cannabisnews.com: Editorial: For Medicinal Use Only Editorial: For Medicinal Use Only Posted by FoM on November 29, 2000 at 11:17:58 PT Staff Editorial, The State News Source: U-WIRE Despite the battle the Republicans and Democrats are waging in Florida over who will become the next president, one item both parties agree on is to continue the ill-fated war on drugs. Millions of citizens go to jail for possessing a few grams of marijuana, and our government recently offered more than a billion dollars to help fund "Plan Colombia," a mix of military aid and economic development to stem the flow of illicit drugs from Colombia. The Supreme Court will indirectly be entering into this fray, agreeing to hear on Monday a case regarding medical marijuana, which appears to be able to treat a variety of ailments and is particularly useful for terminally ill people. The court's decision will be an important statement, that will not only affect the legality of restrictive drug laws, but will also bring forth a new aspect of America's long relationship with marijuana. History has shown that prohibition does not work. The mentality that America has embraced about drugs is based on fears of the unknown and various stereotypes, rather than hard facts. This has led to a slanted view on the possible medical uses of marijuana. Opposition abounds even in regard to simply researching the possible benefits of the drug. This is an attitude that must change. America can no longer be stagnant, held back by old fears and biases. This case originates from a California ballot initiative legalizing medical marijuana in 1996. The Supreme Court must decide if "medical necessity" of marijuana outweighs federal laws that bar the distribution of the drug. Federal regulations regarding marijuana have always been a confusing myriad of laws, and letting the Supreme Court have its say will allow some consistency to be injected into the government's position. As soon as it reviews the case, the Supreme Court should see the government's flawed position and allow American citizens who have seen the destructive affects of the drug war up close to speak. California citizens, through the ballot box, have spoken. Their voice should be respected. (U-WIRE) East Lansing, Mich. Author: Staff EditorialThe State News, Michigan State U.Updated 12:00 PM ET November 28, 2000 (C) 2000 The State News via U-WIRE Related Articles & Web Site:Oakland Cannabis Buyer's Cooperativehttp://www.rxcbc.org/Oakland Marijuana Case Goes to US Supreme Courthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7800.shtmlU.S. Justices To Weigh Medical Marijuana Laws http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7797.shtmlSupreme Court To Decide Medical Marijuana Case http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7784.shtmlSupreme Court Accepts Medical-Marijuana Issue http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7783.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by dddd on December 02, 2000 at 04:43:55 PT Well said Right on Walter......dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Walter Gourlay on December 02, 2000 at 00:37:19 PT: Drug War One reason Al Gore suffered what may well be his biggest defeat was the Green Party calls the "Nader Effect!". Almost a hundred thousand votes went to Nader in Florida. Because most Green voters were former democrats, Gore experienced a well deserved act of vengeance when Bush beat him by a mere 900 or so votes (at least so far.)Many Green voters, over 2,000,000 nationwide, resented the Clinton-Gore administration's drug-prohibition policies. Many people have been wrongfully persecuted for using marijuana. Drug offenders have been treated as criminals. Most recently, the Clinton-Gore clique successfully persuaded the Supreme Court to cease the distribution of medical marijuana to the needy. In fact, this administration even threatened to take away doctors' licenses if they so much as mentioned the word marijuana. Together with Barry McCaffrey, this group has stubbornly tried to stop the will of voters in those states which have passed medical marijuana legislation. They have lied, threatened and distorted the truth about marijuana. In regards to illegal drugs and marijuana, these people have violated many human rights and treated people contemptously. Many are arguing for a change in drug war policies, advocating treatment rather than incarceration. Gore looked at voters right in the face and declared there was no evidence that marijuana had medical uses, ignoring the huge body of evidence to the contrary. His solution to the drug problem was to create 50,000 more policemen! He and Bush refused to discuss the medical marijuana issue, marijuana decriminalization, the drug-war, commercial hemp, or Plan Colombia, even though these are important issues to all voters. When Nader had a ticket to merely watch the debate in Boston, he was told to leave by police or he would be arrested! When Greens gave nearly 100,000 Florida votes to Nader, Gore got a resounding clubbing that was well deserved. If Bush gets elected he should learn from Gore's defeat in Florida. If he starts to play politics, like I think he will, and tries to suppress the will of the nine states that have voted for medical marijuana, and the many voters who have raised an angry voice at the current drug-policies, then he and his cronies, democrat and republican alike, will likely be the next target of the voters vengeance at the ballot. As for Nader, his policies will ultimately have a strong effect on the two-parties. I see his star rising. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: