cannabisnews.com: Feds' Needless Pot War Feds' Needless Pot War Posted by FoM on August 31, 2000 at 10:02:14 PT Commentary Source: Los Angeles Times Medical experts have long recommended that the government move marijuana from its current, illogical status as a totally forbidden drug over to the category for potentially addictive drugs like morphine and cocaine that nevertheless have some accepted medical use. A confrontation has been escalating between the state of California and the federal government since the state legalized medicinal marijuana in 1996. The big artillery came into play Tuesday as the U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction barring distribution of marijuana in the state for any use, even for terminal cancer patients. It is an impasse that could have been predicted. It could also have been prevented if the Clinton administration had shown responsible leadership on the issue. Medical experts have long recommended that the government move marijuana from its current, illogical status as a Schedule 1 drug--with substances like heroin, deemed to have no possible medicinal value--over to Schedule 2, the category for potentially addictive drugs like morphine and cocaine that nevertheless have some accepted medical use. In 1988, after the federal Drug Enforcement Administration held hearings in response to a petition asking that marijuana be transferred to Schedule 2, the DEA's own administrative law judge recommended such a transfer. But top DEA officials declined to do so. More recently, a report by the federal Institute of Medicine last year concluded that marijuana is valuable for many patients for whom other medications do not work. The Clinton administration is obviously reluctant to be seen as sanctioning a drug that many Americans associate with the drug-abusing excesses of the 1960s, including those of the president who "never inhaled." In fact, moving marijuana to Schedule 2 would help rein in potential abuses by the ad hoc cannabis buyers' clubs that have formed in California and the states that joined in passing laws to sanction medical marijuana--Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon and Washington. There is little evidence that the clubs are distributing marijuana to those without legitimate medical needs, but there is little oversight now to prevent them from doing so. This laxity was a big factor in The Times' opposition to the 1996 legalization measure, Proposition 215. The measure also permits physicians to prescribe marijuana not just for serious conditions like cancer and AIDS, but for "any . . . illness for which marijuana provides relief." Short of moving marijuana off of Schedule 1, the Clinton administration could at least try toning down needlessly confrontational rhetoric of the sort seen in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge William Alsup earlier this month, when Justice Department lawyers argued that physicians who recommend marijuana as a medical treatment should be stripped of their licenses to prescribe drugs. California officials are doing the best they can to responsibly implement Proposition 215. On Tuesday, the University of California announced that it will open a new cannabis study center at UC San Diego to develop scientific data to help counties craft guidelines for the medical use of marijuana. Now it's Washington's turn. The administration should relax federal laws to allow physicians to administer marijuana under controlled circumstances. The alternative, as Proposition 215 showed, is to watch voters at the state level throw off almost all controls. Published: August 31, 2000Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)Copyright: 2000 Los Angeles TimesContact: letters latimes.comAddress: Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053Fax: (213) 237-4712Website: http://www.latimes.com/Related Articles:Court Sends Firm Signal on Marijuanahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6886.shtml Marijuana Distribution Ban Alarms Patients http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6885.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by DR.Broderick on July 03, 2001 at 13:32:57 PT: very good drugs I have studied the effects of marajuana and the good sideis its wonderful.BUT NOT TO BE ABUSED!!!.On the other handwe already except Alcohal and thats just EVIL!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by Dan B on September 01, 2000 at 13:56:40 PT: Shout Out to Dr. Ganj Hey, glad to hear from you. Your comments regarding the media's growing attention to the medicinal marijuana issue (in echo of Kaptinemo's prediction) are important because you highlight the fact that our efforts and the efforts of others are finally bearing fruit, so to speak. We are winning; the rest of America is beginning to take notice. One can only hope that the Supreme Court makes the right decision in the end. Nobody wants an armed revolution, but the feds are going to create one if they continue their madness. I'm hoping for peace.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Dr. Ganj on September 01, 2000 at 10:20:07 PT It's Now Front Page News! Hello everyone! Hi dddd, Kaptinemo, FoM, Rainbow, Dan B., and the rest of the gang!It sure has been a rocky road for us free-thinking reefer reformers. Just when it looked like it was getting better, the DoJ reams us with this "emergency stay" maneuver. But just like Kaptinemo predicted, here it is! It's on CNN, ABC, CBS, and other big stations. It's all over the magazines and newspapers. It's finally where the politicians, and law enforcement officials didn't want it. How does it look to the average American where our own government is forbidding dying cancer and AIDS patients from obtaining the only drug that helps them through terrible bouts of nausea and pain? What kind of person would prevent another person from getting effective medical treatment? There are now people out there who are very ill indeed, and because of this "emergency stay" people are going to die. That is very serious. I'll say this again: They are going to die because they can not get their medical marijuana from the Oakland CBC. You might say;"Oh, they'll just go some place else". What if they are in a wheelchair, on limited income, and can't make it to "some place else"? They'll end up at their home, only