Medical Marijuana States
As emotions over medical marijuana and the locations, and numbers of the dispensaries allowed heats up in every city across the state of California… There is still no greater place to live. In one afternoon a properly documented marijuana patients can visit a marijuana doctor, be evaluated, and with 30 min be on his or her way looking for their new favorite medical cannabis club. Of which there are more than a few to choose from.
The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 - The Tax Cannabis 2010 Initiative would generate billions of tax revenue by legalizing marijuana. The Initiative could go on the California's 2010 ballot if enough voter signatures are collected. It proposes to tax and regulate marijuana similar to how alcohol is regulated and taxed.
The Initiative would “allow people 21 years old or older to possess, cultivate, and/or transport marijuana for personal use.” Each city/local government would be able to decide independently whether to tax and regulate the production and sale of marijuana. Other key aspects of the Initiative include: prohibiting possession of marijuana on school grounds, public use, or smoking it while minors are present. It maintains current prohibitions against driving while impaired and outlines serious punishment for anyone providing marijuana to those under 21 years of age.
Benefits
Legalizing marijuana would benefit States by providing much needed tax revenue. Take the profit from the underground and untaxed and place it in the hand of government to support libraries, schools, roads, police, firefighters, etc. An immense amount of money and resources would be saved. Prison would be reserved for serious offenders and probation officers could devote more time to serious probation and parole violations.
If passed, the Tax Cannabis 2010 Initiative would create contractor jobs as regulated stores open to market marijuana products. Regulation would make marijuana safer. To avoid the negative effects of smoking, marijuana can be ingested by drinking, eating or taking a pill! Vaporizers could be sold as a safer alternative to smoking. It eliminates tar and other harmful chemicals and emits very little second-hand smoke.
Facts
46% of Americans favor legalizing marijuana for personal use, according to a Views on Legalizing Marijuana polls from ABC News/Washington Post and Time/CNN.
56% of California voters support legalizing marijuana and taxing its sale, according to The Field Poll.
A number of U.S. cities have already changed prosecution priorities making adult marijuana possession for personal use their lowest priority.
Marijuana possession of up to one ounce is currently punishable with a fine of only $100 in California.
Massachusetts Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing October 14, 2009 on H2929, An Act to Tax and Regulate the Cannabis Industry. Richard Evans provided notes on the hearing.
The Federal laws on marijuana have little to do with a state decision regarding legalizing marijuana. The Feds only get involved in high-profile marijuana offenses.
Only 434,000 signatures of registered California voters are needed to qualify the Tax Cannabis 2010 Initiative for the November 2010 ballot. Richard Lee, the founder of the Oaksterdam University, in Oakland, California, is backed by former State Senate President Don Perata. Lee has already collected 25% of the needed 434,000 signatures, and he has pledged to spend $1 million of his own money to support the Tax Cannabis 2010 Initiative!
California
California has been known for setting standards in America and most of its residents recognize that a time for change has presented itself. The state is closer to passing the 2010 ballot since medicinal marijuana laws passed over a decade ago, in 1996. Medical marijuana advocates in California are not opposed to taxing the sale of medicinal or legalized marijuana sales. They understand the benefits legalizing marijuana would have for their great state.
Most residents of Oakland, California recognize the benefits their city would reap from legalizing marijuana to tax and regulate sales. “The new tax revenue will help save libraries, parks, and other public services, and that the once destitute area where Oaksterdam now thrives has seen a clear boost,” City Council member Rebecca Kaplan told Newsweek. Medical marijuana in smokeable and edible variations, sold at competitive prices, is available in Oaksterdam at multiple cafes, clubs and patient dispensaries.
Personal views on marijuana
Erin, my neighbor and mother of two, said she would be more comfortable with her kids smoking marijuana than getting drunk. Erin worries about the loss of inhibitions experienced with drinking. Erin recalls doing things she normally wouldn't do while drunk but never doing anything she wouldn't normally do after smoking marijuana. I tend to agree. I also know many doctors who would prefer marijuana over alcohol. In my experience, marijuana users are nonviolent as opposed to alcohol - a legal, highly addictive drug. Drinking often leads to brutal bar or spousal fights or people getting behind the wheel without understanding how impaired they are and take someone's life.
I purport the days of work missed by the alcoholic are much more than that of the chronic marijuana smoker. There is opposition to this point of view but I disagree. I believe in essence, most everything in life that is done in excess has negative effects.
Marijuana is said to be a gateway drug. Is this true or is it political propaganda? I believe it is the latter and found no supporting research. I have seen serious negative effects of heroine users, i.e. stealing, breaking and entering, to get money to support their habit. I have not seen this with alcohol or marijuana users or abusers.
I challenge anyone reading this to offer opposing views on why marijuana should not be legalized. It is legal for medicinal purposes in 13 states. There is a host of indications for the use of medical marijuana; over 250 to be exact. Why are prescription drugs handed out like candy while marijuana, with proven efficacy, remains completely illegal in most states? My answer - politics! Regardless of legality, marijuana is available for those who know the right people; prohibition doesn't work. The law does not stop them from purchasing it. Legalizing marijuana has serious benefits for cities and states through tax revenue and I do not understand why politicians do not get it.
Let's look at the Netherlands as an example
Hard drugs versus soft drugs: Holland differentiates “Hard drugs are those such as cocaine, ecstasy and heroin. Soft drugs are those such as marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.” Here is a statistic that may surprise those who think legalizing marijuana will lead to increased use - Marijuana use in the Netherlands is lower than in many other European countries and a lot lower than the United States. In Holland, only 6% of had used marijuana in the past year, compared to 11% in the U.S.! The Dutch Ministry of Justice reports that the Nederweit industry (aka Netherlands weed) employs approximately 20,000 people. I found no negative criminal repercussions, such as increased crime activity. Even though marijuana is legal in the Netherlands, there is still an underground marijuana market.
List of Sources:
The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, Tax & Regulate Cannabis California 2010
Changing Views on Social Issues: Allemande Left. Allemande Right, ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST POLL: HOT-BUTTON ISSUES
Mervin Field, The Independent and Non-Partisan Survey of Public Opinion Established in 1947 as the California Poll, The Field Poll
Ranee Wright, Massachusetts Act to Tax and Regulate Cannabis, Associated Content
Richard Evans, Notes, Materials on Cannabis Taxation & Regulation
Oaksterdam University Faculty Oakland, Oaksterdam University
Jennifer Molina, Welcome to Potopia, Newsweek
Oaksterdam,Wikipedia
13 Legal Medical Marijuana States, ProCon.org
Marijuana and Dutch Law, Amsterdam Review
If Marijuana Is Legal, Will Addiction Rise?, The New York Times
Should the U.S. Legalize Marijuana?, Opposing Views
Oakland Medical Marijuna
Marijuana Medicine has a long history of helping, With the recent death of Heath Ledger due to prescription drugs| more and more patients looking at the prescription drugs and cannot help but be curious as to what their future holds. Doctors are so swift to write prescriptions for anti-depressants, painkillers, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Most medical cannabis patients feel that they cannot function on the medications that they have been prescribed for pain, insomnia, depression, etc. and find that they function very well on medical marijuana.
While many people are finding relief from terrible diseases by smoking marijuana, there are also many people who believe that legislators should allow researchers more freedom to research this drug for legal medicinal usage. To date, 13 states have declared medical marijuana legal to use. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the federal government can continue to ban the use of medical marijuana. Justice Scalia writes that the federal government also has, under the commerce clause, the power to prohibit interstate commerce of this drug. Personal use of marijuana may not be commerce, but if our drug laws were working correctly, they would be perfectly enforced. Even as evidence mounts concerning the benefits of marijuana as a medicine, federal officials and agencies continue to bury their heads in the sand.
Written records on medicinal marijuana stretch back over 2000 years. It was first discovered in print in the 2nd century in a Chinese book of medicine. As far back as 1611, this plant was cultivated for its fiber in Jamestown, Virginia. In the 19th century, it was used to treat such ailments as spastic conditions, labor pains, insomnia, and even helped with appetite. It is still used as a medicine in the Middle East and Asia. Although modern technology medicine does not refer back to the medical practices of ancient civilizations, this only confirms that marijuana has had a significant medical history, and claims of its medicinal use were not just pulled out of nowhere.
Marijuana is a drug that comes from the dried, cut leaves of the hemp plant known as “cannabis sativa”. It goes by a number of street names such as “grass”, “Mary Jane”, “pot”, “reefer”, “herb”, and “weed”. The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This ingredient targets Cannabinoid receptors that have been proven to cut tumor growth in half in common lung cancer. It has also been tested and researchers at Harvard University say it also significantly reduces the cancer's ability to spread. Cannabinoids are chemical substances in cannabis, or marijuana. Endocannabinoids are cannabinoids that are produced naturally in the body.
Montel Williams is a huge activist for legalizing medicinal marijuana since he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999. He has debilitating knee and foot pain and has tried Oxycontin and a variety of other drugs with no relief. Then a doctor suggested he smoke pot and “immediately I slept through the night.” Williams is a registered medical marijuana user in California. He began pushing for medical marijuana laws after being stopped at a Detroit airport by an Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms officer for carrying drug paraphernalia. His charges were later dropped.
Williams told a Senate panel about his chronic pain and urged New Jersey to join 12 other states that have enacted these laws. The states that have currently legalized medical marijuana are: California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Maine, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Montana, Vermont, and Rhode Island. New Mexico is planning on signing a bill in 2008. Williams will speak at two events in Trenton; a Drug Policy Alliance-sponsored news conference and a Senate hearing. Governor Jon S. Corzine of New Jersey said last year that he would sign a medical marijuana bill into law. “I break the law every day and I'll continue to break the law.” (Montel Williams)
This bill, sponsored by Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) lists cancer, HIV and AIDS, chronic pain, severe nausea, persistent muscle spasms and even glaucoma as conditions eligible for medical marijuana use. The legislation has never received a hearing, even though it has long been proposed. A 2002 poll found that 82 percent of the people in New Jersey supported allowing access to medical marijuana. Terrance P. Farley, an Ocean County assistant prosecutor told the Associated Press that the bill is only an attempt to legalize drugs. “This is how they're trying to get marijuana legalized”, he said.
Marijuana is listed in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the most restrictive schedule. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) supports that placement because marijuana met the 3 criteria about this drug: 1) marijuana has high potential for abuse, 2) the drug has no currently accepted medical use in treatment, and 3) it has a lack of accepted safe use under medical supervision. The Federal government should, at the very least, possibly downgrade it to a Schedule II, since it has been accepted for medical use in the United States. A past evaluation by several agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), concluded that supported use of medical marijuana has no sound scientific studies and no human or animal data supported the safety or efficacy for general use.
During the Prohibition of Alcohol period (1920-1933), psychoactive properties of marijuana were left to criticism by the same forces that opposed the consumption of alcohol. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, which made continual use of marijuana a criminal act. During hearings held before this act, a lone opponent, a representative of the American Medical Association (AMA), argued that banning marijuana should exempt it for medical purposes, at least. His testimony included the following:
There is positively no evidence to indicate the abuse of
cannabis (marijuana) as a medicinal agent or to show that
its medicinal use is leading to the development of cannabis
addiction. Cannabis at the present time is slightly used for
medicinal purposes, but it would seem worthwhile to main-
tain its status as a medicinal agent…. There is a possibility
that a re-study of the drug by modern means may show
other advantages to be derived from its medicinal use.
Marijuana was removed from the American pharmacopoeia in 1941, over AMA objections, and hope for further research or legal medical use came to a halt. In 1970, Congress restructured the drug laws with the Controlled Substances Act, which kept marijuana banned for medical use.
Marijuana has many substitutes, such as Marinol. Swallowing this substance, however, takes longer to work, has more adverse side effects and is more expensive. A year's supply can cost up to $15,000; too much, some said, for a flawed version of a weed that can be grown in any backyard. One reason many prefer to smoke marijuana rather than swallow Marinol is that it allows them to regulate the amount of THC that goes into their systems. Smoking allows an instant transmission of this ingredient to sites in the brain that control nausea, so when the anti-nausea effect wears off, they only need to smoke a little more if needed. Individual patients respond differently to different doses, and they can avoid taking too much, which is not possible with Marinol.
On the other hand, although several states have passed legal drug laws making smoked marijuana available for various medical conditions, the FDA, the DEA and the Office of National Drug Control Policy do not support the use of smoked marijuana for medicinal purposes. These measures go against their efforts to ensure that medications are proven safe and effective under the standards of the FD&C Act. Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposal would allow chronically ill patients to medicinally smoke, eat or take marijuana in tablets. The program would be monitored by the State Health Department. The amount of marijuana would be capped at 1 ounce and the patients would be issued registered medical marijuana user cards. Bertha Madras, deputy director for demand reduction at the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said in a telephone interview: “We cannot base medical decisions on anecdotes.”
Researchers do not know why THC inhibits tumor growth; they say it is possible the substance activates molecules that arrest cell cycles. It may also interfere with angiogenesis and vascularization, which promotes the growth of cancer. Anju Preet, Ph.D., a researcher in the Division of Experimental Medicine says much work is needed to pave the pathway by which THC functions. “The beauty of this study is that we are showing that a substance of abuse, if used prudently, may offer a new road to therapy against lung cancer.” People hope that the federal courts and legislators will be allowed to take a closer look at the benefits, examine the evidence and conclude that we only want safe pain relief for the people who need it the most.
Medical Cannabis
Marijuana Medicine has a long history of helping, With the recent death of Michael Jackson due to prescribed medications| more and more patients are examining their pill bottles and cannot help but be curious as to what their future holds. Doctors are so swift to write prescriptions for anti-depressants, painkillers, sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Most medical cannabis patients feel that they cannot function on the medications that they have been prescribed for pain, insomnia, depression, etc. and find that they function very well on medical marijuana.
If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
Language is as organic as that Venus Fly Trap on your front porch. It also has a voracious appetite…It is as malleable and impressionist as silly putty, the primordial goo that sticks to the roof of our mouth (and yes, to our fingers) like peanut butter. It is an architectural wonder like Balboa Park and the Coronado Bridge, allowing our minds to traverse from one park to another, one body of land to another. It is visual acuity in that it can zoom-in and out like a telephoto lens directed at a sunflower or a point in space. It is power, and can shape and reshape the universe into a multiplicity of dimensions.
It’s also fun—like one of those floor-sized puzzles of the Eiffel Tower.
Some words don’t seem to have their meaning altered much. They exist—and persist—generation after generation. Contrary to the epigram from Wittgenstein, we really do speak a different language, and our worlds are perceived differently as a result. One could have fun arguing that we live in a multidimensional universe as a result of language, and that as a result, we speak, listen, and know our world through a multiplicity of languages (And I’m not only referring to those languages associated with national origin with their respective dialects…).
Think: VENN diagrams! Each rhetorical community to which we belong has its own language and/or lingo. We create our world—our experience—through language; in turn, it facilitates our experience of this world, doesn’t it? Families and other people who cohabitate or spend a considerable amount of time with each other come up with new words (and/or alter the meanings of words) in the same—or similar—ways that industries do when technological advances occur. When an object is created, it needs a name; calling it a “thingamajig”—or other similar labels - will only work for so long…When an experience is had, comparing it to other experiences may work for a time, but what if it doesn’t compare to anything you’ve experienced before? Doesn’t it deserve, doesn’t it call for, a new word to describe it? If we don’t have a new word, and can’t seem to agree upon one, we can point to that thing and/or experience for only so long. What if we can’t duplicate the thing or the process or the experience? We don’t want to forget it, right? We want to share it with others, right? Maybe we even way to patent it or make it or do it or share it.
It needs a name to perpetuate its existence as well as to identify its existence to others…
So, since neologisms, idiomatic language, and slang are thought-provoking categories for exploration (and also make for fun group projects), I asked my two summer school classes to assume they were linguists and contemporary socio-cultural anthropologists gathering and recording data. I asked them to discuss word categories, definitions, and examples.
Here are some highlights from their expedition:
Word: Lackies
Definition: Referring to people who just sit around talking about Magic, The Gathering card game, Star Wars, Pokemon cards, and play gameboy the entire day before and after class.
Example:
‘Hey Chuy! Let’s hang out. Just a minute…I have to ask this guy something.’
‘Fine. So hang out with the lackies, you lackie.’
Word: Simon
Definition: Someone who tells you something about things or people with extreme exaggeration and later finds out it is a lie or is just plain crap.
Example:
‘Dude, you gotta play this video game. It’s freaking awesome. Anyone who’s anyone plays this game.’ Later, after buying the game and finding out I hate it and return it for a refund, my other friend says, ‘Man, he bust a Simon on you.’
(J. P.)
These three slang terms hail from the Caribbean!
Word: Hey Ma
Definition: Hey Girl
Word: Skettel
Definition: Someone who has sex with a lot of people.
Word: Cockle
Definition: Another term for a female sleeping around.
These two hail from Hawaii:
Phrase: da kine
Definition: Used when communicating something implied, but too lazy to finish the sentence.
Example: ‘I’m hungry…let’s go to da kine.’ This means the usual place these two eat together. Most people just think this phrase refers to marijuana.
Word: bannang
Definition: A person who looks Asian on the outside and acts white from inside.
(M. B., D.H., D.R., and D.W.)
Word: tight
Definition: likeable, cool, in fashion.
Example: ‘Those new pair of shoes are tight!’
Word: turn-two
Definition: Get going. Let’s move on.
Example: ‘All right people…let’s turn-two.’ (NOTE: As you say this, make the “two” sign with your two fingers and flip your hand back-and-forth.)
(H.E., M.H., S.M., E.M., and C.F.)
Word: shema
Definition: to evoke empathy.
Word: sicky-gnar
Definition: good; overwhelming.
Word: M.I.L.F.
Definition: An acronym for ‘mother I’d love to fuck’.
Word: gromm
Definition: child surfer
(C.W., A.H., M.M., and R.S.)
Here’s one from Alabama:
Word: buggy
Definition: a shopping cart.
Here’s a few from Minnesota:
Word: uff-da
Definition: Norweigian term used to express disgust or used in place of ‘my goodness’.
Example: “Uff-da—it’s hot outside!”
Word: Bucket
Definition: Another name for a woman’s purse.
Example: ‘Hey—look at my brand new bucket!’
Word: yaontoo (ya-on-too)
Definition: Do you want to or would you like to?
Example: ‘I’m going to the mall. You can come if yaontoo.’
Word: Nambit (name-bit)
Definition: Norwegian term used to express surprise or shock.
Example: If something happens that you can’t believe, you may say, ‘Nambit—honestly.’
I don’t believe these are from Minnesota…
Phrase: off the braken
Definition: cooler than cool
Phrase: That was bomady!
Definition: that blows your head, crying tears funny.
(B.E., A.A., I.A., and F.S.)
Word: shomgo
Definition: klutz; dumbass.
Example: ‘I tripped over the curb and felt like such a shomgo.’
Word: snugs
Definition: cuddly dog
Phrase: Mickey Mouse
Definition: being resourceful.
Example: ‘I couldn’t find the tool so I Mickey-Moused it.’
Word: groovy
Definition: out-dated; out-of-style
Example: ‘Man, look at her outfit—it’s so groovy she should change!”’
(D.P., D.S., F.S., M.K., and J.P.)
Here are a two “lop-offs”, or words that are broken up and stand for an entire word:
Word: inad
Definition: inadmitted
Word: depo
Definition: deported
Word: scooter
Definition: a motorcycle or a little car
Phrase: scooter trash
Definition: Harley Davidson rider
Word: skidlid
Definition: helmet
Word: spider
Definition: pubic hair
(S.M., K.N., C.L., and C.E.)
Word: Falcon
Definition: Calling dibs on hitting on a girl when with a group of guys.
Phrase: Junk in the Trunk
Definition: Voluptuous gluteus maximus
Word: Bangin’
Definition: A party that is the place to be…a tight party.
Phrase: Off-the-hook
Definition: Extremely cool.
(B.L., V.L., J.P., and I.A.)
Word: geterdone (get her done)
Definition: Go for it. Just do it. Motivational.
Example: ‘If you want to become an actor, you can’t lie around all day; just geterdone’ (David Jaimes).
Phrase: butter face
Definition: referring to someone who portrays an ‘ugly’ face.
Example: ‘Man, she has a beautiful body, but that butter face fucks her up’ (David Jaimes).
Phrase: Jimmy Legs
Definition: Sporadic, or sudden outbursts while sleeping in legs (e.g., shaking leg).
Example: ‘I couldn’t sleep last night because she has the Jimmy Legs and she kicked me all night long.’
Word: teabaggin’
Definition: to suck someone’s testicles
Example: ‘She was teabaggin’ me yesterday.’
(O.C., K.T., and D.J.)
Word: 143
Definition: ‘I love you’ (in text messaging)
Word: LOL
Definition: Lots of Laughs [NOTE: This is a separate, but similar, definition to “LOL”, which in computer-speak translates as “laughing out loud”.]
Example: ‘The comedian, Steve Harvey, was funny. He was LOL.’
(I.B., J.F., A.A., and J.B.)
Word: winger
Definition: A long fall before the rope catches you.
Example: ‘Hey Dude! I took a winger and thought that I was going to die.’
Word: P.F.T.
Definition: Physical Fitness Test
Example: We have a P.F.T. today.
Word: crater
Definition: Hit the ground
Example: ‘I fell and almost cratered.’
Word: open-book
Definition: A place in a rock from 0 degrees to 150 degrees.
Example: ‘The open-book had some interesting moves.’
Word: ruster-tail
Definition: The tail of water made when skiing.
Example: I was ripping and made some ruster-tails.
(Y.A., N.A., T.P., A.A., R.S., and B.K.)
Let’s here it for the Summer of 2005 English 101 and 205 students! (sound of applause…)
Stay tuned for Part II in September, where I will be offer some linguistical delights from Science and Speculative Fiction world builders. Just to give you a little taste, here are a few from Boort, one of my multi-faceted fictional projects:
Word: Sozar (So-zharr)
Definitions: 1. an expletive like “awesome”; 2. a swear word (depending upon tone); 3. said as a toast and/or to congratulate someone; and 4. something said in frustration.
Examples:
“Sozar! I can’t seem to find the portal to return home to Boort.”
“The Boortian Ambassador just hired you as her personal assistant? Sozar to you!”
Word: Poochi Bug
Definitions: A type of honey-making “insect” (for want of a better category) that flies but can also maneuver on—and in - the ground. Their tiered hives can range in height from a few feet to over twenty-feet. Circumferences range in size as well. It is believed that certain types of Poochi Bugs burrow deep into the ground as well. They are considered to be poisonous to most humanoid species. The Poochi Bug and its behavior is a rich source of metaphor in the Boortian language group.
Examples:
“I wouldn’t go out tonight if I were you…The Poochi Bugs are too quiet.”
“Please join me for an aperitif—it’s made with the finest Poochi Bug honey.”
“Those Terrans have much to learn about our style of transgalactic trade negotiating. They’re larval at best.” (This is reference to Poochi Bug larvae. Just prior to hatching, they wriggle out of the hive, thus leaving themselves susceptible to other predators such as the Mora Blossom. The Mora Blossom is a plant know for its exquisite fragrance; it exists in a symbiotic relationship with the Mora Spider, another deadly creature. Interesting to note, however, is that the Mora Spider’s venom has psychotropic properties. There is also a belief that individuals with the appropriate genetic codes are capable of transdimensional travel once bitten.)
“You really need a vacation…You look like you’ve been building hives.” (This is a reference to the Poochi Bug Hives which are constructed much like a village. It also references the underground activities of certain clandestine movements engaged in transgalactic political schemes.)
Thanks Mr. President for the 420 Love
The will not seek to arrest medical cannabis patients and their medical marijuana collective as long as they comply to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday (4/26/2010).
Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical cannabis in strict compliance with state laws.
Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
California is unique among those for the presence of cannabis clubs — businesses that sell medicinal cannabis and even advertise their services.
A.G. of the U.S. Eric Holder said in March that he wanted the fed’s to pursue those who violate both federal and state law, but it has not been clear how that goal would be put into practice.
A memo of some length spelling out the policy is expected to be sent Monday to federal prosecutors in the fourteen states and also to top officials at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The memo, the officials said, emphasizes that prosecutors have wide discretion in choosing which cases to pursue, and says it is not a good use of federal manpower to prosecute those who are without a doubt in compliance with state law.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the legal guidance before it is issued.
At the same time, the officials said, the government will still prosecute those who use medical marijuana as a cover for other illegal activity. The memo particularly warns that some suspects may hide old-fashioned drug dealing or other crimes behind a medical marijuana business.
In particular, the memo urges prosecutors to pursue marijuana cases which involve violence, the illegal use of firearms, selling pot to minors, money laundering or other crimes.
And while the policy memo describes a change in priorities away from prosecuting medical marijuana cases, it does not rule out the possibility that the federal government could still prosecute someone whose activities are allowed under state law.
The memo, officials said, is designed to give a sense of prosecutorial priorities to U.S. Attorneys in the states that allow medical marijuana. It notes that pot sales in the United States are the largest source of money for violent Mexican drug cartels, but adds that federal law enforcement agencies have limited resources.
Medical marijuana advocates have been anxious to see exactly how the administration would implement candidate Barack Obama's repeated promises to change the policy in situations in which state laws allow the use of medical marijuana.
Shortly after Obama took office, DEA agents raided four dispensaries in Los Angeles, prompting confusion about the government's plans.
___
On the Net:
Drug Enforcement Administration: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/
The long haul debate over medical marijuana is a heated one, with both sides launching a hefty campaign for their side. 14 states have already legalized Marijuana for medical use. This week the Obama Administration issued a statement proclaiming that federal prosecutors will no longer pursue charges against Medical Marijuana users' or their suppliers. At this point it seems like there is little room for debate. However, the general public has very little information with which to form an educated opinion. DARE classes and old wives tales have convoluted the truth to some disturbing levels. In reality, Marijuana is a safe and effective drug that can deliver low-risk benefits to even the most terminal of patients.
First off, lets begin by debunking two of the major myths in regards to Marijuana use in general. For if these were myths were true, then Medical Marijuana would be little more than a sick joke. The big one being that it can kill you. Marijuana can not kill you. ProCon.org recently requested reports from the FDA in regards to Marijuana related deaths. The report that they produced from the data they received lists zero known deaths in which Marijuana was the primary suspect of death. Stephen Sidney, MD, Associate Director for Clinical Research at Kaiser Permanente, wrote the following in his Sep. 20, 2003 article titled “Comparing Cannabis with Tobacco — Again,” published in the British Medical Journal:
“No acute lethal overdoses of cannabis are known, in contrast to several of its illegal (for example, cocaine) and legal (for example, alcohol, aspirin, acetaminophen) counterparts…The current knowledge base does not support the assertion that it has any notable adverse public health impact in relation to mortality.”
Joycelyn Elders, MD, former US Surgeon General, wrote the following in her Mar. 26, 2004 editorial published in the Providence Journal:
“Unlike many of the drugs we prescribe every day, marijuana has never been
proven to cause a fatal overdose.”
Another famous myth of Marijuana use is that Marijuana is addictive. Well, this one's a tough one, because it depends on who you ask. Ask any drug addiction treatment center, and they will tell you that even mild use causes helpless addiction that requires thousands of dollars in therapy to shake. According to the United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services DASIS Report Series, “Differences in Marijuana Admissions Based on Source of Referral”,
“Marijuana does not cause physical dependence. If people experience withdrawal symptoms at all, they are remarkably mild.”
The definition of addiction is hazy. By FDA standards when withdrawal symptoms interfere with the functioning of daily life or exceed a period of more than 2 weeks they consider the substance in question addictive. According to the “National Survey Results on Drug Use from the Monitoring the Future Study, 1975-1994, Volume II:” released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1996, withdrawal symptoms were only reported in 2% of heavy Marijuana users, and peaked at about 2-3 days. The most typical symptoms reported included restlessness, loss of appetite, inability to sleep and anxiety. None of the people who reported symptoms required treatment to alleviate the withdrawal effects.
Marijuana can not kill you all by itself, you can not overdose, and there is no evidence of chemical or any other form of long term dependency. Why is this important in regards to the medical marijuana debate? Because these are the very reasons that Doctors say Marijuana is a better prescription choice over other drugs currently used to treat a variety of conditions.
Among the Data procured from the FDA by procon.org, was the mortality statics of 17 other FDA approved prescription Drugs. In a span of eight years more than 11,000 deaths were directly attributed to the use of those 17 prescription drugs. What's so special about these 17? These 17 are prescription drugs that could be replaced with cannabis.The main attraction to using Marijuana as a Medical Option is that it does not have the risk of side effects associated with harsher, legal prescription drugs.Philip Denney, MD, stated to the Arkansas legislature in support of the Medical Use
of Marijuana:
“I have found in my study of these patients that cannabis is really a safe, effective and non-toxic alternative to many standard medications. There is no such thing as an overdose. We have seen very minimal problems with abuse or dependence, which at worst are equivalent to dependence on caffeine.”
When ruling on Docket #86-22, Francis Young (The DEA's Administrative Law Judge)
stated that:
“In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.”
In those states that allow it, doctors can prescribe Medical Marijuana to patients suffering from AIDS, anorexia, arthritis, asthma, cachexia, cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, migraine, persistent muscle spasms, including spasms associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, including seizures associated with epilepsy, severe nausea, as well as other chronic or persistent medical symptoms.
In 1999, the Institute of Medicine, in the most comprehensive study of medical marijuana's efficacy to date, concluded, “Nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety . . . all can be mitigated by marijuana.”
The Aids Action Council has discussed and supported the legalization of medical Marijuana to AIDS patients. Donald Abrams, MD said in Aug of 03 in his report “Short-Term Effects of Cannabinoids in Patients with HIV-1 Infection,”
“Patients receiving cannabinoids [smoked marijuana and marijuana pills] had improved immune function compared with those receiving placebo. They also gained about 4 pounds more on average than those patients receiving placebo.”
One doctor found that 78% of 56 cancer patients with nausea who were resistant to standard drugs became symptom free through inhaling cannabis. Common Drugs used to ease the symptoms associated with chemotherapy treatments such as Marinol have little effect and often have troubling side effects. Cannabis can be used as an antiemetic, a drug which relieves nausea and allows patients to eat and live normally. It is safer, cheaper and often more effective. Marijuana also stimulates the appetite, helping patients maintain a healthy weight and the strength to recover.
It may seem strange to think that smoking anything can stop and Asthma attack, but in a study by the New England Journal Of Medicine, Donald P. Tashkin, MD found that :
“Marijuana smoke, unlike cigarette smoke, causes bronchodilatation [expansion of the air passages] rather than bronchoconstriction [narrowing of the air passages] and, unlike opiates, does not cause central respiratory depression.”
When subjects were induced into exercise related attacks, the subjects that received the placebo Marijuana took 20 min. to an hour to fully recover. The subjects that smoked a single dose of Marijuana saw instant relief.
In an age of tiny gadgets. younger and younger people are being faced with the pains of arthritis and carpel tunnel syndrome, characterized by an inflammation of the joints or the lining that protects them called synovium. Cannabis modulates the productions of proteins which reduce the inflammation and ease pain.
Organizations that have endorsed medical access to marijuana include: the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians; American Bar Association; American Nurses Association; American Public Health Association;American Society of Addiction Medicine; AIDS Action Council; British Medical Association; California Academy of Family Physicians; California Legislative Council for Older Americans; California Medical Association; California Nurses Association; California Pharmacists Association; California Society of Addiction Medicine; California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church; Colorado Nurses Association; Consumer Reports Magazine; Kaiser Permanente; Lymphoma Foundation of America; Multiple Sclerosis California Action Network; National Association of Attorneys General; National Association of People with AIDS; National Nurses Society on Addictions; New Mexico Nurses Association; New York State Nurses Association; New England Journal of Medicine; and Virginia Nurses Association.
With all this compelling evidence in more than 15 government studies alone, it's hard to understand why there are still 36 that do not allow the use of Medical Marijuana. The chief (and practicably sole) argument of the opposition is the dangers related to the smoking of Marijuana. Smoking anything damages your lungs, though the level of carcinogens in a suggested dose of Marijuana is about the equivalent of a day out in the city. Ethan Russo, MD, in a letter to ProCon.org wrote:
“Smoking is a rapid and easily titrated form of cannabis delivery, but modern techniques such as vaporization, sublingual and nebulized cannabis-based medicine extracts offer other choices to the clinical cannabis patient without the risks
of smoking.”
Yet In spite of the established medical value of marijuana, doctors are presently permitted to prescribe cocaine and morphine - but not marijuana.
The American Government is no stranger to the medical Marijuana debate. In 1978 a court ruled that the Federal Government had to allow some patients to posses medical marijuana based on a “Medical Necessity”. To this day the Federal Government still provides 7 surviving members of the Investigational New Drug compassionate access program with access to marijuana for medical purposes.
The continued station 1 status of Cannabis Sativa is a downright human injustice committed by the American Government against its people. The sick, disabled and dying are being forced into a moral dilemma. Weighing quality of life and effective medical treatment against their personal freedom. Marijuana is a safe and effective drug that can deliver low-risk benefits to even the most terminal of patients. Even with the support of the scientific community, Doctors and a slew of Health care associations the Federal Government still balks. The FDA still refuses to classify Marijuana has having medical benefits. There are many political roadblocks and social barriers standing against the Legalization of Medical Marijuana. However, the truth can not be denied forever, and one day at a time those that support Marijuana as a Medical option make headway in the fight for relief.
Can I get addicted to Marijuana?
Cannabis is not physically addictive, despite what many anti-cannabis people want us to believe. Medical Marijuana users can use it regularly, even multiple times daily, without any problem giving it up.
The National Enquirer is claiming that Track Palin, the eldest son of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, was a drug-addicted hard-partying teenager whose participation in a monumental act of vandalism forced him to choose between jail or the Army. Using unnamed sources in and around Wasilla, Alaska, the Palin family's hometown, the Enquirer alleges that it discovered that Track Palin was addicted to Oxycontin, a powerful pain killer, for the better part of the past two years.
Sarah Palin, Track's mother, was present at the send-off for her son Track's Army unit, which was being deployed to the Iraq. Acting in her capacity as the Governor of Alaska, she gave a speech to the troops in which she told the soldiers that they were taking on the enemies of America, including terrorists responsible for the 9/11 Attacks.
An enthusiastic suporter of the Iraq War, Sarah Palin has told the press that she is proud of her son's service with the U.S. Army.
The National Enquirer justifies its digging into Sarah Palin's family background on the grounds that she is exploiting her family for political ends. Palin has been using Track Palin's enlistment in the Army and his imminent service in Iraq to make political capital. During the interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson, she made what might be a Freudian slip, insisting that Track's decision to join the Army was his “independent” decision, and his decision alone. The National Enquirer believes that a judge encouraged the youngster to serve his country rather than serve time in jail.
In its most recent issue, the National Enquirer is expanding on its “revelations” that Sarah Palin allegedly had an affair with her husband's business partner. The Enquirer has cast a broader net and is now published “revelations” about her children.
The super rmarket tabloid alleges that her son Track Palin and her daughter Bristol are “hard partiers” with a taste for dope (and in Bristol's case, for fooling around with all comers). Whether the revelations are true likely is beside the point. The John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign is being criticized by the liberal and moderate press for trafficking in lies and for being engaged in the sleaziest electioneering since the knock-out, drag-out electoral fights of the 19th Century. The editors of the Enquirer would argue that Sarah Palin, as an Evangelical Christian, is conversant with the Bible: What you sow, you shall reap.
What Sarah Palin has reaped is a story claiming that her 19-year-old son Track is an OxyContin addict. A powerful analgesic that has become popular with substance abusers, OxyContin is nick-named “Hillbilly heroin.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration describes the drug thusly: “OxyContin® is a prescription painkiller used for moderate to high pain relief….OxyContin® contains oxycodone, the medication's active ingredient, in a timed-release tablet. Oxycodone products have been illicitly abused for the past 30 years.”
It is a Schedule II narcotic analgesic.
The DEA notes that the problem with OxyContin addiction reached Alaska and Hawaii in the early parts of the decade.
According to the anonymous Wasilla source that gave the Enquirer the skinny on Track's bad-boy ways, Track has even gone so far to snort and inject OxyContin for a better high.
In the recent Saturday Night Live episode, with Tina Fey portraying Sarah Palin, the simulacrum of the Republican Vice Presidential nominee says, “What an amazing time we live in to think that just two years ago, I was a small-town mayor of America's crystal meth capital, and now I am just one heartbeat away from being the President of the United States,” Fey chirped.
Bristol Palin also comes under the microscope for more scrutiny by the supermarket tabloid. The Enquirer, citing “another family friend” as a source, is quoted saying, “Bristol was a huge stoner and drinker. I've seen her smoke pot and get drunk and make out with so many guys. All the guys would brag that the just made out with Bristol.”
Sarah Palin allegedly was so outraged at her daughter's getting knocked up, she banished her from the governor's mansion in Juneau. Bristol Palin went to live with Sarah's sister, until the family was reunited to further the governor's career.
Bad Boy
The National Enquirer's source also characterized Track Palin as manipulative, using his mother's status as a heavyweight Republican politician in Alaska (she was the mayor of Wasilla for eight years) to get sex from the local girls. He allegedly also manipulated his male friends into stealing things for him.
Track Palin also allegedly loved to drink and smoke marijuana and was involved in an incident in which 44 school buses were vandalized in 2005. Four teenagers were involved in the incident, and three were caught and sentenced by the courts to pay restitution and serve a sentence of in-house arrest. Two members of the posse that vandalized the buses has never been revealed.
The progressive radio station 1080 KUDO (Anchorage) reported a fortnight ago that Track Palin was the fourth, unidentified teenager who took part in the rampage. Citing an anonymous courthouse sources, KUDO reported that Track, who was then 16 years old, initiated the incident when he stole a bottle of booze. The drunken teenagers then deflated the tires on 44 buses and broke the mirrors and disconnected the engine block heaters (a necessity in freezing Alaska) of 110 buses.
The vandals were nothing if not industrious. The attack was carried out in sub-zero temperatures.
A National Enquirer writer appearing on the Howard Stern Show on radio claimed that Track, whose involvement in the episode of vandalism was covered up, was ordered by the judge to join the Army or be sanctioned by the court.
The New York Daily News disputes the allegation that Track Palin was part of a gang that vandalized the school buses. The Daily News interviewed 20-year-old Deryck Harris, who was convicted of participating in the incident and was sentenced to pay $4,000 in restitution and put in household detention for 90 days. That entailed his wearing an electronic ankle bracelet to monitor his whereabouts. He also was sentenced to perform community service and was put on probation for give years
“Track wasn't with me,” Harris told the Daily News. “Track had nothing to do with it,”
Harris told the Daily News that Track was one of his buddies, but that he wasn't there the night of the incident. He also denies that his friend was forced to join the service. “I talked to him before he joined, and he was trying to decide between the Marines and the Army,” Harris told the Daily News. It was totally his decision.”
Harris' contention that Track Palin was not one of the unidentified teens who took place in the vandalism incident was confirmed by a mother of another boy who was convicted of the crime. According to Capi Coon, “Track Palin was not involved.”
Sources:
National Enquirer, “PALIN FAMILY SHOCKERS: WHAT SARAH'S REALLY HIDING!”
New York Daily News, “Reports that Track Palin vandalized school buses aren't true, says pal”
Additional Links:
What Books Did Sarah Palin Try to Have Banned from the Wasilla Public Library?
Was Sarah Palin a Buchanannite? Did She Support Pat Buchanan's Presidential Campaign in 2000?
What College Did Sarah Palin Graduate From? What was Her Major in College?
How Old is Sarah Palin? What Generation Does She Belong To? is She a Member of Generation X?
Medical Marijuana and Depression
Recently, a survey of medical marijuana patients show cannabis is being used by many people to treat depression with good results. Many studies also show that medical cannabis patients who suffer with depression as a result of another debilitating disease, such as cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis or chronic pain, report less depression symptoms with the use of medical marijuana.
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: cancer hiv, chronic pain report, depression symptoms, hiv, medical marijuana patients, multiple sclerosis, patient surveys | Comment (0)Fear and Loathing Cannabis in Las Vegas
Thanks to medical marijuana it seems that Nev…of all states, is looking at getting involved in the distribution of medical cannabis. I'm currently in Las Vegas right now doing a little research into the different medical marijuana doctors offices that are here, if any.
James Riddle Hoffa, more commonly known as Jimmy Hoffa, was born in Indiana to a poor family. From these humble beginnings, he rose to be perhaps the most prominent figure in labor union history. Hoffa’s father died when Hoffa was quite young and this led to Hoffa travel to Michigan where he began working in warehouses as on of the lowest workers in the shop. He got to see first hand how management treated the workers and laborers. Not long after this Hoffa organized a labor strike over the worker mistreatment. Having found his calling, his days as a worker were numbered as his union potential started to unfold. Hoffa rose through the ranks of the Teamster’s Union which was also know as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
By way of review, labor unions had developed in response to the mistreatment of workers and poor working conditions that had long plagued industry in the . The unions gave the common worker a collective voice on issues such as wages, retirement, work schedules and other issues related to the worker’s welfare. However, some would argue that the cure was not much better than the problem. The primary focus of the various unions was to work for and advocate the worker. However, all too often things such as graft, bribery, intimidation, embezzlement, outright violence and ties to organized crime quickly became a reality of the unions.
Hoffa’s Teamsters were ultimately one of the largest unions in the country. The Teamster’s name came from their original work description where a teamster would run a team of oxen to pull a cart. However, the modern day version of the Teamster when Hoffa came to power was in shipping, trucking and the delivery of various goods which included the over-the-road transportation industry. When Hoffa took control of the Teamster’s in 1957, the former president had been sent to prison. Hoffa, however, didn’t let this concern him and he wasted no time in seeking to further the Teamster’s presence and scope. Hoffa saw the Teamster’s expand across the country and by the early 1960’s had succeeded in bringing nearly all of the over-the-road truckers in the country under one national contract. From here Hoffa decided to expand even further to include even airline pilots. However, this raised the concern of governmental regulators out of fear that having virtually all shipping and transportation in the country under the umbrella of one union would create a situation where a strike could potentially cripple the economy of the country. Hoffa’s plan for further expansion ultimately never happened.
However one of the main concerns that many had in regard to Hoffa was his ties to organized crime. It was these very ties to organized crime that allowed Hoffa to assume the control of the Teamsters and in return, Hoffa allowed organized crime to exert control over the union. Essentially this meant that through the Mafia’s control, they could force certain strikes or resort to blackmail to gain profits from different locals and businesses. As well, via kick backs and deals signed by the local unions with the Teamsters, Hoffa and the other union leaders grew rich while the individual workers suffered. However, Hoffa, the master tactician was able to play people against each other and did this to his initial benefit with the mafia.
However, Hoffa’s grasp on the unions started to falter. In 1967, Hoffa was convicted of attempting to bribe a grand juror and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison; however, his sentence was commuted by President Nixon to time served on the condition that he not be involved in Union activities for a period of 10 years.
Several years later when Hoffa was to meet with some mob leaders in Michigan, he disappeared from the Machus Red Fox restaurant near Detroit. Since his disappearance, the location of his body and his ultimate fate continue to fuel wide speculation and conspiracy theories that persist even today. While Hoffa would have secured his place in history due to his role in expanding the Teamsters; his true place in history has been cemented not because of anything that he did, but by his disappearance, likely murder and the continued search for his body.
Some of the more popular theories are that his body is in the New Jersey Turnpike, was dumped into one of the Great Lakes, buried under Giant’s Stadium, was put in a car that was compacted, was buried in either Michigan, New Jersey or New York or was even buried in Elvis’ grave. Several criminals with Mafia ties have reported that he was placed in the trunk of a car which was then destroyed and likely recycled. They went on to say that Hoffa was now a car bumper.
Since his disappearance in 1975, there have been a number of leads that have been pursued by authorities; however, none have developed to the point of a criminal indictment nor have they revealed the location of Hoffa’s remains. DNA belonging to Hoffa was found in a car whose owner had earlier said that Hoffa had never been in the car, but again, no indictment resulted.
Other leads from people with Mafia ties have recently been explored, but then dismissed without a great deal of attention. However, earlier this month, the FBI began examining a farm known as the Hidden Dreams Farm in Milford Township, Michigan, a community 45 miles northwest of Detroit. The FBI has had more than 40 agents and specialists searching the 85 acre farm and have recently begun taking down a large barn on the site to examine what may be underneath. The FBI is keeping silent on the subject, but aerial photos have shown a great deal of activity on the property.
The Detroit Free Press has reported that a 75 year old federal prisoner supplied information that lead to the search. It appears that the prisoner, who is in jail on marijuana charges, lived on the farm at the time of Hoffa’s disappearance. The farm is also only about 20 miles away from where Hoffa vanished. The Free Press has also reported that the prisoner had, as early as 1976, offered to provide information to the FBI on the location of Hoffa’s remains, but the FBI was not then interested. Even recently, the FBI was initially standoffish according to the paper so much so that the prisoner had to threaten to go to the media with the information. However the FBI ultimately listened and has begun their search. Apparently the prisoner and another man were present around the time of Hoffa’s disappearance when several others, with a backhoe dug a hole and placed a cylinder shaped object covered with plastic in the hole. One of the men present, Rolland McMaster, an associate of Hoffa’s, according to the prisoner, said words to the effect of, “there goes Hoffa.”
The current search has forensic specialists, cadaver sniffing dogs, ground penetrating radar and even a private contractor assisting in the demolition of structures on the property.
While it is impossible to say if Hoffa has finally been found, while the FBI is appears as of May 30th has suspended their search of the property, it is clear they are serious about looking for him when they receive a lead they believe is credible.
Hoffa’s son presently heads the Teamsters and his daughter is a judge in Missouri.
Meidcal 420 and HIV-AIDS
THC, the main chemical component in medical cannabis, is a natural antiemetic and can help battle chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). CINV can cause patients to stop much needed treatment due to the intolerable side effects. Although recent advances have resulted in new medications to fight CINV, some patients prefer using a more natural way to treat these symptoms. Many Marijuana Medicine Evaluation Centers patients report improvement in their quality of life with less CINV when they use medical marijuana before, during, and after their chemotherapy treatments.
When I first discovered we would be doing a presentation on gays and lesbians with drug and alcohol problems, I thought to myself, 'This should be interesting.' I assumed it would be incredibly difficult to gather information on a topic so foreign to me. To my surprise, I became very interested and found it difficult to stop reading and researching. Overall, homosexuals and heterosexuals alike can become addicted to any substance over long periods of use. The unique differences really depend on the complex circumstances in the lives of homosexuals; factors that straight people don't encounter because they're straight. As Social and Human Service workers, I feel that awareness, understanding, and education on both the homosexual piece and substance abuse is critical in being truly effective helpers and effective citizens of our community. It is my idea to enlighten the reader of both subjects.
Homosexuality is not a choice. Whether it is a genetic make-up or environmental has been long disputed. In fact the difference in opinion began in the 1800's in Germany by Magnus Hirschfeld who formed the first gay rights movement. In this same country during WWII, homosexuals in concentration camps were identified by a mandatory necklace. Now the inverted pink triangle is worn by many in remembrance of those who died in such horrific conditions. (Marcus) Imagine being singled out and despised by thousands. Tortured, killed, and belittled simply because of being 'different'. Time has passed yet we still see the same hate crimes going on every day, and we're not Nazis and this isn't WWII. The reason why one is homosexual becomes less important when one thinks about it.
Homosexuals are as human as everyone else in the world. The only difference is truly the amount of stereotyping and discrimination that goes hand in hand with gays and lesbians being open. They face multitudes of acceptance issues from everyone around them. This includes their family, employers, friends, priests, and even perfect strangers on the street, treating the homosexual person in a completely different manner than they would have before coming out the closet. People don't understand the concept of being gay or lesbian and most aren't afraid to admit that they wish not to understand it. It may be human nature, based on the fact we evolved as woman and man for thousands of years, or simply because we are ignorant and do not want to be educated on the topic. Either way, the gay or lesbian person is a person who is attracted to a partner of the same sex.
GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender) work, play and relax in much of the same ways straight people do. They aren't gay on purpose, it is not a phase that one will grow out of, and it's definitely not contagious. GLBT are not all carrying AIDS or HIV. They cannot go to psychotherapists to take away and remodel their behaviors to “cure” them of being gay. It is no longer a mental disease in the DSM-IV. (Marcus) They don't flaunt their gayness just to show off, either. As someone once said,” Why would I choose to be something that would horrify my parents, get me fired from my job, and allow me to get beat up and nearly killed by strangers on the street?” Get the idea. Stereotypes are everywhere and I could spend all day just touching the tip of the iceberg with them. My point is simply that education and awarness is key to having a better understanding of the GLBT crowd.
Now getting into the substance abuse part of it is a little interesting and hard to define. Most people will become addicted to any substance if they use it enough. I smoke cigarettes and although I have tried to quit for many years without success, I have smoked for half of my lifetime. I am only 29. So what does that say? Dis I choose to get addicted? The answer is no, of course not. But what is common is the experiment of a drug, and its rather quick addiction process. Many GLBT find it hard to come out of the closet, meet partners, and deal with the stressors that many of us don't have to. I started smoking to be cool, which then lead to a need, and lastly an addiction to a substance that I thought was only 'social'. Environment, inner feelings, life cycles play an important role in the addictions of many gay or lesbian individuals.
For instance, the 'gay bars' are a commonly accepted place for GLBT. (Young)Ever notice that there are not many social clubs, meeting areas, or gatherings solely based for homosexuals? It should be no surprise then to note that there are 83% lesbians and 68% gay males during adolescence who use alcohol. (Forney)This is when most people start to identify themselves as homosexuals or at least experiment with the idea. Substances are also common in bars, such as marijuana, opiates, and pills, which relaxes a person. He or she can mingle more freely, while others just feel more attractive. The rate of drug use is above 40% in both males and females. (Forney)
There are clubs and organizations, but the mainstream public is not ready to accept a great deal of them quite yet. PFLAG (a support group), Gay Pride Marches( in June across the country since 1960's), and AA (open alcoholic support groups) are among the most common of groups and marches. Perhaps in some states, such as New York and California, society is willing to allow social settings in great numbers, but I don't see many in Bangor, Maine. In fact last voting season, when we were asked to vote on Gay Marriage, bumper stickers got as bad as the city's thoughts on Bush! However, gay bars welcome their visitors and allow them to feel familiar and not as judged. The down side to that is many people become addicted as a result.
Another interesting aspect of substance abuse is the fact that because men and women usually do not settle down into a marriage and decide to carry and give birth to children, most people do not stop their drug and alcohol use and abuse at age 30 as most of us do. For instance, Mary is twenty eight years old and her and her husband have always been social drinkers. Every weekend they hold football and basketball parties at their home, inviting many friends, and ultimately have a great time. They decide to conceive. They have been married for three years, and now is the time. Mary stops drinking and her husband decides to have a party once a month at their home instead of weekly.
Now, where would the gay or lesbian fit into this scenario. The gay couple will not be married, cannot carry a baby for nine months in the womb, and friends may not even exist in some cases. The general reason why some people grow out of drinking is because life almost demands them to. Although there are some women who continue to use while pregnant, I like to think many stop for the sake of their child and settle down into parenthood; but not the gay couple, or the lesbian couple.
Lastly, it's no wonder that homosexuals use drugs to musk over their pain. The feelings and perpetuated ideas of gays or lesbians that children face in school and from their own parents is horrendous. I cannot imagine growing up as a lesbian and hearing my mother say hateful things about other homosexuals in non chelate way. Also, the boys hear things all the time about 'faggots' and 'homos.' I don't believe anyone would be able to hide themselves from the world in such a way and for so long without turning to drugs and alcohol to elevate some of the negativity and twist of false identity.
A wise man once said, “The difference of what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve all the problems in the world.” And I would have to agree with Gandhi. If we as people in this huge world can become a little more understanding and a lot more educated, discriminations, judgements, and many of this planet's worries would cease. I hope I can change the minds of all who read this; as I have changed my own.
[flickr(medical Marijuana}]
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: aids patients, antiemetic, chemical component, chemotherapy, chemotherapy treatments, cinv, evaluation centers, hiv, hiv aids, marijuana cannabis, marijuana medical, marijuana medicine, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, medications, medicine evaluation, nausea, quality of life, report improvement, thc | Comment (0)Medical Cannabis: Spinal Paralysis
Patients with spinal cord injuries with paralysis of their legs and/or arms, often have severe chronic pain and muscle spasms. The conventional treatment for these symptoms is synthetic medications, including high dose opiates, tranquilizers, and sedatives. These medication have significant negative side effects and can even be fatal if mixed and taken incorrectly. Many of these types of patients have already found tremendous relief with medical cannabis use and find that they do not need prescription medications. There have been a number of scientific studies that found THC (the main compound in cannabis) to be effective in reducing spasticity (muscle spasms).
First let us ask what is the difference between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana? Both are grown identically containing more than 400 chemicals each with the most popular chemical being THC. The THC which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, enters its way through the bloodstream to the brain which in turn gives you the relaxing “high”. For over 10,000 years cultures all around the world have used marijuana medicinally. And in recent years 13 states have legalized it allowing patients to use marijuana medicinally and other states are considering it. Although states have passed bills and laws allowing for the medicinal use of medical marijuana it is still illegal and an offense to the federal government. Under federal law marijuana still remains a controlled substance. States that have legalized the use of it are protected from prosecution of possession by their state but not by the federal government, making it both legal and illegal. So the question still remains, what is the difference between medical marijuana and recreational marijuana? Absolutely nothing, both are grown the same and ingested the same.
What qualifies for medicinal use of marijuana? Depending on the states that have legalized the use of it will determine what pains and illnesses qualify the individual for use of medical marijuana. The most common pains and illnesses are diabetes, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, HIV, and high blood pressure. Patients that are also going through chemotherapy and various AIDS treatments find that smoking medical marijuana helps them to hold down food, relive stomach pains, and even menstrual pains.
So how does an individual obtain a medical marijuana license if necessary? Technically all they have to do is ask for it. Most medical marijuana legal states allow the patient to be examined by a physician and from there the physician can decide if you qualify for medical marijuana with no risk to losing his or her medical license. But some states have become a lot less strict on what pains and ailments qualify for medical marijuana such as California. Some doctors in California will allow a patients request for medical marijuana for as little as sports injuries, vehicle accidents, stress, anxiety, and even asthma. Oregon legalized the use of medical marijuana a decade ago and now has over a reported 21,000 “patients.” With patients growing so fast in each state and reasons for the use of medical marijuana becoming less significant it almost seems that the use is a scam.
Is medical marijuana a scam to legalize the use of recreational marijuana nationwide? It very well could be, with California leading the front in the use of medical marijuana and the governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger up for open debates on the decriminalization of marijuana state wide, within the next few years the federal government may very well have no choice but to end the war on drugs. Just from the taxes annually from the medical use of marijuana in California the state provides $100 million to the state treasury.
This next year Arizona has the use of medical marijuana on the ballot and also in many other state capitals across the country. This could very well be the end of a drug war that has lasted well over five decades.
