cannabisnews.com: Medical Marijuana Laws Needs Reformed





Medical Marijuana Laws Needs Reformed
Posted by CN Staff on April 22, 2005 at 08:33:40 PT
By Jessica Kerman
Source: Ball State Daily News 
Indiana -- April 20 is known for a number events internationally.In 1861, Gen. Robert E. Lee resigned from the U.S. Army. In 1889, Adolf Hitler was born in Austria. In 1908, Marie and Pierre Curie isolated radioactive radium salts from a pitchblende in Paris, resulting in a Nobel Prize in physics. In 1945, Operation Corncob was launched, beginning a three-day attack on bridges in Germany. In 1995, a truck bomb exploded in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City killing 168 people. And in 1999, two teenagers in Littleton, Colorado killed 13 people at Columbine High School.
However, one event is "missing" from this list. According to the sub-cultural calendar in international cities, this date also marks the beginnings of Pot Smoker's Day.I am aware that this does not belong among the aforementioned events for other reasons, but one main inaccuracy that the people who celebrate National Pot Smoker's Day must recognize is that it was not started on April 20.The term "4:20" was actually coined by a group of pot smokers at San Rafael High School in California. It was a term used by the group in an attempt at having a "secret" language to communicate when they would get together to smoke marijuana, according to Steven Hager, editor of High Times.However, possessing marijuana in Indiana (and most other states) is illegal. But why? What harm does it cause?Despite pressure from the government of the United States, cannabis is cultivated in 33 countries -- including its neighbor, Canada. In fact, on Wednesday, Sci-Tech Today posted an article online about a cannabis drug that will be given to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Canada, the first nation to approve a cannabis-based medicine.Sativex oral spray, produced by GW pharmaceuticals and Bayer HealthCare, will help ease the pain for adults with MS.Aside from this recent product, marijuana has been a notable treatment for AIDS, cancer and other illnesses, according to Disinformation.It seems that the criminalization of marijuana is more harmful to America than decriminalizing it would be.According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Web site, in 2000, more than 734,000 people were arrested for marijuana-related incidents. This is up from the 600,000 they arrested in 1998. The arrests in 1998 cost American taxpayers more than $9 billion. The police officers involved in these arrests could have been arresting violent criminals who murder and rape, rather than the "potheads" across the street.Arguments against legalization say that cannabis is terribly harmful to users. Physically, marijuana was found to be less harmful than alcohol. According to an article in Lancet, a popular medical journal in the United Kingdom, aside from the harms of smoking, cannabis is less of a threat than alcohol and cigarettes.In fact, the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine said that cannabinoid drugs can potentially be therapeutic to patients for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting and appetite stimulation.I am not saying that all the readers of this column should go and smoke a bowl right now, but I am suggesting that it may be time for the governmental bodies in this country to review the laws prohibiting the use of marijuana, especially for medicinal purposes, to stay ahead in the medical world.Complete Title: Transcending The Unbeaten Path: Medical Marijuana Laws Needs ReformedSource: Ball State Daily News (IN Edu)Author: Jessica KermanPublished: April 22, 2005Copyright: 2005 The Ball State Daily NewsContact: opinion bsudailynews.comWebsite: http://www.bsudailynews.com/Related Articles & Web Site:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Canada Approves Cannabis Sprayhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20549.shtmlThe Lesson of Sativexhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread20542.shtmlCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on April 22, 2005 at 14:46:00 PT
Thank You Druid!
That was nice to read. I really do think we care. There are many people who care even if they don't comment on CNews. 
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Comment #9 posted by Druid on April 22, 2005 at 14:38:28 PT
Your Welcome :)
Always a pleasure and a priveledge to share information with a great group of people who give a damn.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on April 22, 2005 at 13:13:36 PT
Taylor
That is weird. Maybe you can help keep CNews current with MPPs news and I'll try to keep current with NORML and then we get it all. I appreciate the help from anyone who wants to post press releases. I try to cover cannabis issues as best as I can.
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Comment #7 posted by Taylor121 on April 22, 2005 at 13:08:14 PT
Just the opposite for me FOM
"You're very welcome. I'm glad different people post news from MPP because I can't seem to get any news from them. I've signed up a number of times but it never comes thru for me. I don't want any one to think that I only post NORML's news which I do try to do but I'm stuck with MPP. "I have signed up numerous times for NORML, but they never send me anything. MPP always does. Weird! 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on April 22, 2005 at 11:05:24 PT
Kozmo
You're very welcome. I'm glad different people post news from MPP because I can't seem to get any news from them. I've signed up a number of times but it never comes thru for me. I don't want any one to think that I only post NORML's news which I do try to do but I'm stuck with MPP. 
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Comment #5 posted by Kozmo on April 22, 2005 at 10:58:14 PT
Thanks Druid
I sent my congressman an e-mail about the MM act. I also sent him one about the HR-1528 that is in the House Judiciary Commitee on mandatory minimums. Thanks FOM for this site. I wouldn't be nearly this informed without it.
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on April 22, 2005 at 10:26:05 PT
Thanks Druid!
I am not fond of politicians but I really like Barney Frank. He's my kind of politician! Go Barney! LOL!
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Comment #3 posted by Druid on April 22, 2005 at 10:17:58 PT
Call to Action!
TO:   Supporters of marijuana policy reformFROM:  Steve Fox, MPP director of government relationsDATE:  Thursday, April 21, 2005SUBJECT: Urge your U.S. House member to cosponsor the "States' Rights
     to Medical Marijuana Act"======================================================================Important medical marijuana legislation is about to be introduced in
the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Marijuana Policy Project
needs your help to secure additional support for the bill.Please visit http://www.mpp.org/frankbill to e-mail or fax a
pre-written letter urging your U.S. representative to cosponsor the
"States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act," which will be introduced by
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), along with dozens of other members of
Congress, on May 4. MPP has been working closely with Congressman
Frank's office to add cosponsors to the bill.If passed, this legislation would end the federal government's attacks
on medical marijuana patients and give states full authority to enact
and implement their own medical marijuana laws without federal
interference.Please take one minute to visit http://www.mpp.org/frankbill and urge
your U.S. representative to support this important bill.Even if this bill does not pass through Congress, adding a large
number of cosponsors to the bill will send a message to the Bush
administration that many elected officials strongly oppose the federal
government's interference in state medical marijuana laws ...... and it will build momentum toward the medical marijuana amendment
that the U.S. House will be voting on this summer (for the third
summer in a row).Please visit http://www.mpp.org/frankbill to ask your U.S.
representative to cosponsor the new medical marijuana bill. Thank you.======================================================================The Marijuana Policy Project hopes that each of the 153,000
subscribers on our national e-mail list will make at least one
financial donation to MPP's work in 2005. Please visit
http://www.mpp.org/donate2089 to donate now.MPP will be able to tackle all of the projects in its 2005 strategic
plan -- http://www.mpp.org/2005plan -- if you and other allies are
generous enough to fund our work.
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on April 22, 2005 at 10:07:58 PT
Operation Corncob?
That has to be the funniest thing I have heard all week.But it probably wasn't funny on the ground, some brave souls probably gave up their lives during that operation.
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on April 22, 2005 at 09:55:55 PT:
It's 420 somewhere!
I heard that 420 was a cop call to a pot bust. Calling Sgt. Friday. We have a 420 here. Send back up.Bring a bong.
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