cannabisnews.com: Bill Would OK Medical Marijuana





Bill Would OK Medical Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on January 13, 2007 at 19:00:47 PT
By Jim Newman, Reporter
Source: Florence Morning News
South Carolina -- A new bill proposed this week by a South Carolina senator would legalize the use of marijuana for medical applications.Sen. William Mescher, R-Pinopolis, introduced the legislation Tuesday, which has since been referred to the Senate’s Committee on Medical Affairs.
Mescher said his reasoning behind the controversial concept stems from the death of his first wife about 24 years ago from lung cancer.He said he recalled doctors at the time telling him some of her symptoms could have been eased with the use of medical marijuana, which has the effect of easing the nausea associated with cancer treatments such as chemotherapy.“There were concerns that she would become addicted,” he said. “Here this woman had maybe two or three months to live — and in extreme pain. It didn’t make any difference if she became addicted.”Mescher said he felt further compelled to introduce the bill upon hearing recently from a friend who’s facing a similar dilemma.“It took me 10 years to get tattooing regulated in South Carolina,” Mescher said. “I’ve got a bulldog tenacity.”But Dr. Rajesh Bajaj, an oncologist with Carolina Health Care in Florence, said he doubts the overall effectiveness of marijuana in treating cancer-related nausea.“In my opinion, it’s the rare patient who would be needing marijuana for nausea,” he said. “I don’t think many physicians would prescribe it because of the variety of medications that are available to treat nausea in patients with cancer.”Bajaj said that one of those medications in particular, called Marinol, contains the active ingredient found in marijuana and comes in tablet form. Using marijuana in its pure form, however, is not recommended, he said.“Society has to weigh whether it wants to legalize a substance for the benefit of the rare patient or control it for everybody else,” he said.Mescher said he feels some patients could benefit from the alternative despite this outlook.“To me, it’s no different than morphine or any other painkiller that a doctor can prescribe,” he said. “Some doctors say it doesn’t help. But if the person thinks it’s helping them, then it’s helping them.”This isn’t Mescher’s first time at bat while defending a hot issue at the Statehouse in Columbia. For about a decade, he pushed for legalizing tattooing in South Carolina so it could be regulated in the interest of protecting public health.He said he expects this new measure will become a highly contested matter, as well, but he plans to move forward with it just as he did with the controversial tattoo bill.Source: Florence Morning News, The (SC)Author: Jim Newman, ReporterPublished: January 11, 2007Copyright: 2007 Media General, Inc.Contact: letters florencenews.comWebsite: http://www.morningnewsonline.com/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on January 14, 2007 at 09:25:14 PT
Just a Note
I haven't found any news again but so much is happening in the world that is why I'm sure. I have been following people mad at Carter over a book. The oil in Iraq. The alignment of Iran and Venezuela. We don't have many friends left it seems anymore. 
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on January 14, 2007 at 08:56:26 PT
Toker00
The documentary on the History Channel was about the New World Order and they show Bush I saying that's what we are going to do. They sure have.
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Comment #6 posted by Toker00 on January 14, 2007 at 08:08:14 PT
FoM
Bush is so full of it. I'm not worried about what "History" will say about Bush. I'm worried about what "History" will say about the American People who let their Constitutional Republic be overwhelmed by Corporatism. That we stood by as they tortured the people's of this world. That we stood by as they stole the resources of a sovereign Nation, and handed it's leader over to his enemies. He may have gotten what he deserved, but it wasn't up to us to throw him in front of the speeding Irack truck (think Mack). They convinced us that we should wage war against terrorists who want to destroy our way of life. In order to do that, THEY destroy our way of life, instead. Now we don't have to worry about the terrorists doing it. And everyone feels so much more safe and free than before 9-11. As we stand by. As we let go of our Republic, and are forced to embrace some form of New World Order. They practiced, and set up, their Police State over the last thirty+ years by Demonizing and Ostracizing cultural groups, through this Bogus War on Drugs, who they knew would be SUCCESSFUL in defeating their agenda, if allowed to grow unchecked. With 9-11, they went Global with it, and are still building and organizing it here through Homeland security, which is just a command point for all the Lie Enforcement organizations founded by Tax theft by the fear mongering War on Drugs. All wars on Earth have become One War. Against WE. And WE are losing to THEY. But we haven't completely lost yet, so Hope still springs eternal, I guess. As WE stand by.Toke.  
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on January 14, 2007 at 07:47:23 PT
Another Off Topic
We watched this documentary on the History Channel last night and it explained a lot to us and was very good. If you get the History Channel you might want to check it out when it is on again.http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=173477
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 14, 2007 at 07:30:04 PT
OT: Bush: We Were Right To Invade
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/LOCAL17/701140422/-1/ZONES04
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Comment #3 posted by Toker00 on January 14, 2007 at 05:26:36 PT
What you need to know about the Failed War on Drug
(You have one Republican saying this, and another one saying throw this guy in jail and increase his sentence.)s. It is the SAME as this Failed War on Terror. In fact, the WOT is simply the WOD, on steroids. WOD: Mena, Arkansas. Iran-Contra affair. CIA/Crack cocaine. WOT: Vietnam. Gulf war I. Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Syria) war. They are being run by the same cartel. In the War on Drugs, we are attacked preemptively, and usually without good intelligence. There are innocents killed in the WOD as there are in this WOT. Confiscation of Property/Natural Resources. Both are based on lies, prejudice and Corporatism. There is only ONE war. The War Of Humanity, waged by the Powerful over the Powerless. The Globalists against the Sovereign Nations. The Feds against the States. The cops against the citizens. Alcoholists against Cannabists. Rednecks against Hippies. One race against another. One World against Another. Life/Death. The Endless Win-less War.The War Of Life.Toke.    
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Comment #2 posted by afterburner on January 13, 2007 at 23:35:30 PT
More Voices of Reason
CN BC: OPED: Government Created A System Benefitting The Worst One Percent, Parksville Qualicum Beach News, (12 Jan 2007) 
http://www.mapinc.org/newstcl/v07/n039/a13.html?176CN ON: PUB LTE: Decriminalizing Pot Growth Would Pay Off, Windsor Star, (12 Jan 2007) 
http://www.mapinc.org/newstcl/v07/n039/a10.html?176CN NS: PUB LTE: Regulation of Drugs Makes More Sense Than Busts, The Evening News, (12 Jan 2007) 
http://www.mapinc.org/newstcl/v07/n037/a05.html?176
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Comment #1 posted by Dankhank on January 13, 2007 at 20:37:06 PT
contact him ...
Sen. William Mescher, R-Pinopolis SC Senate District 44 can be emailed at:SLC scsenate.orguse zip+4 of 29469-5050 if you search for his page here ...http://www.scstatehouse.net/cgi-bin/zipcodesearch.exe
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