicines before trying the one natural substance that really helps their symptoms.>"The more important issue is that many safe and effective >medications preclude the need for marijuana as well as pure >THC," said Dr. Eric Voth of Drug Strategy International.But they don't work, YOU IDIOT!! And your idiotic 'drug strategy' is prolonging their suffering.>"Marijuana is just another intoxicant, like alcohol," >states Maine Representative Henry Joy, who says this >initiative troubles him as a father and grandfather. "It >also has drug effects like alcohol and other intoxicants. >However, no ethical physician would prescribe booze for >depression or pain." Why does he see this as troubling? If MJ is just 'like alcohol', he has nothing to worry about! Alcohol is perfectly legal, as MJ should be! In reality, MJ is much less of a problem than alcohol as far as violence, addiction and driving impairment are concerned. Besides, alcohol doesn't help these people, but MJ does!>Save Our Society From Drugs.Save Our Society from Idiot Politicians, Corrupt Cops, and their Failed Prohibition Policies!
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Comment #4 posted by Scott on November 01, 1999 at 18:33:11 PT:
Who accepts vs. Who doesn't accept
>The most prominent opponents of the measure include >Governor Angus S. King, Jr., Maine Medical Association, >Maine Pharmaceutical Association,I was surprised to hear about the last two...>Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Duh, because it's their job to lock up as many people as possible. They get paid to do that, so do you honestly think they are going to say "ok" to it?>Maine Sheriffs Association, Maine >Chiefs of Police >Association,See above.>Christian Civic League of >Maine, Christian Coalition of >Maine,What do you expect from the Christians? They believe the use of anything is bad for you. Besides, isn't using God's plant considered a sin?>Drug Free>America Foundation and Save Our Society From Drugs. Two government funded organizations no doubt. Two groups with goals that will never be met.But, what about organizations that do endorse the use? Hmmm..Organizations that have endorsed medical access to marijuana include: the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians; American Bar Association; American Public Health Association; American Society of Addiction Medicine; AIDS Action Council; British Medical Association; California Academy of Family Physicians; California Legislative Council for Older Americans; California Medical Association; California Nurses Association; California Pharmacists Association; California Society of Addiction Medicine; California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church; Colorado Nurses Association; Consumer Reports Magazine; Kaiser Permanente; Lymphoma Foundation of America; Multiple Sclerosis California ActionNetwork; National Association of Attorneys General; National Association of People with AIDS; National Nurses Society on Addictions; New Mexico Nurses Association; New York State Nurses Association; New England Journal of Medicine; and Virginia Nurses Association. A few of the editorial boards that have endorsed medical access to marijuana include: Boston Globe; Chicago Tribune; Miami Herald; New York Times; Orange County Register; and USA Today. From the WOD FactBook http://www.csdp.org/factbook/medicalm.htm
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Comment #3 posted by kaptinemo on November 01, 1999 at 17:41:01 PT
Medical Catch-22...Fed style
Notice some of the organizations named in this article? Such good, Christian people! The kind who probably believe that a 'little suffering is good for the soul'. Until it's *them* who have to suffer the horrible indignities that accompany cancer and other debilitating and painful diseases.One of the problems in deflating the bilge like we see above is the matter of not being able to challenge, on-the-spot, the kind of statements made by the rep from Drug Free America "-Marijuana cigarettes have not been proven as a valid treatment for any medical condition" .And why is that, pray tell, oh oracle of moral superiority? Can't tell us? Perhaps because in your smug certainty of righteousness, you've overlooked one little problem. Perhaps because the Federal government, in it's infinite wisdom, made it *impossible* for any clinical trials to take place!You see, the Feds have spoken; by making it a Class 1 substance, they (meaning the DEA, back in '71; no scientist or physician was ever consulted) made it illegal even to *study* it. After all, it had no medical value - why study something with no medical value? Especially when attempting to do so without Federal approval would get you the same treatment as the average unfortunate dealer? Catch 22 in it's most ugly form, as people are suffering because of this inanity.By this little trick of bureaucratic legerdemain, the Feds have been able to stifle any bona fide, *objective* research into cannabis as medicine. And they have sought to place roadblocks in the way of any who go against their Gospel according to the DEA. Just look at what Dr. Donald Abrams has had to go through to finally get permission to study the stuff, clinically.That's why smug little Drug warriors like Ms. Fay can stand up and regurgitate tired old lies like this and get away with it.Another problem is the misrepresentation that goes on like "...marijuana cigarettes would be available to anyone, even children...". Here we go again, the philosophical human shield of proteceting 'the children' being used as an argument to maintain a self-serving prohibition. I'd like to take those sanctimonious little creeps down to the local cancer ward and tell some crying ten year old barfing his guts out on the floor and wracked with pain from chemo that he can't have this medicine because society doesn't like to see 10 year olds smoking. After all, if everything he eats comes back up, how can he keep a pill down? Superglue it?Until these sheltered little self-appointed moral proctors have their noses rubbed in the consequenses of their spiteful policies, they will continue to bedevil the truly suffering and needy. Until they've had to mop up vomit from a loved one in the throes of chemo, and sit with them in their agony, and feel abso-effing-lutely helpess to stop their suffering, as I have, they will never change.Such good, Christian people. Jesus must be awful ticked at them.
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Comment #2 posted by observer on November 01, 1999 at 17:26:45 PT
Secret Police 'Denounce' Traditional Freedoms
> Support for Maine's proposed medical excuse marijuana initiative is stalled this week, as several notable organizations have denounced the measure as flawed.That's amusing! On this PR wire, the "Drug Free America Foundation" (vested interest) assures us that the "initiative is stalled this week". Why? Because these vested interests --''Governor Angus S. King, Jr., Maine Medical Association, Maine Pharmaceutical Association, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine Sheriffs Association, Maine Chiefs of Police Association, Christian Civic League of Maine, Christian Coalition of Maine, Drug Free America Foundation and Save Our Society From Drugs''-- who have strong financial reasons continue the war against Americans who use drugs, see the handwriting on the wall, and realize that if Maine goes the way of California, Arizon, Washington State, Oregon, D.C. etc etc they will have a harder time making the next states who wish to restore traditional freedom, cowtow to their demands.Hint #1: They don't mention the poll results that show a solid 2/3 of Mainers want to stop throing hurting people in jail for using medical marijuana.Hint #2: Notice that this propaganda piece never mentions that Americans who have illnesses and who smoke marijuana are subject to JAIL... Why do you think prohibitionists like to avoid this subject, or attempt to try downplay it?> Distributed via COMTEX. CONTACT: Drug Free America Foundation, Inc.I.e. a Public Relations (paid?) "news" item submitted by the "Drug Free America Foundation, Inc." Straight, unbiased reporting from the "watchdog" press. Ah yes, great to have such a 'free press.'
read: Drug Warriors & Their Prey
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Comment #1 posted by Scott on November 01, 1999 at 16:54:51 PT:
Give me a break...
I'd like to see Drug Free America Society go up in front of a bunch of MMJ users and start telling them this stuff. It's a sad day when the right to ease pain makes you a criminal. I thought the ballot said MMJ for specific illnesses, not just any illness what so ever. And what was going on with the guy comparing booze to marijuana? They're not even close!
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