Medical marijuana prosecutions

[cassiesmom]

I read this in the online Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-dc-medical-marijuana,0,7967168.story

How will the line be drawn between medical and non-medical marijuana, though?

[sparks19]

I don't know

they need to get over and make it LEGAL IMO.

it's stupidity.

if tobacco and alcohol is legal THIS should be legal as well. it's no worse.

[Nomilynn]

I don't smoke it, nor do I advocate it, but I do think that it is not worth the money wasted on policing it. In my opinion, legalise it, tax the crap out of it like tobacco and booze, and move on to bigger and better things! :p

[RICHARD]

Policeman arrests 'pot head'

A police officer arrested a man in a convenience store in the US after noticing a bag of marijuana stuck to his forehead.

The 29-year-old was spotted walking away from the toilets of the shop in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, looking anxiously at the inside of his baseball cap.

When the man approached the officer, he looked up, and the officer noticed a small plastic bag stuck to his forehead that appeared to contain marijuana.

The officer retrieved the bag from the man's forehead and asked, "Is this what you're looking for?", a police news release states.

The man, identified as Cesar Lopez, was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.

Police said it is not uncommon for people to store drugs inside the sweatband of baseball caps.

------------------------------

"it's not mine, It belongs to my friend. He gave it to me to hold..."


Who's got candy or donuts?

[NicoleLJ]

they need to get over and make it LEGAL IMO.

it's stupidity.

if tobacco and alcohol is legal THIS should be legal as well. it's no worse.

I agree with you on this issue.

[Grace]

I don't know

they need to get over and make it LEGAL IMO.

it's stupidity.

if tobacco and alcohol is legal THIS should be legal as well. it's no worse.


I'm in absolute agreement with Sparks.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

freakin' potheads :rolleyes:

[Asiel]

It's been legalized here for quite a few years for medical reasons. I do know some that use it for pain, the get a script for it. They swear by it but I don't think I would ever try it myself . I don't think it's important enough to make it a crime.

[Cataholic]

I am not an advocate of it, for recreational use. I don't know enough about it for medical use. I do wonder, though, if there is anything different about pot and alcohol/tobacco use. Do recreational users of alcohol/tobacco go on to harder core drugs? Do recreational users of pot go on to harder core drugs? Is it the same %?

I have 'heard' that more recreational users of pot go on to harder core drugs than not. IF that is so, I would not be in favor of legalizing it- though it has been de-criminalized in my state.

I drink alcohol. I have for years and years and years. I have not gone on to smoke anything (though it does seem like my money goes up in smoke). I wonder if this is similar to others experience?

[RICHARD]

I drink alcohol. I have for years and years and years. I have not gone on to smoke anything (though it does seem like my money goes up in smoke). I wonder if this is similar to others experience?

Actually,

Drinking alcohol has more of a 'material' after effect. Smoke dissapates. You can see your urine when you are done with your booze....

---------------------

Legalizing pot probably won't happen soon.


For every 'dollar' worth of pot taken off the street the authorities get a % for the bust in government subsidies.

Here in Cah Lee Fuh Nee ah (our governor smoked, has yours?) They have done raids on pot farms/houses and the authorities will give a price in the millions for a few hundred plants..

I thought I sucked at math.;)

It's all a ruse to make money for the local yokels and the departments.

It's almost like the people who deal in oil and gas prices, they project what the barrel will cost before they pull it out of the ground, then try and convince everyone that is the price and make money off of it.;)

[DJFyrewolf36]

I have my views on this subject based on my personal experiences, but this is a family forum so I'll keep those to myself. ;)

I'm for legalization though because if it is out of the hands of gang members and thugs it will be safer for everyone. I feel that this issue is similar to abortion...a lot of people think it is a bad thing but if it is legal and performed by someone with a brain and professionalism a lot less people will be hurt by it. I would rather people get weed from a licensed facility rather than some shady arse near my kids elementary school.

[Marigold2]

It is time to make it legal. It is in California for medical reasons. It is very benifical to cancer patients to ease the effects of neasua and for glaucoma patients as well.
As for it leading to harder drugs no not any more then someone who drinks can become a alcoholic. I know many people who have smoked it for 30 almost 40 years. Instead of coming home and drinking a beer after work or a glass of wine they light up a smoke. They are Dr's and lawyers and business people of all walks of life living in modern bergs in upscale homes enjoying their nightly joint. It is as normal to my generation (mid-70's) as the martini is to the 60's.

[Marigold2]

My sister is head of the Ohio Chapter.
About Marijuana



http://www.norml.org/images/about/marijuana_joint.jpgFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3418)Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America (behind only alcohol and tobacco), and has been used by nearly 100 million Americans. According to government surveys, some 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 14 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use. Our public policies should reflect this reality, not deny it.
Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose. According to the prestigious European medical journal, The Lancet (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3476), "The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. ... It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat ... than alcohol or tobacco."
Get the facts. See our Library (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3444)
NORML supports the removal of all penalties for the private possession and responsible use (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3417) of marijuana by adults, including cultivation for personal use, and casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts. This policy, known as decriminalization (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6695), removes the consumer -- the marijuana smoker -- from the criminal justice system.
More than 30 percent of the U.S. population lives under some form of marijuana decriminalization (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6331), and according to government and academic studies, these laws have not contributed to an increase in marijuana consumption nor negatively impacted adolescent attitudes toward drug use.
See Personal Use (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3375) for more information.
Enforcing marijuana prohibition (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6411) costs taxpayers an estimated $10 billion annually and results in the arrest of more than 847,000 individuals (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7972) per year -- far more than the total number of arrestees for all violent crimes combined, including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

http://norml.org/share/marijuana_arrests_chart468.gif (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7042)

YEARMARIJUANA ARRESTS2008847,8642007872,7212006829,6252005786,54 52004771,6082003755,1872002697,0822001723,62720007 34,4981999704,8121998682,8851997695,2001996641,642 1995588,9631994499,1221993380,6891992342,314199128 7,8501990326,850
Of those charged with marijuana violations, approximately 89 percent, 754,224 Americans were charged with possession only. The remaining 93,640 individuals were charged with "sale/manufacture," a category that includes all cultivation offenses, even those where the marijuana was being grown for personal or medical use. In past years, roughly 30 percent of those arrested were age 19 or younger.

NORML supports the eventual development of a legally controlled market for marijuana, where consumers could buy marijuana for personal use from a safe legal source. This policy, generally known as legalization, exists on various levels in a handful of European countries (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4415) like The Netherlands and Switzerland, both of which enjoy lower rates of adolescent marijuana use than the U.S. Such a system would reduce many of the problems presently associated with the prohibition of marijuana, including the crime, corruption and violence associated with a "black market."
For more information, see About NORML (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3379).


Medical Use
http://www.norml.org/images/library/tincture_bottle.jpgMarijuana, or cannabis, as it is more appropriately called, has been part of humanity's medicine chest for almost as long as history has been recorded.
Of all the negative consequences of marijuana prohibition, none is as tragic as the denial of medicinal cannabis to the tens of thousands of patients who could benefit from its therapeutic use.
Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications (http://www.norml.org//index.cfm?Group_ID=7002).[4 (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441#f4)] These include pain relief -- particularly of neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage) -- nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders.[5 (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441#f5)] Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia.[6 (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441#f6)] Emerging research (http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/17/6475) suggests that marijuana's medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors[7 (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5441#f7)] and are neuroprotective.
Currently, more than 60 U.S. and international health organizations (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3388) support granting patients immediate legal access to medicinal marijuana under a physician's supervision.
See our Medical Use (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3376) section for more information.


Legal Issues
Driven by the Drug War, the U.S. prison population is six to ten times as high as most Western European nations. The United States is a close second only to Russia in its rate of incarceration per 100,000 people. In 2005, more than 786,000 people were arrested (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7040) in this country for marijuana-related offenses alone.
Marijuana prohibition causes more problems than it solves, and ruins thousands more lives than it supposedly tries to save. The NORML Legal Committee (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3402)provides legal support and assistance to victims of the current marijuana laws. NORML also monitors developments in state and federal law, and files appellate and amicus curiae ("friend of the court") briefs (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3411) in cases which may affect the interpretation of existing marijuana laws, or which will, hopefully, change them.
See our Legal Issues (http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3378) section for more information.


Industrial Hemp
http://www.norml.org/images/about/hemp_plants.jpgHemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa L. that contains minimal (less than 1%) amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. It is a tall, slender, fibrous plant similar to flax or kenaf. Various parts of the plant can be utilized in the making of textiles, paper, paints, clothing, plastics, cosmetics, foodstuffs, insulation, animal feed and other products (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3397).
Hemp produces a much higher yield per acre than do common substitutes such as cotton and requires few pesticides. In addition, hemp has an average growing cycle of only 100 days and leaves the soil virtually weed-free for the next planting.
The hemp plant is currently harvested for commercial purposes in over 30 nations, including Canada, Japan and the European Union. Although it grows wild across much of America and presents no public health or safety threat, hemp is nevertheless routinely uprooted and destroyed by law enforcement. Each year, approximately 98% of all the marijuana eliminated by the DEA's "Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program" (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4354) is actually hemp.
Find out more about Industrial Use (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3377).

[caseysmom]

That explains a lot!!!

[RICHARD]

I love the people on prescribed drugs.

I constantly watch for signs of headaches, rhinorrhea, otorrhea, bloating, perspiration, thought of suicide, an erection lasting for more than four hours,
elevated BP, tender breasts, weight gain, explosive bowel movements, bleeding, spinal pain, blindness, tell your doctor is your are taking XXXXX., store in a dry place, keep out of reach of children, women who are pregnant should not handle this product, as needed and I want donuts and candy.


POt heads sit in front of the tube, eat candy and pass out.


I'd rather roll with a weedhead than a drunk, pill popping person who is taking things to make them happy, go to sleep, get their nasty off, grow hair, lose weight, destroy foot fungus ...everybody's vice is nasty until they take yours away.

If the legal sale of pot built a hospital that saved someone's loved one?


LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL,
I WANT CHANGE - TAX POT SALES AND USE THE MONEY to pay off the debt.

I have no problem with drinkers and ciggy smokers. Matter of fact, Lower the taxes on them so more people can smoke and drink.

Them we will make some money.:D

Sarcasm level? 99.7

[Cataholic]

Currently, when I come home and enjoy a glass of wine or a beer on a hot summer day, I am still acting within the law.

I suppose this could lead to a fascinating conversation about the morals we want others to have vs. the illegalities of certain conduct?

Hit me right upside the head with a 2 x 4 containing the word, "hypocracy" on it, please.

[RICHARD]

I say legalize pot and outlaw booze.


HEHEHEHEHEH,
How many times have I watched COPS and it was the boozed up emm effer that was pounding away on his old lady/GF/SO?


On the other hand?
The potheads were too busy trying to fire up a roach to see the cops coming!


Wait, instead of hitting people with lumber that has popular phrases on it?

I need 6 2x4x8, 4 4x4x8, 20 1x6x8 and 20 1x4x8 for a fence. That's more useful than wasting them-keep the forests and whale and recycle, ya know?

Or maybe I can build it with hemp?

Who ate the last donut?:eek::(


-------------------------------

Drive thru you town and look at all the POTHOLES lying around your streets.


Legalize pot and you can use the money to get rid of POTHOLES.


Great bumpersticker fodder? POTHEADS NOT POTHOLES?

or, for the people who can't handle the hemp issue? Don't be a POTHOLE!

[aTailOf2Kitties]

there are plenty enough lazy people sittin' on their ass watching TV and eating Cheetos already, thanks.

Sure the stoner doesn't beat his wife, but is he motivated to go to work to support his family?

[pomtzu]

there are plenty enough lazy people sittin' on their ass watching TV and eating Cheetos already, thanks.

Sure the stoner doesn't beat his wife, but is he motivated to go to work to support his family?

Oh please!!!! Just because you smoke a joint, does that make you a lazy, do-nothing slacker?

IMO - it's no different than Cataholic coming home to a glass of wine or a beer on a hot day.

Everything can be taken to the extreme and abused. Used in moderation - where's the harm??

If someone smokes pot, it's most likely in their own home. Where do the drinkers go most of the time??? - to a bar!! Then they get sloshed and have to drive home. They pose more danger to the public and themselves when they get behind the wheel, than the guy (or gal), relaxing at home and smoking weed!!!

And as far as posing a danger to children - well they still find a way to get alcohol if they really want to - don't they?? Same difference.

[RICHARD]

there are plenty enough lazy people sittin' on their ass watching TV and eating Cheetos already, thanks.

Sure the stoner doesn't beat his wife, but is he motivated to go to work to support his family?

Cheetos?:eek:;)

Yes,

I know quite a few married pairs where one or the other smokes pot and they provide for a family.

I know one couple where the husband works at a studio -on feature films, no less- and he supports his family in grand style.

Yes,
Pot probably isn't the best vice to have?

But, you can look at it this way.........

How many people do you run into each day with a vice that you would never suspect?

Just like booze and ciggies - they are not a problem until you have to have a drink to wake up in the morning or go out of the office 10-15 times a day to sneak a smoke?

I would love to see pot legalized and the monies used to offset the deficeit, IMPROVE health care while reforming it and paying for a little of the local infra-structure.

We will run into problems-like the bikini car wash girls who wanted to donate money they made washing cars to a charity- Only to have the charity turn them down.


Would I have a problem with extra school books, materials, renovations and more teachers being paid out of a 'pot tax'?

Maybe a little, But, I love the idea that any extra money coming the way of the local city or state would make life easier, cheaper and less of a load on my pocketbook!:)

[Randi]

There’s a heated discussion amongst politicians here, on whether to legalize hash or not. In Holland they have “coffee” shops where people can go and buy it. I believe it has decreased the crime level. In Copenhagen, we have a place called Christiania, a community where people could go and buy their little lumb in “Pusher street”, take home and smoke it, but since the police cleared that (several times), it has spread to all over Copenhagen and caused a lot of crime. We have real big problems with two gangs, who are fighting over the hash market (HA and 2nd, generation immigrants). There have been several shootings lately because of it.

Whether hash is dangerous... I don’t believe so. I believe alcohol is far more dangerous! Oh, and let's not forget all the legal pills people are eating like sweets! If people who smoke hash go on to harder things, like amfetamin, cocaine etc. I’m sure they would have done anyway.

I know and have known people who smoke hash. They are all decent law abiding people. One was a teacher, he went mountain climbing on holidays. Another is working in his garden most of his spare time. Their homes are spotless and they can cook a good meal too.

Like alcohol, hash in moderation I don’t believe will harm anyone. Me, I prefer a glass of wine, though. :)

[Cataholic]

IMO - it's no different than Cataholic coming home to a glass of wine or a beer on a hot day.

Oh, but, wait, it is different. First, what I profess to doing is legal. And, I neither eat cheetos nor watch TV all day on my a**.

[pomtzu]

Oh, but, wait, it is different. First, what I profess to doing is legal. And, I neither eat cheetos nor watch TV all day on my a**.

My point - it shouldn't be different! :p

[Prairie Purrs]

The people I knew from my college days who indulged (and inhaled) are now authors, journalists, corporate executives, professors, lawyers, and so on. Not a slacker (or a hard-drug user) in the bunch.

I realize than anecdotes are not data, but stereotypes aren't data either.