cannabisnews.com: Allow Marijuana for Medical Use in N.J.





Allow Marijuana for Medical Use in N.J.
Posted by CN Staff on December 21, 2008 at 06:13:25 PT
Opinion
Source: Courier-Post
Cherry Hill, NJ -- New Jersey lawmakers took a key step toward allowing those suffering with cancer, AIDS, glaucoma and other conditions to legally use marijuana to relieve their pain.Last week, the state Senate's Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, by a 6-1 vote, approved the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act.
Legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes remains controversial in part because it runs counter to federal drug laws regarding marijuana, and also because there are many people who do not want to see any door opened toward legalizing drugs.However, there is overwhelming documentation and heartfelt testimony from people from all walks of life who have lived in tremendous pain and say that marijuana, more than any other medicine, helps reduce their pain, take away their nausea, clear up their vision, stop their muscle spasms, etc. These people are not drug abusers; they're regular Americans who are just desperate to live without the pain of often incurable diseases and conditions.Who are we, and who is the government, to stop people from alleviating their suffering?Thirteen states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington -- allow people, with a doctor's consent, to possess small amounts of marijuana and/or grow marijuana plants for their personal medicinal use.The law New Jersey proposes would be similar. The state Department of Health and Senior Services would register people with debilitating conditions such as HIV, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, etc. and issue them a photo identification card. They would be able to possess as many as "six marijuana plants and an ounce of usable marijuana." The law would bar them from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana or from smoking in many public areas. Snipped   Complete Article: http://drugsense.org/url/PMvSuur5Source: Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, NJ)Published: December 21, 2008Copyright: 2008 Courier-PostWebsite: http://www.courierpostonline.com/Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/chqQxW6uRelated Articles:Corzine Says He Would Sign MMJ Legislationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24373.shtmlMedical Marijuana Act Passes NJ Panelhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread24372.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by runruff on December 21, 2008 at 08:54:29 PT
We are winning the war of attrition!
How many more states are contemplating or have enacted legislation, or have upcoming referendums, providing for a medical marijuana law?Chip, chip chip, it is the equivalent of chopping down a giant sequoia redwood with a nail file!The way I understand the WOD in the 1980s and '90s,is like this;The feds placed one federal agent [DEA,US Marshal of FBI guy] in our local sheriff's dept. They gave the dept. 20 million fed monies under the guise of increased crime fighting in America and Buba'a promise of one hundred thousand more cops. We live in a sparsely populated county so 20 million was a ton of money to the local LEO's who were really corrupt and saw themselves like comic book heroes all at the same time. I know, sounds bazaar but reality is bazaar. So with 20 million fed money and about the same from the state and county, these cowboy''s were flush. We saw them as local boys sold out, not so much that they were cops but it was disgraceful the way the fed cop led them all around like a pack of dogs on a lease and local boys turned cop even started shooting the family pets when the raided a home. They were rude, cruel and brutal. During mid-winter raids the entire family was made to stand out in the night air in their pj's in rain, ice or snow. Often with their dead bloody pet at their feet. Meanwhile the common practice was to dump every drawer,tear out the walls and take anything of value. Is any of this sounding familiar yet?Prior to this tyrannical turn of events perpetrated by dear ol' Uncle Sam, Marijuana was legal here in Oregon.
The local law enforcement didn't much worry about cannabis, Why, because cannabis and the cannabis culture is harmless when left alone and they knew that.Right at the same time as we were invaded by uncle Sam and his deep pockets the TV, radio, newspaper became flooded with anti-pot propaganda. It is so easy to follow the way a boogie man was created. Had everyone believing that there was a boogie man under every bed and that Uncle Sam was here to protect us. Good grief, as human beings we are so easily manipulated. We went from legal to prohibition mania over night. Now getting us back to sanity seems a long row to hoe. Thank God I have these calluses. 
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