cannabisnews.com: Candidate Says Yes to Kittery Base, No to N. Parks





Candidate Says Yes to Kittery Base, No to N. Parks
Posted by FoM on September 14, 2000 at 09:43:07 PT
By Associated Press
Source: Boston Globe
Vice President Al Gore is still trying to live down an incident in which he grabbed a power line during the 1998 Ice Storm. The Democratic presidential candidate was asked about the episode during his visit Wednesday to Lewiston High School. Gore dropped his head into his hands before saying ''never again.'' Though the line was not live, Gore was criticized for setting a dangerous example by touching it while touring disaster areas. 
''Never again will I be an exhibit in a public service announcement for children, showing them what not to do after an ice storm. I learned my lesson,'' Gore said. During the visit, Gore also weighed in on issues specific to Maine in addition to promoting his education agenda. Adressing Maine's medical marijuana law, Gore said he does not believe marijuana is better than other legal medicines. He added that Maine's newly created law allowing people suffering from specific diseases to use marijuana as medicine does not supersede federal laws that criminalize any use of the drug. ''There are federal laws that can't be negated by individual states,'' he said. Gore also said he did not anticipate any renewed congressional calls to close the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard the Kittery shipyard. ''The shipyard here has always been able to survive on its own merits,'' he said. On the topic of land conservation, he said he did not favor creation of a North Woods National Park. He said he favored Maine's strategy of buying development rights to conserve land but permitting logging on the parcels over a push to create a national park in the north woods. ''It's kind of a unique Maine approach,'' he said. Substance abuse also became a topic as Gore sat outside the school chatting with counselors. Substance abuse counselor Vicky Wiegman said she doesn't believe surveys that show drug use among young people is decreasing. Students are not surveyed unless their parents allow them to be, and she said that many drug users likely are not counted. Gore was surprised to learn that Wiegman is Lewiston's only substance abuse counselor for its 5,000 students. ''You're kidding! We've got to do a better job with prevention and education,'' he said. ''It's obvious that we're not doing enough if you've got 5,000 kids ... and only one counselor.'' Lewistown, Maine (AP)Published: September 14, 2000© Copyright 2000 Boston Globe Electronic Publishing, Inc. Related Articles & Web Site:Mainers For Medical Rightshttp://www.mainers.org/Medicinal Marijuana Law Under Reviewhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6853.shtmlWhat Al Gore Must Do to Winhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6746.shtmlAl Gore on Drugs http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread6712.shtmlCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives:http://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml 
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Comment #3 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on September 14, 2000 at 13:42:02 PT:
My $0.02
Since my friends have addressed the medical inequity here, let's emphasize the legal: many learned treatises would question the accuracy of Gore's claimed federal over state jurisdiction on the issue. The Supremes are going to have to deal with this one sooner or later. I am hoping that they remember the letter and intent of the Bill of Rights.
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Comment #2 posted by Frank S. World on September 14, 2000 at 12:02:37 PT
he can't have it both ways
In Gore's speeches and TV ads, a common theme is attacking bureaucrats at HMOs for playing God with people's lives, and taking medical decisions away from doctors and nurses.Where did Gore get the medical qualifications to decide how medicines work for the sick and dying? He could smoke pot all day back in his hippie days, but now he denies it's use as medicine for patients?HYPOCRISY!
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Comment #1 posted by Kanabys on September 14, 2000 at 10:04:29 PT
Dr. Gore?????
>>Adressing Maine's medical marijuana law, Gore said he does not believe marijuana is better than other legal medicines.Ok, now he has a medical degree. Hell Yeah, let's vote for this freak..........I'm so tired of hearing non-qualified idiots say how they know so much about what is right for us. Let the doctors and researchers have a voice; let the Pols have ears (one organ they seem to be lacking).
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