to suffer more, and possibly die. This is not how it should be. Sick people right now can get cocaine, Dilaudids, and morphine, but can't get marijuana? There is just no logic here. There is a complete lack of human compassion here. I think at this point civil disobedience is the only recourse. More cannabis clubs should open and dispense, more states should pass more medical marijuana laws, and more people should take all their marijuana cases to trial-and do not waive any rights, or any time. Also, jury nullification is another legal option to having these cases dismissed. NEVER give in to these tyrants! Use all the tools that we have to beat these evil monsters. It is now obvious we can not expect any compassion from our own government officials. Further, do not expect any change from either newly elected president this November. Both are corrupt brutes.Now, order some growlights, buy some good seeds, fill your extra bedroom with fine therapeutic Afghani hashplants, and realize if everyone did this, by sheer numbers, it would be impossible to cage us all!Also, all of you in Alaska, and Oregon, you have a responsibility to go and vote for your legal cannabis laws this November! We can not let 9 federal judges take away what 50 million Americans have a legal right to have/use.As more states pass their cannabis laws, it will reach a point where no matter what the Supreme Court decides, the power of all the states will override the 9 judge vote. It's just a matter of time, I see it crumbling like the Berlin wall. Canada will be first, we will have to follow. What we're seeing right now are desperate death throes by a very desperate U.S. government trying to control its people. This has not worked, and will not work. To be a free country, we the people must have the freedom to vote and make that the final voice. Dr. Ganj http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/petitions/99hemp.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 01, 2000 at 09:00:35 PT Hi dddd! Hi dddd,Thank you and I agree we have a very nice community of people here. The news is a little slow right now so I can tell you about me. I love dogs, and mostly horses. I have cats but they are farm cats and I don't really consider them pets. I have a soon to be year old Rottweiler that loves chasing her frisbee! Most of my life was spent in a riding stable either competing or teaching. I still have 2 horses stabled in another part of Ohio where they continue to be shown. I don't wear a cowboy hat but I did this kinda stuff. (Check picture) I have enough broken bones to prove it! Hope this explains a little more about me! Keep On Keepin' On I say!Peace, FoM!http://pub3.ezboard.com/fdrugpolicytalkhowtomakewebpages.showMessage?topicID=70.topic&index=5 [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by dddd on September 01, 2000 at 00:55:22 PT thanx FoM You're just too nice.It always seems pleasantly strange,when I think about this special sort of community that has formed here because of you....You're the best!I like to imagine envisioning all the people here in a picture album.After becoming acquainted with people through words,you can conjure up images of their appearance from their 'nom de plumes',(pen names),and their commentaries,yet we all usually look different than we think/thought.This is a wonderful thing here FoM.Are you a dog owner?...cat?lol.......dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 31, 2000 at 21:16:06 PT Hi dddd! Hi dddd! I've seen you've been back but haven't been able to catch up with you and I'm glad you're back! Just wanted to drop in and say that!Peace, FoM! [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by dddd on August 31, 2000 at 18:57:32 PT duck & cover It's true,the Kap is right,"incoming".These guys will be scurrying about like roaches from a can of Raid,or vampires,who casket was opened at the beach at noon.I think this is going to be an action packed time in the next few months........dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Scott on August 31, 2000 at 14:04:06 PT LA Times The Times has been very anti-drug-war for a while now, which is good to see of course. I actually think this might be good because it will really bring the MMJ debate to a whole new level. The Federal Government has repeatidly told Califonia voters that their vote means shit, and it's not going to go over well with the voters. Everyone says that what goes around comes around. The governments drug war is going to eventually collapse on it's own stupidity, and there will be severe punishments for the corrupt ones involved (war criminals?) [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on August 31, 2000 at 12:53:18 PT: Some advice to the pols: INCOMING!!!!! I'm glad someone from a major newspaper said it first:'...The administration should relax federal laws to allow physicians to administer marijuana under controlled circumstances. The alternative, as Proposition 215 showed, is to watch voters at the state level *throw off almost all controls*. (Emphasis mine.)This is the threat facing the pols. This is exactly the kind of situation our Neighbors to the North have reached. The pols have had it easy for the longest time. They've been able to dodge the bullet for years. They've hemmed and hawed, 'studied' the problem half to death, made all kinds of compassionate noises while avoiding confrontation with activists. And generally did...nothing. The brown smelly stuff may finally hit the room ventilation device, and in this year. The pols will *have* to stand and be counted, one way or another. And it is *we* who have the facts; all the antis have are stale, old lies. Lies based upon racial bigotry on par with the old lies about First Americans and alcohol. Lies too embaressing to bring up in public now. Lies that could cost some pol his or her precious seat in Congress or the Senate.For any pols' staffers who might be reading this: I strongly advise you to speak with your boss about this matter. You might find your nice safe office has become the political equivalent of the Isla de Vieques. (A distinctly unhealthy place when the Navy wants to play with its' toys.) Because there is a limited window of time available before the boat leaves without you. And the political shelling begins. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: