cannabisnews.com: Gore Reverses Stance on Medical Marijuana Gore Reverses Stance on Medical Marijuana Posted by FoM on May 11, 2000 at 22:44:21 PT By Ceci Connolly, Washington Post Staff Writer Source: Washington Post Vice President Gore today backed away from his earlier support of medical marijuana, saying he sees "no reliable evidence" that it is an effective pain reliever. During a candidate forum in New Hampshire last December, Gore said that "where you have sufficient controls, I think that doctors ought to have that option." In that session, Gore said he opposed legalized marijuana, but he also bemoaned the lack of flexibility given doctors to treat terminally ill patients."I think that where the alleviation of pain where medical situations is concerned, we have not given doctors enough flexibility to help patients who are going through acute pain," he said at the time. "Many of us have seen that for ourselves. It's all too easy to come up with this reason or that reason why a doctor can't use what is going be most effective for the alleviation of pain."But today, when asked by a student where he stood on a medical treatment that is legal in this state, Gore took a stronger stance against use of the drug."Right now, the science does not show me, or the experts whose judgment I trust, that it is the proper medication for pain and that there are not better alternatives available in every situation," he said during a school visit in a low-income neighborhood southeast of downtown Los Angeles.Gore's position on the issue has shifted several times and in some respects resembles the variety of comments he has made on the Elian Gonzalez case.During the televised session in New Hampshire, he responded to more than one question by stressing the need for doctors and patients to decide on the best course of pain treatment. He recounted how doctors prescribed medical marijuana for his late sister Nancy's lung cancer. And although it did not bring her relief, Gore said, "if it had worked for her, I think that she should have had the ability to get her pain relieved that way."Afterward, in a news conference, he revised his position, stressing that there was "inconclusive evidence" on the efficacy of medical marijuana and saying he preferred to wait for more solid research.Today, Gore appeared to be hardening his second stance."Right now it is my belief and understanding that there is no reliable evidence that it is a superior effective treatment for pain in any situation where there is not a better alternative available today," he said.As they did in December, Gore's aides were quick to try to clarify the vice president's remarks today. They stressed that in his news conference four months ago – and today – Gore focused on science.Gore, who has acknowledged smoking marijuana in the Army and as a Tennessee journalist in the 1970s, said he sympathizes with terminally ill patients and their family members."Anyone who has been in a situation where a loved one or family member is suffering and cannot find relief from pain is very impatient with the notion that they're going to be denied a medically effective relief for that pain because of some other societal concern," he said, "because they do not believe there are not ways to limit the availability strictly to those in the circumstances where it's really needed for that purpose."By Ceci ConnollyWashington Post Staff WriterFriday , May 12, 2000 ; A10 Cudahy, Calif. May 11, 2000© 2000 The Washington Post Company Related Articles:Gore Questions Medical Marijuanahttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5699.shtmlFDA Approves Testing of Synthetic Derivative of Marijuanahttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5702.shtmlNew Class Of Chemicals Found To Use Marijuana http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5602.shtmlChemical Boosts Marijuana-Like Substance in Brainhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5586.shtml CannabisNews Articles On Al Gore - 100 Articles:http://alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/search?type=all&query=cannabisnews+gore Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #10 posted by Kanabys on May 13, 2000 at 11:47:05 PT Bill all over again..... Looks like ol' Al is following in his mentor's footsteps!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on May 12, 2000 at 19:46:49 PT Newsstand Chat at 11pm EDT Medical Marijuana Newsstand chat at 11pm EDTJoin Sheriff Mark Dion, an advocate of the use of confiscated marijuana for medicinal purposes, after his appearance on CNN's Newsstand. http://www.cnn.com/chat/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Message System on May 12, 2000 at 19:30:20 PT test - ignore. test - ignore. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on May 12, 2000 at 18:34:41 PT CNN Newstand Tonight at 10 PM ET Pot Distribution CNN Newstand Tonight at 10 PM ET Pot Distribution Hi Everyone!This all there is on what they have been showing on tv but it must be the Sheriff from Maine that wants to distribute confiscated marijuana to sick people. I hope some of you see this and get to see the show.I'm not sure but I think so.Peace, FoM!A police officer's pot paradox - should seized marijuana be offered for medicinal purposes? http://cnn.com/CNN/Programs/newsstand/Bill Would Let State Supply Medical Marijuana Userhttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5059.shtmlState Would Distribute Confiscated Marijuana http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5057.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by dddd on May 12, 2000 at 18:32:56 PT wasted vote A vote for bush or gore,is a wasted vote.Both parties do all their partying,at the same place.It's a big private party that is hosted by corporate wealth. If a third party did actually get elected,it's likely that the new president would end up keeping JFK,MLK,and Abe company....dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on May 12, 2000 at 18:01:41 PT I'm discusted by Gore's feelings. Unless Al Gore does a 100 percent turn around and soon, I will vote for a third party candidate. There is no way that I would vote for Bush. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by steve1 on May 12, 2000 at 17:35:09 PT Albert Gore I was going to vote for Albert. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by sciAntz on May 12, 2000 at 17:29:32 PT very, very, sad... i had hoped that al could stand up. looks like he's caving. very sad. sci [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Thomas on May 12, 2000 at 10:24:02 PT The Vote Unless I hear some drastic about face come from Gore, I will be voting for someone else. I was holding out hope that he might have a spine. Guess not. . . [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on May 12, 2000 at 05:24:25 PT: The Jellyfish bobbles...once again For those of you further inland, you may not know this, but jellyfish can't swim against the current. They may bobble along, weakly pulsing, but they go wherever the current takes them. Rather like Al Gore on the MMJ issue. He bobbles along, making half-hearted attempts to swim against the DrugWar current, but in the end he just floats along with it. I said he couldn't be trusted."Right now, the science does not show me, or the *experts whose judgment I trust* (emphasis mine), that it is the proper medication for pain and that there are not better alternatives available in every situation," he said during a school visit in a low-income neighborhood southeast of downtown Los Angeles."Experts. Such experts as Dr. Robert DuPont, who expects to make a mint off of home drug test kits to hypocritical, former pot-smoking parents who swill martini's but are scared that little Johnny and Suzy mught be indulging in something safer.. Experts such as Dr. Leshner of NIDA, who stonewalled Dr. Donald Abrams and prevented him for 7 years from being able to prove MMJ's efficacy in clinical trials. How can you prove the efficacy of any medicine scientifically without engaging in research? Do you think Leshner was acting without direction from the top?Yep, the jellyfish has stung again. But only those who were (let's face it) *stupid* enough to trust a career pol. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: