Medical marijuana

[primroselane]

http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=100162

With Montana's approval of a medical marijuana initiative, nearly three-fourths of Western states now have such laws - while only two of the 37 states outside the West have adopted them.

Why is the West so much more receptive to the idea?

From a procedural standpoint, it's just easier to get pot issues on Western ballots because most states in the region allow such initiatives. Nationwide, just 24 states allow citizens to put issues on the ballot by petition, bypassing the Legislature. Eleven of those states are in the West.

But activists and political scientists also say Westerners are less willing than other Americans to tell their neighbors what they can and can't do. And historically, Western states tend to be in front on social trends.

"I would guess many of the people that voted for it probably don't use marijuana, but they don't want to say their neighbors can't," said Steven Stehr, political science professor at Washington State University.

"Westerners have a stronger belief in kind of individualism in the old-fashioned frontier sense," said Sven Steinmo, a University of Colorado political scientist and board member for the Center of the American West.

The population also is newer than the rest of the country and states don't have deeply ingrained traditions, said David Olson, political scientist at the University of Washington.

[FarmerJeff]

To which I would also add (as a straight male, but stringent advocate of unbiased personal freedom), why are some of the traditionally uber-conservative western states pro-medical marijuana but against gay marriage. Even if you wouldn't do it yourself, why limit what your neighbor can do if it doesn't directly harm you?

[ratherbefishin]

if you want to open the door on that legalizing gay marriage- then why shouldn't we also legalize having more than one spouse?Multiple wives has a very long standing historical precident, going back thousands of years- and if you want to include whatis more''natural''[ if I can call it that, on the grounds that one reason for marriage is procreation]then having more than one wife wins hands down.I'm not saying I advocate plurality of marriage but you have to agree it has a long standing historical and religeos precident, and is still practiced in many parts of the world.And-if you submit to the theory of what you do yourself is nobody elses business- then mostcertainly having as many wives as you choose would fit that bill.[I'm very happy with the same one- and have been for 32 years]

[sdrew]

multiple wives,.... argh,.. i can barely handle the one i have !!! :haha:

[FarmerJeff]

Everybody has the right to marry one person. Everyone is hence equal. Man, woman who cares? This has been debated to death, but as long as you need a state marriage license and can be married by a judge or JP outside of a church, marriage is always a secular institution which can sometimes have a religious component. So secularly speaking, as long as the multiple spouse issue did not affect my tax or insurance rates, etc., it is someone elses personal lifestyle choice and that does not concern me. I wouldn't do it, however.

[seedspreader]

Originally Posted by FarmerJeff

Everybody has the right to marry one person. Everyone is hence equal. Man, woman who cares? This has been debated to death, but as long as you need a state marriage license and can be married by a judge or JP outside of a church, marriage is always a secular institution which can sometimes have a religious component. So secularly speaking, as long as the multiple spouse issue did not affect my tax or insurance rates, etc., it is someone elses personal lifestyle choice and that does not concern me. I wouldn't do it, however.

Interestingly opening the can of worms that you are suggesting would cost the insurance industry (and thusly YOU) billions of dollars. The fallacy of long-term monogamous relationships in the homosexual community are perpetuated by people with an agenda. This is a high-risk lifestyle that would affect taxes, laws, insurance rates and a plethora of other things of many of those, like myself who find it to be morally reprehensive. What about a mother and a son who want to marry, both adults, consenting, "loving"... is that cool too?

Back to the issue at hand for all those that are MM advocates... interesting article here... http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1275352004

Talks about all the benefits of MM but then says this at the end...

Some researchers, however, believe there are better, more precise ways to stimulate the cannabinoid system. They believe marijuana has too many negatives to be a truly effective drug, with side effects that include memory problems, decreased immunity and possible addiction.

Marijuana has another drawback. From a scientific standpoint, Giuffrida says, it’s "a very dirty drug". It contains more than 300 compounds, 60 of which affect the cannabinoid system, which makes it difficult for researchers to accurately pinpoint marijuana’s effects.

For those who advocate MM and the legalization of growing it... if it were put into a pill and gave you all the benefits medicinally... would you take the pill or smoke the pot?

[comfortablynumb]

all the commuist live in the east...

[seedspreader]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

all the commuist live in the east...

I am going to assume that you are comfortably numb as you typed that and that it really doesn't have a meaning???? :haha:

[FarmerJeff]

I am a communist???? because I advocate equality and freedom amongst which I include the right to own firearms, the right to do what you want with your land as long as it doesn't degrade your neighbor's property, the right to state unpopular opinions, and the wish to minimize the role of governmental oversight in my families life while all the while strongly advocating for personal responsibility? OK ComfortablyNumb, smoke another. :no: As to the tax increases that would be associated with legalization of gay marriage. I don't care if it costs me more if it allows people to achieve equality. Currently, I enjoy (and have exercised) the right to take a spouse. I am married to one person. I am not married to a relative. I don't have children and I didn't marry to procreate. Why another person should be prohibited from enjoying marriage within these same parameters (whether same sex or hetero) is a question I have not heard a single legitimate answer to. Sometimes being consistent across our beliefs requires us to accept things we may not like.

[mightybooboo]

This months Legion Magazine,from John P. Walters,Federal Drug Czar,Bush Administration,a NO reply to medical marijauna issue.

"Some claim smoking marijauna helps ease symptoms associated with certain illnesses.The fact that smoking a joint may make them feel better is not in dispute.But simply feeling better is not the standard of modern medicine."

"The reality is that modern science has afforded us safe alternatives to smoking a crude plant.The FDA approved drug marinol makes the component in marijauna known as THC available in pill form.A product that delivers marijuanas THC through an inhaler is currently in developement.The difference between these medicines and smoking a joint :the user does not get high."

Now this just strikes me as absurd,we need a 'pill' not a 'crude plant'?.We need an FDA approved inhaler-GOOD,not a joint-BAD?
What a crock.Shows to me the failure on the war on drugs,and a huge bias to the pharmacuetical companies,natural drug BAD,Pharmacuetical drug-Good.
And feeling better is not the standard of modern medicine ??????Where did this fool come from???Cant have modern medicine making people feel good! :no:
Gotta pander to the drug companies,business as usual.
BooBoo

[OUVickie]

Some states don't want legalized marijuana, in any form, because there are lawyers, some law enforcement, and others who make BIGGER MONEY off illegal pot. Once you legalize any type pot it becomes government regulated and the growers are watched very closely. I bet they figure it's just one step closer to legalizing all of it - bad news for those making big bucks on the street. Some of the cops and such in our area control the meth labs like this too.

[jillianjiggs]

Originally Posted by mightybooboo

This months Legion Magazine,from John P. Walters,Federal Drug Czar,Bush Administration,a NO reply to medical marijauna issue.

"Some claim smoking marijauna helps ease symptoms associated with certain illnesses.The fact that smoking a joint may make them feel better is not in dispute.But simply feeling better is not the standard of modern medicine."

"The reality is that modern science has afforded us safe alternatives to smoking a crude plant.The FDA approved drug marinol makes the component in marijauna known as THC available in pill form.A product that delivers marijuanas THC through an inhaler is currently in developement.The difference between these medicines and smoking a joint :the user does not get high."

Now this just strikes me as absurd,we need a 'pill' not a 'crude plant'?.We need an FDA approved inhaler-GOOD,not a joint-BAD?
What a crock.Shows to me the failure on the war on drugs,and a huge bias to the pharmacuetical companies,natural drug BAD,Pharmacuetical drug-Good.
And feeling better is not the standard of modern medicine ??????Where did this fool come from???Cant have modern medicine making people feel good! :no:
Gotta pander to the drug companies,business as usual.
BooBoo

The reasoning behind an inhaler or a pill is to avoid the negative side effects that smoking a joint would have. (LUNG CANCER, anyone?) It's not about a war on drugs. It's about providing a safe, accurate dosage of the active components without harming the patient at the same time.

[kathy H]

A friend of mine is on it for post polio and she has oil pills. Been told it also comes in butter?

[sue currin]

gay marriage is not only about money and taxes, two people can be together for 20 years, and not be allowed to see there parnter in ICU, or make medical decisions, cousins that they never knew can lay claim to properity in case of death, loans are harder to get because most banks will only loan to one person which means only one income. love is love. if we stop thinking about how their life is wrong and start thinking how nice it is to just have people around us who love, we might start thinking about helping promote that.

[sidepasser]

Hi or should I say HIGH? Ok, I gotta chime in here from experience with legalized drugs for pain.

My ex husband had Reflex sympathetic dystrophy as a result of a auto running the ambulance he was working in off the road. Cause: drunk driver - result of a legalized drug, alcohol.

He underwent five operations including a nerve block in his spine. At the end of it all, he was put on methadone as a treatment for pain as people with RSD have searing pain (the doctor explained it like this; normal people get a cut and experience pain until the wound heals; RSD patients experience the pain continuously after the wound heals).

So after seeing multiple doctors, and finally getting diagnosed at Emory University Medical Center - he was totally addicted to narcotic pain killers and had to be placed in rehab. Then was put on methadone which is a class 4 drug and can only be gotten at certain university hospitals like Emory. None of the local drugstores were licensed to dispense it, so it was a weekly trip of 100 miles to Emory.

