cannabisnews.com: Town Hall Meeting Draws Medical Marijuana Debate Town Hall Meeting Draws Medical Marijuana Debate Posted by FoM on July 20, 2000 at 08:38:47 PT By Maline Hazle, Record Searchlight Source: Record Searchlight Medicinal marijuana patients are ridiculed, harassed and humiliated in Shasta County, a Redding marijuana advocate complained at Assemblyman Dick Dickerson's town hall meeting Wednesday night.The result is that some very ill people are too frightened to use the treatment they think works best for them, Rick Levin told Dickerson, R-Redding. But though Dickerson acknowledged that he thinks state government should address the medical marijuana issue with more studies, he complained that the state's Compassionate Use Act has "caused a lot of problems because of the way it was drafted."Adopted in 1996, the initiative allows marijuana use with a doctor's recommendation, but sets no rules for the numbers of plants or amount of processed marijuana a patient can have.The resulting "guidelines" adopted by Shasta County's sheriff's office and police departments break state law, Levin argued.Levin and several other members of the Shasta Patients' Alliance, a medical marijuana advocacy group, were among about 100 people who attended Dickerson's meeting at The Mall in downtown Redding.Other audience members peppered Levin with questions about why he couldn't take other medications to quell the pain from his spinal injuries and some sneered when he explained that he can't tolerate narcotic pain killers.Dickerson cut off the exchange after about five minutes, telling the audience: "That's all we're going to discuss here tonight unless you want to talk about marijuana all night."Dickerson retired seven years ago after a 30-year law enforcement career that ended with command of the Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force. "I continue to disapprove of it (medicinal marijuana) because I don't know the long-term effects," he told Levin before ending the marijuana discussion.Other members of the patients' group did not speak and the questions returned to water plans, laws regulating group homes, timber, air quality and even Social Security — a federal issue.Dickerson, joined on the dais by Shasta County Supervisor David Kehoe and Redding Police captain Steve Davidson, said that he and his staff will have held 15 town hall meetings by the end of the month. Reporter Maline Hazle can be reached at 225-8266 or at: mhazle redding.comThursday, July 20, 2000© 2000 Record Searchlight - The E.W. Scripps Co. Related Articles & Web Site:CCUA Chronology of Implementation http://drugsense.org/CCUA/chrono.html Santa Cruz Council OKs Cultivation Of Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread5476.shtml Patient Who Smokes Pot for Pain Continues Toking http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread4930.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by CD1 on July 20, 2000 at 10:02:58 PT LONG-TERM EFFECTS So Dickerson continues to disapprove of medicinal marijuana because he doesn't know the long-term effects. Hmmm...Maybe it is because marijuana doesn't have any long-term effects. As for studies of long term effects, how many studies have been done on long-term effects of Prozac, Ritilin, or even Rogaine and Viagra. How does Dickerson feel about the long term effects of tobacco and alchohol (where studies have been done, and it all point to very bad news)? To use the long term effects argument to support marijuana prohibition is very weak, but unfortunately, the anti-drug crowd continues to attempt to convince us it is a legitimate fact. Al Gore even used this argument in a speech in California to state his opposition to medicinal marijuana use.I wonder if people like Dickerson actually listen to what is coming out of their mouths. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by kaptinemo on July 20, 2000 at 09:55:08 PT: Perhaps not stupidity, but his bias is obvious. 'Dickerson retired seven years ago after a 30-year law enforcement career that ended with command of the Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force. "I continue todisapprove of it (medicinal marijuana) because I don't know the long-term effects," he told Levin before ending the marijuana discussion.'So, an ex-cop runs the show, huh? I think it is safe to assume that his biases render him incapable of making an impartial decision. Time to elect some new council members, eh, Redding?But something else may be at work here: Dickerson has made an attempt to use ignorance as an excuse. This is actually more significant than you think: apparently, he is no longer certain that he can use Federal propaganda with impunity. You know, the bit about 'pre-cancerous lesions in the lungs' (Boooh-gus!) 'Amotivational syndrome' (Boooh-gus!) or even the bit about men growing breasts (Really Boooh-gus!). If he had no doubts about the safety of using Fed propaganda against MMJ, he would have shot back at Levin with it. HIS RELUCTANCE SIGNALS WEAKNESS. He may know that things are changing, and not in his favor. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dan B on July 20, 2000 at 09:22:14 PT: At least he acknowledges his ignorance... "Dickerson retired seven years ago after a 30-year law enforcement career that ended with command of the Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force. 'I continue to disapprove of it (medicinal marijuana) because I don't know the long-term effects,' he told Levin before ending the marijuana discussion."So what? Does he refrain from eating donuts, even though he does know the long term effects? What a lame excuse for an excuse! Does he thoroughly research every move he makes before he makes a move? Does he contemplate the long term effects of popping an Advil or two (more dangerous than marijuana, by the way) when he has a headache? Careful, Dickerson. Your stupidity is showing. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: