Marijuana should NOT be legalized What so everrrr! What kind of message is that sending to our younger generations?!!!!-
Posted by Minx, October 6, 2009
Comments (59)
November 29, 2009 fuck all u that think pot smokers are NOBODY and that they just drift along life like a shit in the toilet!! i no some potheads (and when i say potheads i mean the ones that smoke EVERYDAY) that got straight A's all through school and went on and graduated college with honors. smoking weed is NOT BAD weed is NOT A BAD DRUG its the DUMB FUCKS that smoke it to b cool and misuse the drug. i smoke weed but i also have MS and it really helps me out. im still doing great in life. WEED IS OK ITS THE OTHER DRUGS THAT R NOT! |
September 6, 2009 yeaaa, that's exactly what i've been trying to say, unless it's going to be used for medical purposes, but serious medical purposes (which they already have a pill for that), then ok i understand, but when ur not doing anything with ur life but smoking at home, getting high all the time with no ambitions to do anything, then enough said. that's what's the issue. if they legalize it, well then it wont be for medical purposes, ill tell you that. |
September 1, 2009 At one point , I felt just like you. I HATED POT and when I smelled it, I thought, 'hmm must be another loser toking up'. I was like the anti-pot crusader. My old boss used to come to work high and I thought she was such a slob for smoking it.
Everything changed when my boyfriend became extremely depressed. He was put on meds and I swear they just made him meaner than ever.
Seeing him suffer was so hard. So one of his friends convinced him to try smoking a little weed and it was like magic. He started sleeping and eating again and felt happier than he had in months!
I think that unless you need it for medicinal purposes, you don't really need to smoke it. But for those who are suffering from depression, anorexia, nausea from chemo, ect., it's the best remedy when you compare it to prescriptions that more habit forming and have worse side effects.
But really, people who just smoke it everyday to get baked, that's not what it's for, or why it should be legalized. |
July 8, 2009 I will NOT give up! it's something i strongly believe in, and i will stand by it!
I strongly believe Marijuana stay illegal. Yes, Alcohol is legal, but that doesn't keep MADD( Mother's Against Drunk Driving) from sticking to what they believe and work together to try to put an end to it. They fight every dayyy, and good things WILL happen, and things will change. |
July 7, 2009 you should just give up on this argument foreal chickkkk.!!!
marijuana is commonly used in every single country,city,state,county in the WORLD!!!!!!!
just fucking EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it doesnt matter if its legal or illegal or free
or the fucking cops were out passing lb bags of pot out to everyone.
people do what they want and nothing will stop them.
theres kids at the age of 9 or 10 starting to smoke pot.
theres nothing you can do about it.
shit hapens.
people feel good smoking pot.
its nice to take a break from yourself,your life, your problems.
how many times have you turned on the news and heard them say
"a man under the influence of marijuana ran a red light and killed a family of four."
haha never happens does it.?
now you dont hear any arguments about outlawing or banning alcohol.!!!!!!!!!!!!!
or even commonly used perscription drugs.
honestly give up.
if you wanna have an argument that you can win
make it something else other than not legalizing marijuana.
peaceeeeeee:) |
June 10, 2009 yup, people always stretch the truth.
___________DON'T LEGALIZE IT_____________!!!
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June 10, 2009 I've been "Medicating" Since I was 12 years old. I am currently a graduate of UCSB and enrolled in post graduate work, My last position paid me 60k a year plus commissions....I have been living on my own since the age of 17.... and guess what I smoke pot every damn day....What kind of message does this send you ask?? I think it sends the message that if you smoke pot you can be an upwardly mobile successful young person... Legalize IT!!! |
June 7, 2009 you'd be surprised |
June 1, 2009 Good luck Honey!! Do what ever it is that you think you need to do to keep marijuana illegal, just remember there are more of us than there are you! |
May 26, 2009 so now you just tell people to shut up. that is the point that we all know that you have nothing relavent to say . the war on drugs has cost about $20,523,519,483 so far this year alone ( http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm ). |
May 18, 2009 Shelly- i'm better than that. i have a social life,( you should work on yours; your getting older and times running out) and "A"mazing grades, and that is why i'm granted to much freedom. My boyfriend and I had the most amazing night at Prom thank you very much. I don't need to smoke to live, i've BEEN living. I've been tutoring kids for a while now already. As for my boyfriend, he agrees with my opinion and doesn't smoke either. I don't want/need to harm my body, so i won't experiment with any drug. And i WILL make sure it stays Illegal in the U.S. |
May 15, 2009 Minx- you are a child, grow up a little, experiment with things in life before giving an opinion on something you really know nothing about. Smoke a joint once and see what it does to you. Marijuana effects everybody differently. Some people may use it to get "fucked up" i will give you that, but for other people it helps them sleep at night instead of taking some prescribed sleeping pill or anti depressent which can lead to suicide. Some people use it to focus, people with ADD find it VERY helpful. It helps them concentrate on what they need to be doing instead of the fifty million things going on around them. You said that people between the ages of 13 and 17 have commited suicide due to smoking weed well honey since you are 17 smoke it and see what it does to you, I'll bet you get all giggly and silly then a serious case of the munchies ( which killed elvis by the way) and go to sleep. I can even guarantee you will feel better about pot after you have smoked it, it will for sure mellow you the fuck out and you can start worrying about you school work and social life and prom or maybe even your boyfriend instead of getting into ADULT conersations on something you know nothing about.... Move on little girl... you have proved your point and we all appreciate your opinion but you cant tell people that if they smoke they will die, maybe if this was about heroin i would condone you for your input but this is about marijuana, simple harmless marijuana... one more thing, students with a "D" average in school are 400x more likely to smoke weed - if you feel so strongly about this subject start tutoring them! Good luck in life, i really hope you open your mind a little more as you get older. |
May 2, 2009 i'm not the one fucking up my body to be stupid..oh wait or what you would call it "fucked up" |
May 2, 2009 Thanks for your input, Minx. Unfortunately, you are merely just a little girl. When you grow up and really know about life and the real world around you, I might consider giving a fuck about your input. Until then go play with your dolls. Hey! Maybe you can have a tea party and discuss it with Barbie. From what I have read in this topic, you are the one that had your panties in a bunch about the legalization. Remove the wedgie and do some research. Do everyone a favor (including your >cough< "perfect" boyfriend) and get a clue. I look forward to see your whining response. ~DeKeeg... |
May 1, 2009 well "if people are going to do what they want anyway" then it should bother you if it's still illegal. your going to do what you want. so get the fuck over it and shut the hell up. |
May 1, 2009 Let's see here... Alcohol, prescription drugs, cigarettes, trans fats, emissions from cars and industry. These are all things that can kill you as well. Oh, and let's not forget the glue and paint sniffers. It all comes down to you and I, being responsible and using things in moderation. Hell, even chocolate cake can kill you if you do too much. Knowledge is power. Self discipline is a must. People are going to do what they want to do.
Recently there was a news write up about medicinal marijuana. The article covered the benefits for it for patients with various ailments. For these people it helped them immensly. The other benefit was tax revenue. Lots of it. Why not grow it and tax it and regulate it and benefit our country? I'd rather put money into our economy than give money to someone who will take it outside our borders. Just think how much money would be saved by not putting people in prison for marijuana. Any idea what it costs us to room and board a prisoner for a year? There's also a wide variety of products that can be made from the plant.
Another idea for all of you. While you're sitting there in front of your pc with the world at your fingertips, do some research. Discover the real reason why marijuana is illegal. Here's a hint: southwest america, great depression, mexicans.
Overall, what I'm saying is that people are going to to what they want whether it is legal or illegal. Sure there are going to be idiots that take everything to an extreme. Same as with alcohol or anything else. Marijuana is a plant that will grow almost anywhere naturally. It cannot be stopped. Instead of using precious resources to rid it, why not capitalize on it? Everyone knows that the economy needs all the stimulation that it can get. Oh, and marijuana as a gateway drug... I believe cigarettes are as much one. |
April 30, 2009 in practice, cannabis vaporization offers considerable advantages over oral THC consumption. While the oral ingestion of Marinol avoids the potential risks of smoking, it has significant drawbacks. Because of synthetic THC's poor bioavailability, only 5-20 percent of an oral dose ever reaches the bloodstream44 and the drug may not achieve peak effect until four hours after dosing.45 Moreover, because Marinol is metabolized slowly, its therapeutic and psychoactive effects may be unpredictable and vary considerably, both from one person to another, and in the same person from one episode of use to another.46 By contrast, cannabis vaporization delivers cannabinoids to the bloodstream almost instantaneously.47 Vaporization's rapid onset also allows patients to self regulate their dosage of cannabinoids by immediately ceasing inhalation when/if their psychoactive effects become unpleasant.48 After oral administration of Marinol, patients have no choice but to experience the full psychoactive effects of the dose consumed. These dysphoric effects may last several hours.
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Cannabis vaporization also offers a unique advantage to patients suffering from nausea and vomiting because it allows them an alternative delivery route to swallowing. Cancer and HIV/AIDS patients often report that their stomachs cannot hold down Marinol capsules during bouts of severe nausea49 and many rely on natural cannabis and cannabinoids for symptom control
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As a result of Marinol's slow onset and poor bioavailablity, scientists are now in the process of developing a new formulation of pulmonary dronabinol, delivered with a pressurized metered dose inhaler.54 In a Phase I study, pulmonary Marinol delivered via an inhaler provided rapid systemic absorption. Unlike oral synthetic THC, it's possible that pulmonary Marinol "could offer an alternative for patients when a fast onset of action is desirable."55 However, FDA approval of pulmonary Marinol and/or its inhaler remains years away. Sativex, an oral cannabis spray consisting of natural cannabinoid extracts, has greater bioavailability and is faster acting than oral synthetic THC. Clinical trials comparing its bioavailability and time of peak onset compared to vaporized cannabis have not been performed, though anecdotal reports indicate that vaporized cannabis and its cannabinoids likely possess greater bioavailability and are faster acting than the Sativex spray.
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LOOK I CAN COPY AND PASTE TOO
read the paper at
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6635#intro
At the end it is still a mater of the government wasting money on a drug that is not that bad when you compared to the rest of them.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/interviews/schlosser.html
read this and you might see the harm it being an illegal drug is doing to people
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April 30, 2009 Marinol is a good start but look at cost {img}http://www.420magazine.com/gallery/data/759/marinolmarijuanachart.jpg{img}
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April 30, 2009 Medical marijuana already exists for patients who actually need it. It's called Marinol, and it has been tested and approved by the medical community and the FDA.There are no FDA-approved medications that are smoked. For one thing, smoking is generally a poor way to deliver medicine. Secondly, the harmful chemicals and carcinogens that are byproducts of smoking create entirely new health problems. There are four times the level of tar in a marijuana cigarette, for example, than in a tobacco cigarette. Are those who are calling for Legalizing marijuana really calling for medicine?
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April 30, 2009 http://www.swms.ocps.net/safe/Marijuana.htm
A web page with out any links to any paper or sources as to were the facts came from
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Marijuana+Vaporizer
you just might learn some thing not just copy and paste |
April 30, 2009 Medical marijuana already exists for patients who actually need it. It's called Marinol, and it has been tested and approved by the medical community and the FDA. Are those who are calling for Legalizing marijuana really calling for medicine? |
April 30, 2009
Ø Most commonly illicit drug used in the United States.
Ø 400 different types of chemicals are used
Ø Reduces learning ability so the brain doesn’t absorb or retain information very well.
Ø Specific problems experienced from lack of information the brain can absorb deal with memory, learning, distorted perception, trouble with thinking clearly or problem solving.
Ø Increased heart rate and loss of coordination.
Ø Causes dizziness, hallucinations.
Ø Immune system can shut down; body unable to fight diseases.
Ø Higher risk of getting depression.
Ø Smoking marijuana regularly increases the risk of getting cancer in the head, lungs or neck. Increased risk of lung infections.
Ø Could experience breathing problems, daily cough or congestion.
Ø Your chance of having a heart attack quadruples.
Ø One joint (cigarette) can deliver up to 4x as much cancer causing tar than one single cigarette.
Ø Studies have shown students with a grade of “D” or under have a 400% chance of smoking marijuana than an “A” student.
Ø In the last half of 2003, marijuana was the 3rd most abused drug where hospital emergency visits were needed.
Ø Teens between the ages of 12 and 17 are shown to be 3x more likely to have suicidal thoughts.
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April 30, 2009 the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. |
April 30, 2009 the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. |
April 29, 2009 NO MORE MARIJUANA |
April 29, 2009 USE!!! |
April 29, 2009 NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!!NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!! |
April 29, 2009 NO MORE MARIJUANA USE!!!! |
April 17, 2009 |
April 16, 2009 all that only took 15 min so you dont have to be online all day to have a lot of post. |
April 16, 2009 
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April 16, 2009  |
April 16, 2009 her page sayes she is 24. WTF are you talking about mid 30, you make 8 post she has 3. i know i have alot and i love it
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April 16, 2009 Well I think that you using the fact that your 17 as a reason why some one else is pathetic, is real pathetic. try to read some thing on norml you might learn something. i do have a lot of time the place i worked at closed so you can say what you want but remember i don't smoke
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April 15, 2009 Exactly you don't know shit! It's hard to believe your a nurse since you don't know your facts! i'll straighten them out for you. I took a nursing course, and it's fact your required to serve anyone who needs the help. Your not allowed to turn down a patient!! But i can refuse you!..when you get old, and i'm taking care of You in a hospital, then i want to hear you talk shit!..that's all you are, a shit talker. Ha and i'm on the pc all day?! sweetheart i don't use a pc i use a Mac. and speak for yourself and be the adult and shut the fuck up! Judging by your non stop annoying as hell responses, seems like you spend a great deal of your time on the "pc". Your pathetic, in your mid 30's arguing with a 17 year old. I'm in highschool, whats your excuse? |
April 14, 2009 I cant wait for you to come into a hospital i work out so that i can refuse care to you, you are a waste of oxygen, stop breathing, save the oxygen for someone who uses their mind in a good way, instead of someone who just sits on the pc all day and mopes about her man smoking dope. And the whole nurse smoking weed thing, it really isn't as rare as you think, you should drug test doctors. But what do i know? |
April 8, 2009 how* not out. |
April 8, 2009 Oh yea and Shelly, go back to school and learn out to spell! Don't want nurses like you treating patients do we now?. |
April 8, 2009 i was an emotional reck last night. haha hard to believe your a nurse. You don't set a good example considering you smoke pot and pot is illegal to use, unless its medical. your one to talk. Trickkk |
April 8, 2009 You are talking to me about how i have nothing to look forward too yet you are completely psychotic! "Thanks for giving me a reason to die" seems to me like you have nothing to look forward too in your life, sucks for you! Atleast i will still be able to remain happily married, raise my 2 children and smoke some weed whenever i want to! I wont have to bitch that weed took my man away, open up your fucking mind, step out of the little box you live in and maybe dude would have wanted to stay with you, you seem quite boring, i would have left you too! I would like to finish by thanking marijuana for giving you a reason to die also, one less closed up person in this world to worry about. |
April 8, 2009 David and i are over because of it!..Thanks david! Thanks pot! thanks for giving me a reason to die now!.... |
April 5, 2009 It's not money Obama dumbdumb, it's Bleeding heart Obama. ..and you started off by saying you think it should just be left alone, yet you imply he legalize it... next time make up your mind. I'm totally against marijuana smokers. It's pretty darn sad you see yourself as a Marijuana smoker your whole life, guess you have nothing else to look forward to huh. hmm... your life sucks that bad? |
March 30, 2009 I think it should be just left alone, don't make it legal because that just gives the government another reason to rape us on taxes, but legalize it to the point where it is okay to smoke it or have it on you but NOT okay to sell it. My thinking is, ,there is a lot more to growing dope than anyone thinks and if you can manage to grow a beautiful plant then so be it, smoke it, you earned it! When was the last time you heard of somebody overdosing on marijuana? When was the last time someone died due to lung cancer when all they smoked was marijuana? Cigarettes are what should be illegal! Or how about alcohol? I know i have been to many bars and seen many bar fights where nobody can control the drunks and then they end up filling up our jails because of something they did while drinking, stoners are easy to deal with get along with and they are ever so generous! I am a pot head and i will be my whole life, but do you all want to know the kicker? Neither one of my parents smoked weed at any point in there life, and i completed high school and went even farther to advance my education. I am a nurse and do you realize how many patients i see a day in so much pain they just want to die? If they were able to just smoke a joint a day, i promise, it would keep the doctor away! I support Marijuana, and i bet money Obama does too!! |
March 20, 2009 |
March 20, 2009 |
March 20, 2009 |
March 20, 2009 we also have this thing called a vaporizer that makes a THC vapor and no smoke so no harmful carcinogens caused from burning matter.
you can read more about them at http://marijuanavaporizers.com/
by the way this thing kills any hart and lung argument for not making pot legal |
March 18, 2009 you can turn this in to a battle of facts, but the fact is that the federal government tells me that i cant smoke pot. no mater what even if i will be dead i less than 6 months, or cant eat because of chemotherapy. but at 17 i bet you have never seen that have you? as for more people having access to it every one knows some one they can get it from. i don't smoke it because i don't want to not because i cant get it. you are right pot is not any better for you than smoking. as far as addiction i quit pot at 18 when i graduated from high school. i just quit smoking cigarettes after smoking for the last 12 years. so according to the Surgeon Generals Office i did some thing harder than quiting heroine. the continued use of any drug is a choose not a disses like the we in the USA think by the way we are the only country to buy in to that crap
so try looking at some other facts besides the ones you agree with. http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3374. you should read the first half of all that crap i put up ther |
March 18, 2009 we all can copy facts from web sites
http://norml.org/index.cfm National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Federal authorities should rescind their prohibition of the medical use of marijuana for seriously ill patients and allow physicians to decide which patients to treat. The government should change marijuana's status from that of a Schedule I drug ... to that of a Schedule II drug ... and regulate it accordingly."
- The New England Journal of Medicine, January 30, 1997
Introduction
Marijuana prohibition applies to everyone, including the sick and dying. Of all the negative consequences of 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.
Evidence Supporting Marijuana's Medical Value
Written references to the use marijuana as a medicine date back nearly 5,000 years.[1] Western medicine embraced marijuana's medical properties in the mid-1800s, and by the beginning of the 20th century, physicians had published more than 100 papers in the Western medical literature recommending its use for a variety of disorders.[2] Cannabis remained in the United States pharmacopoeia until 1941, removed only after Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act which severely hampered physicians from prescribing it. The American Medical Association (AMA) was one of the most vocal organizations to testify against the ban, arguing that it would deprive patients of a past, present and future medicine.[3]
Modern research suggests that cannabis is a valuable aid in the treatment of a wide range of clinical applications.[4] These include pain relief -- particularly of neuropathic pain (pain from nerve damage) -- nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders.[5] Marijuana is also a powerful appetite stimulant, specifically for patients suffering from HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia.[6] Emerging research suggests that marijuana's medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors[7] and are neuroprotective.[8]
Currently, more than 60 U.S. and international health organizations -- including the American Public Health Association [9] , Health Canada[10] and the Federation of American Scientists[11] -- support granting patients immediate legal access to medicinal marijuana under a physician's supervision. (Click here for a complete listing of organizations.) Several others, including the American Cancer Society[12] and the American Medical Association[13] support the facilitation of wide-scale, clinical research trials so that physicians may better assess cannabis' medical potential. In addition, a 1991 Harvard study found that 44 percent of oncologists had previously advised marijuana therapy to their patients.[14] Fifty percent responded they would do so if marijuana was legal. A more recent national survey performed by researchers at Providence Rhode Island Hospital found that nearly half of physicians with opinions supported legalizing medical marijuana.[15]
Government Commissions Back Legalization
Virtually every government-appointed commission to investigate marijuana's medical potential has issued favorable findings. These include the U.S. Institute of Medicine in 1982[16] the Australian National Task Force on Cannabis in 1994[17] and the U.S. National Institutes of Health Workshop on Medical Marijuana in 1997.[18]
More recently, Britain's House of Lord's Science and Technology Committee found in 1998 that the available evidence supported the legal use of medical cannabis.[19] MPs determined: "The government should allow doctors to prescribe cannabis for medical use. ... Cannabis can be effective in some patients to relieve symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and against certain forms of pain. ... This evidence is enough to justify a change in the law."[20] The Committee reaffirmed their support in a March 2001 follow-up report criticizing Parliament for failing to legalize the drug.[21]
U.S. investigators reached a similar conclusion in 1999. After conducting a nearly two-year review of the medical literature, investigators at the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine affirmed: "Scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoid drugs ... for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. ... Except for the harms associated with smoking, the adverse effects of marijuana use are within the range tolerated for other medications."[22] Nevertheless, the authors noted cannabis inhalation "would be advantageous" in the treatment of some diseases, and that marijuana's short- term medical benefits outweigh any smoking-related harms for some patients. Predictably, federal authorities failed to act upon the IOM's recommendations, and instead have elected to continue their long-standing policy of denying marijuana's medical value.
Administrative Ruling Supports Medical Use
NORML first raised this issue in 1972 in an administrative petition filed with the Drug Enforcement Administration. NORML's petition called on the federal government to reclassify marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule II drug so that physicians could legally prescribe it. Federal authorities initially refused to accept the petition until mandated to do so by the US Court of Appeals in 1974, and then refused to properly process it until again ordered by the Court in 1982.
Fourteen years after NORML's initial petition in 1986, the DEA finally held public hearings on the issue before an administrative law judge. Two years later, Judge Francis Young ruled that the therapeutic use of marijuana was recognized by a respected minority of the medical community, and that it met the standards of other legal medications. Young found: "Marijuana has been accepted as capable of relieving distress of great numbers of very ill people, and doing so with safety under medical supervision. It would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious for DEA to continue to stand between those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence in this record."[23] Young recommended, "The Administrator transfer marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II, to make it available as a legal medicine."
DEA Administrator John Lawn rejected Young's determination, choosing instead to invoke a differing set of criteria than those used by Judge Young. The Court of Appeals allowed Lawn's reversal to stand, effectively continuing the federal ban on the medical use of marijuana by seriously ill patients. It is urgent that state legislatures and the federal government act to correct this injustice.
Public Support for Medical Marijuana
Since 1996, voters in thirteen states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington -- have adopted initiatives exempting patients who use marijuana under a physician's supervision from state criminal penalties. (Click here for a summary of state medical marijuana laws.) These laws do not legalize marijuana or alter criminal penalties regarding the possession or cultivation of marijuana for recreational use. They merely provide a narrow exemption from state prosecution for defined patients who possess and use marijuana with their doctor's recommendation. Available evidence indicates that these laws are functioning as voters intended, and that reported abuses are minimal.
As the votes in these states suggest, the American public clearly distinguishes between the medical use and the recreational use of marijuana, and a majority support legalizing medical use for seriously ill patients. A March 2001 Pew Research Center poll[24] reported that 73 percent of Americans support making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe, as did a 1999 Gallup poll.[25] Similar support has been indicated in every other state and nationwide poll that has been conducted on the issue since 1995. (Click here for a complete listing of polls.) Arguably, few other public policy issues share the unequivocal support of the American public as this one.
Medical Marijuana and the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ruled on May 14, 2001 that federal law makes no exceptions for growing or distributing marijuana by third party organizations (so-called "cannabis buyers' cooperatives"), even if the goal is to help seriously ill patients using marijuana as a medicine. Nevertheless, the Court's decision fails to infringe upon the rights of individual patients to use medical cannabis under state law, or the ability of legislators to pass laws exempting such patients from criminal penalties. This fact was affirmed by Justices Stevens, Ginsburg and Souter, who wrote in a concurring opinion: "By passing Proposition 215, California voters have decided that seriously ill patients and their primary caregivers should be exempt from prosecution under state laws for cultivating and possessing marijuana. ... This case does not call on the Court to deprive all such patients of the benefit of the necessity defense to federal prosecution when the case does not involve any such patients."
NORML filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in this case, and hoped the Court would protect California's patient-support efforts from federal prosecution. The sad result of this decision is that tens of thousands of seriously ill patients who use marijuana to relieve their pain and suffering no longer have a safe and secure source for their medical marijuana. NORML calls on our elected officials to correct this injustice and is currently lobbying Congress to legalize marijuana as a medicine.
Endnotes
1. L. Grinspoon and J. Bakalar. 1997. Marihuana the Forbidden Medicine (second edition). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; B. Zimmerman et al. 1998. Is Marijuana the Right Medicine for You? A Factual Guide to Medical Uses of Marijuana. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing.
2. T. Mikuriya. (Ed.) 1973. Marijuana: Medical Papers 1839-1972. Oakland: Medi-Comp Press.
3. AMA (American Medical Association) Legislative Counsel William C. Woodword told Congress on July 12, 1937: "The obvious purpose of and effect of this bill is to impose so many restrictions on the medicinal use [of cannabis] as to prevent such use altogether. ... It may serve to deprive the public of the benefits of a drug that on further research may prove to be of substantial benefit."
4. Several books explore this issue in further detail. These include: A. Mack and J. Joy. 2001. Marijuana as Medicine: The Science Beyond the Controversy. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; L. Iverson. 2000. The Science of Marijuana. New York: Oxford University Press; B. Zimmerman et al. 1998. Is Marijuana the Right Medicine for You?; C. Conrad. 1997. Hemp for Health: The Medicinal and Nutritional Uses of Cannabis Sativa. Rochester VT: Healing Arts Press; L. Grinspoon and J. Bakalar J. 1997. Marihuana the Forbidden Medicine; E. Rosenthal et al. 1997. Marijuana Medical Handbook. Oakland: Quick American Archives; and R. Mechoulam. (Ed.) 1986. Cannabinoids as Therapeutic Agents. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
5. NSW (New South Wales) Working Party on the Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes. 2000. Report of the Working Party on the Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes. Sydney: Parliament House; J. Joy et al. 1999. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology. 1998. Ninth Report. Cannabis: The Scientific and Medical Evidence. London: The Stationary Office; J. Morgan and L. Zimmer. 1997. Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence. New York: Lindesmith Center; Grinspoon and Bakalar. 1997. Marihuana the Forbidden Medicine.
6. Joy et al. 1999. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.
7. I. Galve-Roperph et al. 2000. Antitumoral action of cannabinoids: involvement of sustained ceramide accumulation of ERK activation. Nature Medicine 6: 313-319.
8. M. Van der Stelt et al. 2001. Neuroprotection by delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the main active compound in marijuana, against ouabain-induced in vivo excitotoxicity. The Journal of Neuroscience 21: 6475-6479; J. Joy et al. 1999. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.
9. APHA (American Public Health Association) Resolution 9513: "Access to Therapeutic Marijuana/Cannabis," adopted November 1995 states in part, "[The APHA] encourages research of the therapeutic properties of various cannabinoids and combinations of cannabinoids, and ... urges the Administration and Congress to move expeditiously to make cannabis available as a legal medicine."
10. Health Canada legalized the possession and cultivation of medical marijuana on July 31, 2001.
11. The FAS' (Federation of American Scientists) position on medical marijuana, adopted November 1994, states in part: "Based on much evidence, from patients and doctors alike, on the superior effectiveness and safety of whole cannabis compared to other medications, ... the President should instruct the NIH and the Food and Drug Administration to make efforts to enroll seriously ill patients whose physicians believe that whole cannabis would be helpful to their conditions in clinical trials, both to allow data-gathering and to provide an alternative to the black market while the scientific questions about the possible utility of cannabis are resolved."
12. In a July 24, 1997 letter to California Senator John Vasconcellos, American Cancer Society Legislative Advocate Theresa Renken wrote: "[California Senate Bill] 535 focuses on medical marijuana research. [The] American Cancer Society ... Supports S.B. 535 because it is consistent with our long-held position of supporting research of any agent or technique for which there may be evidence of a therapeutic advantage."
13. AMA (American Medical Association) Council on Scientific Affairs 1997 Report #10: Medical Marijuana contains the following statements supporting a physician's right to freely discuss marijuana therapy with a patient, and favoring further research into medical marijuana's therapeutic potential: "The AMA recommend that adequate and well-controlled studies of smoked marijuana be conducted in patients who have serious conditions for which preclinical, anecdotal or controlled evidence suggests possible efficacy, including AIDS wasting syndrome, severe acute or delayed emesis induced by chemotherapy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, dystonia and neuropathic pain."
14. R. Doblin and M. Kleiman. 1991. Marijuana as anti-emetic medicine: a survey of oncologists attitudes and experiences. Journal of Clinical Oncology 9: 1275-1280.
15. Reuters News Wire. April 23, 2001. "Physicians divided on medical marijuana."
16. "Cannabis and its derivatives have shown promise in a varieties of disorders. The evidence is most impressive in glaucoma, ... asthma, ... and in [combating] the nausea and vomiting of cancer chemotherapy. ... Smaller trials have suggested cannabis might also be useful in seizures, spasticity, and other nervous system disorders." Conclusion of the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine. 1982. Marijuana and Health. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
17. "First, there is good evidence that THC is an effective anti-emetic agent for patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. ... Second, there is reasonable evidence for the potential efficacy of THC and marijuana in the treatment of glaucoma, especially in cases which have proved resistant to existing anti-glaucoma agents. Further research is ... required, but this should not prevent its use under medical supervision. ... Third, there is sufficient suggestive evidence of the potential usefulness of various cannabinoids as analgesic, anti- asthmatic, anti-spasmodic, and anti-convulsant agents." W. Hall et al. 1994. The health and psychological consequences of cannabis use: Monograph prepared for the National Task for on Cannabis. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
18. "Marijuana looks promising enough to recommend that there be new controlled studies done. The indications in which varying levels of interest was expressed are the following: appetite stimulation/cachexia, nausea and vomiting following anti-cancer therapy, neurological and movement disorders, analgesia [and] glaucoma." Conclusions of the National Institutes of Health. 1997. Workshop on the Medical Utility of Marijuana: Report to the Director. Bethesda: National Institutes of Health.
19. House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology. 1998. Ninth Report: Cannabis: the Scientific and Medical Evidence. London: The Stationary Office.
20. "Lords Say, Legalise Cannabis for Medical Use." 1998. Press Release. House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology Press Office.
21."We are concerned that the MCA [Medicines Control Agency] approach to the licensing of cannabis-based medicines ... place the requirements of safety and the needs of patients in an unacceptable balance. ... Patients with severe conditions such as multiple sclerosis are being denied the right to make informed choices about their medication. There is always some risk in taking any medication, ... but these concerns should not prevent them from having access to what promises to be the only effective medication available to them." Conclusion of the British House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology. 2001. Second Report: Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis. London: The Stationary Office.
22. J. Joy et al. 1999. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.
23. In the Matter of Marihuana Rescheduling Petition, Docket 86-22, Opinion, Recommended Ruling, Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Decision of Administrative Law Judge, September 6, 1988. Washington, DC: Drug Enforcement Administration.
24. Seventy-three percent of respondents supported allowing doctors "to prescribe marijuana." Sample size: 1,513.
25. Seventy-three percent of respondents said they "would vote for making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe." Sample size: 1,018. Released March 1999.
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March 18, 2009 Allow me clear up the confusion of you all thinking marijuana(MJ) doesn't harm the body. As for you all just HAPPEN to skip your way around it, & of course who wouldn't? No one wants to admit the truth about the harms that come with "pleasure" by realizing the harms MJ can cause to your body.
But enough of that!!...It's about time you feed your brain with some facts rather than harming chemicals from THC.
~~~LET'S BE REAL~~~These following FACTS are from www.nida.nih.gov:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
****ON THE BRAIN****:
*When someone smokes MJ, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body.
* MJ intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking & problem solving, & problems with learning & memory. . .
****ADDICTIVE POTENTIAL****:
*Long-term MJ abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking & abuse despite its known harmful effects upon social functioning in the context of family, school, work, & recreational activities.
*Long-term users trying to quit suffer from withdrawals reporting irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety & drug quitting, making it all the more difficult to quit. . .
****MARIJUANA & MENTAL HEALTH****:
*A # of studies have shown an association between chronic MJ use & increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, & schizophrenia.
*Earlier use is a marker of vulnerability to later problems
*Chronic MJ use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses, including addiction, stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence.
*High doses of MJ can produce an acute psychotic reaction.
*MJ use may be a factor that increases risk for the disease. . .
****EFFECTS ON THE HEART****:
*Abuser’s risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana DUE to reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.(which is what MJ does). . .
****EFFECTS ON THE LUNGS****:
*MJ contains carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs
*MJ smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke.
*MJ users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke.
*MJ smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer
*MJ smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways
*A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke MJ frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems & miss more days of work than nonsmokers. . .
****EFFECTS ON DAILY LIFE****:
*Heavy MJ abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including physical & mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, & career status.
*Several studies associate workers’ MJ smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, & job turnover. . .
I'M 17 YEARS OLD. YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT I WAS SOME OLD HAG AGAINST DRUGS. BUT FACE IT, I'M JUST A TEENAGER BORN IN THIS GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE ABUSING MJ. I AM THE FUTURE. MY GENERATION IS THE FUTURE. OUR ACTIONS TODAY WILL AFFECT TOMORROW. SO I ASK MYSELF AS MANY OTHERS, WHY BRING IT DOWN IF WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF MAKING OUR WORLD A MORE BETTER PLACE, OF HEALTHY CHILDREN AND ADULTS RESTING AT HOME INSTEAD OF THE HOSPITAL?
Someone had argued with me before that prohibition didn't keep people from illegally importing alcohol and distributing it, and as for legal or not MJ is out there, and that person is right. . . . BUT!...Notice how getting hit by a drunk driver has increased over the years. Alcoholics suffer from liver damage and loss of brain cells. The way it affects the brain. etc. More people have access to it now that it is legal. My point here is not about the alcohol, it's about how if MJ use is legalized, more people will have access to it and then we will start seeing more complications within the bodies of people. More hospital beds will be filled. Is that what you want?!
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March 16, 2009 Have any of you seen anyone go throw cancer treatment or dieing of cancer. Marijuana is proven to reduce nausea, vomiting and increase appetite. Now I can't think of a better reason to legalize any thing than giving some one a little comfort in ther last days. This is some thing i am very passionate about I lost 2 grand parents to cancer and seen first hand the benefits of CANNABIS
here are some facts for you
60 mg of pure nicotine placed on the tongue would kill in minutes.
400 to 500 mg/dl of alcohol found in blood can cause death
5-10 grams (or roughly 150mg per KG of body weight) of caffeine to overdose (No Doze)
Marijuana or THC has never killed anyone from over dose and there's no hangover |
March 11, 2009 NO!!!!! do NOT legalize it. yeaa yeaa i get that it's just as bad as the legalized stuff, so why add another to our society. yess even though it is illegal people are still doing it, but if it IS legalized then even MORE people are going to do it. a juvenile judge told me, "the reason our young people don't vote is because of their pot head mentality. Marijuana is known to make users lethargic and sit on their asses or sleep. it is a known fact that
1:" WHEN YOU SMOKE A JOINT(of marijuana), YOU INHALE FOUR TIMES AS MUCH TAR AS A CIGARETTE"
and
2:"A TEENAGE MARIJUANA USER IS TWICE AS LIKELY TO DROP OUT OF SCHOOL THAN A NON-USER"~Abovetheinfluence~
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March 11, 2009 If you want to have any type of control over any thing, it has to be legal, then comes age limits, user tax, income from said tax, etc. Prohibition proved making a popular substance illeagal doesn't work, it just leads to illegal activity. The money we waste on the 'war on drugs' is disgusting! Legalize and tax it and let the income pay for the junkies re-hab! |
March 11, 2009 Legal or not people will still do it. I hear SOME people say they don't have anything else to occupy there time... anyone want to send along some ideas for THEM. |
March 11, 2009 hahahah okay really?!?!?! it SHOULD be legalized... it's JUST as bad as alcohol.... && for you to say "what kind of message are we sending to our younger generation?".... why don't you go look on the tv && all that crap that's on there. marijuana is NO worse than half the stuff we already put in our bodies. |
March 11, 2009 U.S. average annual sports-related deaths among people under 18 years of age: 120
--Kids sports are legal and encouraged by schools and parents.
U.S. average annual alcohol related traffic deaths: 16,000
--Alcohol is legal.
U.S. Average annual deaths related to obesity/overeating/inactivity: 400,000
--Overating is legal.
U.S. Average annual tobacco-related deaths: 438,000
--Tobacco is legal.
U.S. Average deaths caused by marijuana? ZERO. (There has never been a single death in the U.S. in which the cause of death or cause of the accident was indicated as marijuana use.) Marijuana does not impare motor reflexes, does not cause brain asphyxia, and does not impare reaction time or reflexes.
--Marijuana is illegal.
Considering the many legal (and often encouraged) things which are CLEARLY dangerous and even potentially lethal, what message does it send to anyone that a harmless mild euphoric herb will get you time in jail, when it's never been proven to have ever killed anyone. The "harm" you speak of is quite debatable. Anything can harm you if not used with reasonable judgement, including a ball point pen. That is no justification for making everything illegal that could be potentially harmful. ...It has been scientifically proven that marijuana is NOT physically addictive, while alcohol certainly is, and tobacco is (according to the Surgeon General's Office "as addictive as heroine." ) So what message does it send to keep marijuana illegal? It says "the government is obviously full of crap, and populated by stuffy morons who have no clue wht life is like for average Americans.
Any more silly questions?
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March 11, 2009 Marijuana should NOT be legalize. We already have enough people getting killed in alcohol related car accidents . And yes some parents did smoke but realized in the long run it did them more harm than good and that is why they try to teach there children that marijuana smoking is
NO GOOD! |
March 11, 2009 Why not? where's your argument? I could give you reasons why it should either be legal or illegal....if it were legalized there would be no fighting....after all... you ever see a group of stoners fight?? i don't think so...
however if it stays illegal there is the risk of doing something you're not supposed to and that's the reason most kids try it to begin with....it's a rebellion thing....then they find out their parents did or still do smoke.... |