Now - given the choice of smoking pot or becoming addicted to narcotic pain killers, which would be better? He didn't smoke pot, it's illegal here in GA, but goodness, docs will write a codeine script so fast it will make your head spin. Not to mention the other synthetics like Darvocet, Percoset, Percodan, hydrocodone, etc. At one time or another, he was prescribed all of these. None of which gave him any relief, just put him in a stupor where he could not function at all...

So what would be better? I honestly believe were pot legal for medicinal use here, I would have gladly signed him up. His pain and the stress from five years of trying to manage it, killed our marriage and ended his life way earlier than it should have. Nothing, not even a morphine drip was effective, as who wants to be a pain free zombie? He didn't but had no other choice and he even talked of suicide on many occasions. He passed away at 48 from complications of legal medications that were prescribed by doctors who were doing the best they could under the circumstances. What is funny is that some of his doctors said pot relieved pain better than the artificial drugs, but they had no authority to administer it. My ex was a licensed paramedic and at one time, the only licensed pediatric life support person in two counties. He was aware of the dangers of legal pain medication and even though he understood it well, he still became horribly addicted to them. Once through rehab, the methodone he took was non addicting, but also had to be increased from time to time as tolerance does build up over time.

I think there must be a better way to deal with pain management in this country, rather than just write a script and send a patient away. Whether it is pot, or some type of herbal concoction, I don't know. I know one thing, the strongest thing I take is aspirin even when in agonizing pain as I am too afraid of becoming another "walking zombie".

I am not for folks lighting up and smoking pot like cigarettes, nor do I approve of any of the other drugs like cocaine or meth or crack or what have you. I think they are dangerous. I certainly don't think they should be available by direct purchase over the counter by just anyone who happens to want to buy them. But I do think that if there is ANY medicinal value at all in an illegal drug, then under the proper circumstances, it should be made available to those that would benefit from it.

Ok - my rant is over, I'll hush now and go away...
Sidepasser

[ratherbefishin]

marijuana will be legalised when the government figures out how to tax it- plain and simple.[I don't use the stuff- never have and never will]

[bubbba]

Right on for Montana!!!!
I am a medical marijuana user and it helps me a lot, I often get nauseated from my other meds (morphine) and when i smoke a joint i feel better within seconds and often within a minute or 2 i feel so much better that I am thinking about something totally different and not feeling sick at all!
I have severe arthritis in my knees as well as a lot of damage I also have suffered several bloodclots in my lung and calves and I get quite anxious when i have leg pain or chest pain( which happens fairly often) the pot helps me relax and mellow out so I don't develop a full blown panic attack.
For pain relief it helps a lot , however for myself once the pain got past a certain point the pot just wasn't doin enough. But once i started taking the morphine the combination of the 2 works quite well.
To adress the question (zealyouthguy) would i take a pill if all the same benifits where in the pill? Sounds OK except that pills take quite awhile to kick in and when u eat cannabis it comes on very strong and can be quite uncomfortable if you not ready for that. When you smoke a joint the effects are felt very quickly and it is easy to stop once you've reached the desired effect. For example sometimes if I am in a lot of pain i will smoke a couple of joints in a half hour or so but other times I will smoke a half a joint and put it out for a hour before taking another couple tokes and putrting it out again.....
I have smoked most of my pot but i have also eaten it (works great but takes more and is very expensive) and I also make a rub that i put directly on my knees (turning them a lovely green colour lol), I haven't tried it yet but you can also vapourize cannabis which is very easy on the lungs as only the thc and some of the other goodies get evapourated and you dont actually inhale any smoke.
I have smoked pot since i was a teenager and I have allways been a vocal supporter of its legalization, I am not using my illness as an excuse to justify my marijuana use I would smoke if I wasnt sick just because I feel that marijuana is a miraculous plant with so many benifits and that the only harm in pot is the problems caused by its prohabition.

[comfortablynumb]

farmer jeff the post asked why the east is less receptive than the west....

I didnt call you a commie.... I makde a quip that al the commies live in the east so that accounts for the lack of acceptance of freedom of choice.

sorry next time I wil put a "haha" on the end of a quip.

[bubbba]

bump bump

[Oilpatch197]

you people can be Morons somtimes, so legalize gays, legalize sm0king crack, so legalize Suicide?

isn't trying to kill yourself a crime?

and let's not stop there, let's go further, let's say you want to impose your veiws on other, "I belive I need to kill myself and everyone around me too"

let's make that legal too, heck drunk driving should be legal, as long as you don't bother anyone else, then let's legalize speeding, as long as you don't bother anyone else...???

I fail to see your point, there a laws that keep stupid people from doing stupid things, like driving 120mph in a 35!!

and the stupid lifestyles above are just that.

America is the freeist nation out there, ENJOY what we have, and keep this society CIVIL.