cannabisnews.com: Basketball Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Arrested Basketball Star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Arrested Posted by FoM on July 19, 2000 at 08:45:50 PT By The Associated Press Source: SF Gate Basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was arrested Tuesday night for investigation of driving under the influence of marijuana. The former Los Angeles Lakers and UCLA star was taken into custody about 7 p.m. after a police officer who pulled him over for speeding smelled marijuana fumes coming from the open window of his car, said Officer Eduardo Funes, a police spokesman. Abdul-Jabbar failed a field sobriety test administered near the San Fernando Valley intersection where he was stopped, Funes said. He was taken to a local jail, where he was booked on the misdemeanor charge and released on his own recognizance. ``Mr. Abdul-Jabbar was very respectful of the officers who arrested him, and very cooperative,'' Funes said. Abdul-Jabbar, 53, is the NBA's career scoring leader with 38,387 points in the regular season and 44,149 total, including the playoffs. The 7-foot-2 center, known for his all-but-unstoppable hook shot, led the UCLA Bruins to three consecutive NCAA championships before joining the NBA. In a career spanning 20 seasons, Abdul-Jabbar played in 19 All-Star games and won six MVP awards. He played on six NBA championship teams, including one with the Milwaukee Bucks and the last five with the Los Angeles Lakers when he teamed with guard Magic Johnson during the Lakers' Showtime era of the 1980s. He was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers this past season. Tuesday marked the second time in two years Abdul-Jabbar has run into trouble with the law over marijuana. He paid a fine in the spring of 1998 after surrendering a small amount to officers at an airport in Toronto. The basketball great has said he uses the drug to alleviate the migraine headaches that have bothered him for years. ``I use it to control the nausea which comes with the headaches,'' he said during a book signing earlier this year. Los Angeles (AP) Web Posted: Wednesday, July 19, 2000 ©2000 Associated Press CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by Dr. Ganj on July 20, 2000 at 09:39:14 PT Driving and Cannabis Use Yes, Kaptinemo, and Kanabys are correct. People should not drive while using drugs or alcohol. The point I was trying to make, that there are people that get signs that a migraine headache is about to occur, and they smoke just a little marijuana to inhibit the onset of the headache. For these people, like Kareem, they use medical marijuana, but are not impaired by the drug itself. So, it brings us back to Kareem's arrest. Was he so impaired by the marijuana that he endangered the public? That it justified an arrest? I don't think so. I'd say driving with a migraine headache is a higher risk than taking a couple of puffs to help stop the pain. Also, what about the cancer patient driving back from his/her oncologist with intense nausea and taking a puff or two? What's worse, a nauseas driver, or a driver that just took a puff of pot on the 101 to help from throwing up? I'm not talking about recreational use on our streets. This was about Kareem and his well known migraines. Should he have been arrested for using marijuana? Cited, maybe, arrested-no.Dr. Ganj http://www.marijuananews.com/australian_study_of_2.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Kanabys on July 20, 2000 at 07:28:06 PT My thoughts exactly Hi Kap,I agree 100%. Even though I believe that Cannabis should be legal to have and use in the privacy of our homes or some other willing participant, I do not believe that driving is a good idea. Hell, it's hard enough even when you're not stoned. There are some real IDIOTS with drivers licenses out there. I guess they got them at wal mart? Granted, in my earlier days I have been stupid and driven 'under the influence' of certain things, legal and not, but I have realized that what you said is very right and true, in my opinion. Good Post..... [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on July 20, 2000 at 06:19:08 PT: Driving while impared... by anything is obviously, NOT a good idea.I know some of you believe that you can operate equipment safely while under the influence of cannabis. Perhaps you can. I know someone who has driven under the influence; he says he's done it for years with no accidents...yet.That's the operative word: yet. Being a died-in-the-wool Libertarian, I am fiercely protective of individual rights. Tread on mine, and you imperil yours. But I also have the innate understanding that my rights end when yours begin. But NO ONE has the right to endanger *anyone's* life through driving while impaired.Driving while under the influence of cannabis gives us all a bad name... and hands the antis the kind of ammo they can use effectively against us in the arena of public opinion. In the last few days alone, the antis have had to step back from their bully pulpit: The Abrams Report, Judge Breyers' ruling, etc. are making the antis life difficult. Lets not hand them anything for free. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on July 19, 2000 at 23:23:46 PT I did something oops! Hi Dr. Ganj.When I checked the link it didn't work and I have edit ability but it is new to me so I tried to put an article where you put the link. I hope this is the right article. If it isn't I just was trying to help and can try to replace it with the article you wanted!Peace, FoM!PS: I think Kava is a good medicinal herb, if it's called an herb. We have Kava in our home all the time. If I get really uptight it helps to calm me down. Kava in an alcohol extract form worked the best for me when I needed it in the past. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Dr. Ganj on July 19, 2000 at 22:51:03 PT Kava Kava Driving And The Crossbar Hotel I forgot to include this article about Kava Kava tea. Here we have another herb, albeit legal, but likewise creating another legal question about "under the influence" of an herb.See link below:Dr. Ganj http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2000/07/19/state0222EDT0308.DTL [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Dr. Ganj on July 19, 2000 at 22:09:51 PT Kareem Now don't quote me on this, but I think Kareem has a California doctor's recommendation for medical marijuana in the state of California. I know it's no secret that he has used cannabis for his well known acute migraines.So, we have an interesting case here, where a prominent sports figure is arrested "Tuesday night for investigation of driving under the influence of marijuana". If he has a recommendation, as many others do in California, where do we delineate between "self medication" without impairment, and illegally under the influence-where we presume the driver is now a risk to others on the road?There was an Australian study showing that drivers under the influence of marijuana were in fact were more cautious-and performed far better than drivers under the influence of alcohol, or even drugs! (See the link below for verification)This will surely be debated vigorously in this case, and the other cases that will follow, as the continued medical use of this herb hits the highways of our country.Really now, it comes down to this: How many accidents that occur are because of marijuana's effects? How many times have you heard your friend was too stoned on marijuana, and crashed his car? -Yeah, I thought so.Dr. Ganj http://www.marijuananews.com/australian_study_of_2.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by dddd on July 19, 2000 at 15:12:58 PT update Dr Russo After hastily writing the previous blurb,I visited the link you provided,and kinda felt like an ass. Please forgive my somewhat arrogant sounding response,and thank you for all you have done towards truth.....Sincerely.......dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by dddd on July 19, 2000 at 15:02:45 PT medical use Yes Dr.Russo,I think he probably does have a condition that warrants the "medical" use of marijuana. Being an L.A resident,I saw this story on last nights news,and,while it may be unfortunate for Mr Abdul-Jabbar,it is a good thing in the way it brings marijuana use into the limelight. I have a difficult time understanding why such drugs as Paxil,Ritalin,,,etc.,can be legal for "medical use",for such nebulous,and possibly conjured up disorders as;"Social Anxiety Disorder",or,"General Anxiety Disorder",yet good old simple weed,can end you up behind bars. The fact that marijuana is illegal is absolutely ridiculous,,,not to mention scandalous in my opinion. Hopefully Kareem will tell them he felt like he was gonna barf,but didnt have time to register for "legal" approval,before administering the proper medication.............respectfully.........dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on July 19, 2000 at 12:26:07 PT: Cannabis for migraine/nausea Cannabis is a bona fide treatment for migraine and nausea. See: http://www.maps.org/mmj/mjrusso.html for documentation. I hope that Mr. Abdul-Jabbar will not need a medical defense of his situation, but he certainly seems to have a condition that warrants medical use of cannabis. 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