cannabisnews.com: Vice President Smokes Admin. On Issue of MMJ Vice President Smokes Admin. On Issue of MMJ Posted by FoM on December 15, 1999 at 14:20:58 PT Family Research Council Says Source: PRNewswire "Vice President Gore is ignoring scientific evidence on the 'medical' use of marijuana and, in effect, lending support to the movement to legalize the drug," Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, Senior Director of National Security and Foreign Affairs at Family Research Council (FRC) said Wednesday. Gore said Tuesday that he supports legalizing the medical use of marijuana, even though Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the nation's drug czar, strongly opposes the idea. In fact, a recent study commissioned by the Office of National Drug Control Policy found that smoked marijuana is not a medicine and has negative health consequences.Maginnis, appointed by Majority Leader Sen. Trent Lott to the newly created Parents Advisory Council on Youth Drug Abuse, expressed concern about the message Gore is sending to youth on drug use. "Efforts to promote marijuana as 'medicine' and other failed ideas like needle giveaways are hurting our efforts to teach children the truth about the drug scourge," Maginnis said."Sick and dying people do not need marijuana. They need good medicine," Maginnis said. "There are already legal, non-smoking ways for patients to receive the useful ingredient found in marijuana. In fact, there are FDA- approved medicines available that treat every symptom patients are seeking to treat with smoked marijuana. Simply, medicine is just not smoked." Maginnis referred to THC (Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol), the key psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, which is currently available in legal, prescription forms taken orally. "The only compassionate approach is to encourage researchers to find ways, such as the use of inhalers, to deliver this ingredient to the bloodstream in a way that is fast-acting and does not involve smoking."The issue of 'medical' marijuana is a wolf in sheep's clothing being used by marijuana legalizers to make political gains. Instead of pushing the legalizing agenda, Gore should listen to scientists and the experts on drug control before he reverses the work his administration's drug czar has done to curb the use of illicit drugs."A 1998 poll commissioned by FRC found that 53 percent of Americans believe that the national debate over the use of marijuana as medicine has had a great or some impact on encouraging teens to experiment with illicit drugs. Another poll, commissioned by FRC in 1999, found that when people are given the information that other medicines are available and that marijuana is harmful, 48 percent oppose marijuana as medicine, while 43 percent approve. Contact: Kristin Hansen or for radio Sharon Sampson of the Family Research Council, 202-393-2100 Published: December 15, 1999 Copyright © 1995-1999 Excite Inc. Related Articles & Web Sites:NORML http://www.norml.org/FRChttp://www.frc.org/home.htmlGore Supports 'Flexibility' on Medical Marijuana http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4009.shtmlGore Is Open To Medical Marijuana - 12/14/99 http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread4004.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by Sledhead on December 15, 1999 at 16:36:57 PT Family Research Council If you have any doubts about what Lott & his ilk are promoting in Washington, check out Robert MacGinnis' home turf at:http://www.frc.orgWhat a bunch of idiots..... The Drug Testing Clearinghouse [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on December 15, 1999 at 16:25:45 PT Failed Ideas? 7 States have 'failed'? I hardly expect any objectivity - much less rationality - from the mouthpiece of a right wing think(?) tank. But this has gone beyond Kafkaesque to the purely infuriating.A failed idea, huh? Tell me, Mr. Expert, when was the idea implemented? It still hasn't been, because of twerps like you have at every step thwarted research and in your arrogance demolished democracy by hindering the will of the people of seven soverign States."Sick and dying people do not need marijuana". Oh really? It appears that this person has never visited with someone who was in the aftermath of a chemo session. Wracked with literally bone deep pain from Taxol, and so sick they left a trail of barf on their way to the bathroom. Given a prescription for the supposed anti-emitic Kytril, a pill that costs $50 each yet seems to have absolutely no effect. That is, when you can keep it down. Which is almost never. Having seen what 'aggressive treatment" really means, having witnessed real, heartbreaking suffering, feeling helpless in being unable to alleviate that suffering, and having the knowledge that cannabis does indeed work, I can only say this:According to statistics, 1 in three people will get cancer of some form in their lives. I hope these a-----s lose the toss, and have to face the awful of losing everything in the necessity of breaking the law to save their lives, or the life of a loved one.They deserve no better. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: