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[greenbuddha]

US WA: Edu: State Legislators Support Medical Marijuana

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URL: http://www.mapinc.or...2/n098/a06.html
Newshawk: Herb
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Fri, 03 Feb 2012
Source: Western Front, The (Western Washington Univ., WA Edu)
Copyright: 2012 The Western Front
Contact: westernfrontonline@gmail.com
Website: http://westernfrontonline.net
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/994
Author: Josh Holloway



STATE LEGISLATORS SUPPORT MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Washington State Lawmakers Sent a Letter to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to Reclassify Marijuana's Drug Status So It Can Be Used for Medical Purposes on Jan. 30.

Mitchell Moquin, a local artist and activist, has been using marijuana medically for one year. He believes it should be legalized for medical purposes only.

"Cannabis is critical for patients who are looking for a more alternative method," Moquin said.

Under the Controlled Substances Act ( 1970 ), marijuana is currently listed as a Schedule I substance.

Schedule I substances have a high potential for abuse and are currently not allowed or considered acceptable for use in medical treatment in the United States, according to the act. Drugs classified as Schedule I are the most restricted drugs listed on the DEA's website.

If marijuana were changed to a Schedule II substance, it would be in the same group as cocaine, morphine and opium, according to the DEA.

The reclassification would clear up the legal status of medical marijuana in Washington state, which was legalized in 1998 when 60 percent of voters approved its use.

The 43 Washington lawmakers who signed the letter did so in support of a letter Govs. Gregoire and Lincoln Chafee ( Rhode Island ) sent to the DEA in November 2011.

"What we have out here on the ground is chaos," Gregoire said to The New York Times. "And in the midst of all the chaos, we have patients who really either feel like they're criminals or may be engaged in some criminal activity, and really are legitimate patients who want medicinal marijuana."




[sidebar]

Legalize?

Initiative 502 would allow Washington state to regulate and tax marijuana like it does for liquor. It will be on the November Ballot if it fails to pass the Legislature.

The State Elections Division said the Initiative's sponsors gathered nearly 278,000 signatures.

No public hearing in committee has been scheduled yet for the initiative.

Source: Office of the Secretary of State's blog
MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.

[Croppled1]

Cannabis is non toxic and over the counter safe there is no reason to even schedule it as it is not a medication in its raw herbal form as grown by patients legally for legal medical use . You can be sure the DEA will try to schedule it as high as possible , regulate it in ways that continue create criminals artificially and seperate patients from grow rights for what they will claim is a schedule 2 narcotic . It is not and our legislators need to be educated to understand the truth as well as the needs for innexpensive supply , legislation supporting medables and oil .

There is no need for more grief infact regulation and improperly classifying cannabis is what creates the potential for abuse and problems like the treatment program in Pa that resulted in arrests of referring Judges and multiple deaths of young people wrongly convicted from suicide , . It was substantiated in courts that many juvenilles were framed by the Court for juvenille crime including drug use then forced to take part in a rehabillitation program that perpetually profited via fee's and fines from their misery . Owners constantly increased sentances stating their charges were not making progress towards rehabillitation . We need to eliminate rules and regulation wherever possible in regards to patients conducting legal medical use . Patients should not have to fear crossing into criminality or being subject to arrest or detainment as part of their alternative medical routines . It should take a serious violation not these techicallities to subject a patient to a search or arrest procedure . Patients should also be able to carry out their medical routines at least until after conviction regardless of whether it is atlernative therapies or not . Many pain patients for instance cannot lay flat and need at a min several pillows placed under the knee's and torso to sleep . They cannot sleep otherwise and the pain is so severe they would scream and be preyed upon in a regular jail as weak. House arrest should be a possibillity while awaiting trail for qualified patients with recommendations . Arrest and Jailing alone can push patients into serious health problems . I know some who must take laxatives 4 times a day as well as supplement by feel I doubt jail personal would realize how important that is and comply . That patient may die plus be seen as a behavioral problem subject to mistreatment when not allowed their normal medical routine . The man in Tampa held under their Baker Act who died is a example of how you can injure a patient easily by denying their normal medications which our jails do . It is hard to believe patient rights are so behind others in Society and few address them .

. Patients need more protections to stop events like the Death in Oakland County of a Women who was subjected to cold turkey withdrawls with psychitric medication perscribed instead and Former Coach Sal Argo who had his property including his bed soiled and damaged just days after major surgery by a swat action when in compliance on a personal level with the Act .Anyone with common sense understands the clean up and stress of arrest contributed to Mr Argo's passing . He became the first registrared Michigan program participant to be martyred for the patients cause .There are no excuses for using the Act as a tool to further punish and arrest people trying in good faith to comply with the law . Our legislators could solve many problems by passing law that would dissalow any felony cannabis charges from being leveled on a qualified cardholder any longer in our State . They could propose a schedule of Civil Infractions and small fines at worst .

http://www.msnbc.msn...ling-kids-cash/

Edited by Croppled1, 04 February 2012 - 01:51 PM.

[amish4ganja]

Croppled1, on 04 February 2012 - 12:46 PM, said:

Cannabis is non toxic and over the counter safe there is no reason to even schedule it as it is not a medication in its raw herbal form as grown by patients legally for legal medical use . You can be sure the DEA will try to schedule it as high as possible , regulate it in ways that continue create criminals artificially and seperate patients from grow rights for what they will claim is a schedule 2 narcotic . It is not and our legislators need to be educated to understand the truth as well as the needs for innexpensive supply , legislation supporting medables and oil .

There is no need for more grief infact regulation and improperly classifying cannabis is what creates the potential for abuse and problems like the treatment program in Pa that resulted in arrests of referring Judges and multiple deaths of young people wrongly convicted from suicide , . It was substantiated in courts that many juvenilles were framed by the Court for juvenille crime including drug use then forced to take part in a rehabillitation program that perpetually profited via fee's and fines from their misery . Owners constantly increased sentances stating their charges were not making progress towards rehabillitation . We need to eliminate rules and regulation wherever possible in regards to patients conducting legal medical use . Patients should not have to fear crossing into criminality or being subject to arrest or detainment as part of their alternative medical routines . It should take a serious violation not these techicallities to subject a patient to a search or arrest procedure . Patients should also be able to carry out their medical routines at least until after conviction regardless of whether it is atlernative therapies or not . Many pain patients for instance cannot lay flat and need at a min several pillows placed under the knee's and torso to sleep . They cannot sleep otherwise and the pain is so severe they would scream and be preyed upon in a regular jail as weak. House arrest should be a possibillity while awaiting trail for qualified patients with recommendations . Arrest and Jailing alone can push patients into serious health problems . I know some who must take laxatives 4 times a day as well as supplement by feel I doubt jail personal would realize how important that is and comply . That patient may die plus be seen as a behavioral problem subject to mistreatment when not allowed their normal medical routine . The man in Tampa held under their Baker Act who died is a example of how you can injure a patient easily by denying their normal medications which our jails do . It is hard to believe patient rights are so behind others in Society and few address them .

. Patients need more protections to stop events like the Death in Oakland County of a Women who was subjected to cold turkey withdrawls with psychitric medication perscribed instead and Former Coach Sal Argo who had his property including his bed soiled and damaged just days after major surgery by a swat action when in compliance on a personal level with the Act .Anyone with common sense understands the clean up and stress of arrest contributed to Mr Argo's passing . He became the first registrared Michigan program participant to be martyred for the patients cause .There are no excuses for using the Act as a tool to further punish and arrest people trying in good faith to comply with the law . Our legislators could solve many problems by passing law that would dissalow any felony cannabis charges from being leveled on a qualified cardholder any longer in our State . They could propose a schedule of Civil Infractions and small fines at worst .

http://www.msnbc.msn...ling-kids-cash/

What I really don't understand and what really bothers me is this: Why doesn't the general public see and understand this terrible miscarriage of justice?

My theory is that they believe government lies and don't take the time to research things on their own. I think they also believe that we (cannabis users) are all addicted to pot and have an agenda of our own - legalization. A tiny bit of research on their part would uncover the fact that many, many professionals (non-users) and people in a position to know all advocate, at a minimum, laxer, more humane marijuana laws and outright legalization in many cases.

Come on people!! Wake the f**k up and make society a better place for you and your children. Marijuana legalization and education regarding its use would have a 10 fold better outcome for all of us than the harsh, outdated, gestapo like approach that is currently in use.