Archive for the 'Medical Marijuana' Category
November 6th, 2009, 5:02 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer
Here’s a touching story from a mother whose experience — after trying any number of prescription drugs — is pretty sure that marijuana has alleviated — not cured, but alleviated and improved — her son’s autism. But the fedgov says it has no known medical uses, so we should all bow down and yield to the superior wisdom of duly constituted authority.
Today is the 13th anniversary, by the way, of California voters approving the use of medicinal marijuana by passing Prop. 215. Yet some authorities still resist establishing safe and legal distribution methods.
Posted in: Civil Liberties • Drug law reform • Medical Marijuana • Prop. 215 | 1 Comment »
November 2nd, 2009, 4:34 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer
The gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia will be watched for hints that the Obama administration and/or Democrats have lost tractions and the Republicans are back. In New York’s 23rd, where the Republican moderate has dropped out and endorsed the Democrat, it will be interesting to see whether a Conservative Party candidate can beat a Democrat in a district that has traditionally elected Republicans but more moderates than conservatives. (We’ll have an editorial pondering all this tomorrow.)
There’s other interesting stuff too. Maine and Washington state have referenda on gay marriage (Maine, where it was approved by the legislature) and marriage-in-all-but-name (Washington). Maine will also have a measure expanding the number of ailments for which medicinal marijuana can be recommended and authorizing non-profit dispensaries (a 1999 measure approved medicinal marijuana but didn’t include a distribution method). Ohio will be voting for the fifth time since 1990 whether to authorize casinos in the state.
Posted in: Congress • Conservatism • Culture • Election 2009 • Medical Marijuana • National • New Jersey • Republican split • Virginia | 1 Comment »
October 22nd, 2009, 5:18 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer
There have been a number of signs, from articles about professional women toking up to TV shows, suggesting the “mainstreaming” of marijuana (although most newspaper writers still can’t resist bad puns and pseudo-hip references and phrases). Here’s another. The “alternative” newspaper in Denver, Westword, is seeking a medical marijuana correspondent and critic.
Well, it’s not quite what you might think. The successful applicant will have to have a medical condition that allows him to get into medical marijuana distribution facilities. And his job won’t be to judge the quality of the herb, but to do consumer reporting on the quality of the facilities, presumably things like how well patients are screened, whether doctors are really called to verify recommendations, etc. Still, it’s interesting that even an alternative newspaper would want to cover this beat.
Posted in: Culture • Drug law reform • Health and Wellness • Medical Marijuana | 1 Comment »
October 19th, 2009, 5:10 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer
Of course I am pleased that the Obama administration has sent a memo to U.S. Attorneys declaring that in most cases prosecuting medical marijuana patients and providers in states with medical marijuana laws “is unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources.” But I’m less giddy than some drug law reformers.
For example, the memo begins by “reassuring” us that marijuana use is a serious crime under federal law and that prosecution “continues to be a core priority.” It spends more verbiage outlining conditions under which prosecution might be warranted than in explaining why it is unwise, and makes it clear that any use is still against federal law. It simply urges prosecutors to use their statutory discretion not to go after medical marijuana patients.
The next step I think reformers should urge is for the Obama administration to recognize that under the Controlled Substances Act there is no scientific justification for keeping marijuana on Schedule I (total prohibition) and take steps to “reschedule” marijuana so that doctors nationwide can prescribe it. Of course my preference would be for marijuana to have approximately the same legal status as parsley, but I somehow doubt that will happen in the next few weeks.
Posted in: Civil Liberties • Drug law reform • Freedom and liberty • Medical Marijuana • Obama administration | 6 Comments »
October 12th, 2009, 5:00 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer
I know, I know. A newspaper poll inviting people to give their opinions on a topic is not a scientific sampling of public opinion, favoring those with a strong opinion who are willing to put out a bit of effort to make their feelings known compared to those who are lukewarm or indifferent. But I still think it may be a sign of the times that 83% of Register readers who responded to a poll say they favor marijuana legalization. Of course that’s not a randomly-selected sample from a demographic slice that represents the entire population. It’s likely that something less than a majority of Orange Countians favor legalization. But I choose to be encouraged.
Posted in: California • Drug law reform • Medical Marijuana • marijuana legalization | 20 Comments »
October 12th, 2009, 4:39 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer
Jack Herer, the indefatigable 70-year-old marijuana legalization activist and author of “The Emperor Wears No Clothes,” on the many beneficial uses of hemp, has been released from a hospital in Portland after a heart attack suffered Sept. 12. Some news reports said he had died, and I jumped in early with a blog to that effect, later corrected it. He was in a coma for a while and he still is unable to speak. Brain damage is pretty likely.
I think I first met Jack in 1988 and after being initially skeptical wrote several columns in the Register and elsewhere about the usefulness of hemp (after he showered me with reliable documentation) and the stupidity of marijuana prohibition. I visited with him when he lived in Van Nuys, including shortly after his stroke in 2000. Not that he needed one more, but I considered him a friend as well as a colleague in the drug-law-reform cause. Glad to hear that he’s at least out of the hospital if not necessarily quite out of the woods.
Posted in: Civil Liberties • Drug law reform • Medical Marijuana • hemp • Jack Herer • marijuana prohibition | Post a Comment »
October 7th, 2009, 5:08 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer
It is probably a sign of the increasing “mainstreaming” of the idea of marijuana legalization that the AP ran this story on the three pot legalization petitions now being circulated in California. It discusses the possible complications as the conflict with federal law would be much more in-your-face than it is with medical marijuana. If marijuana were legal under state law, state law enforcement would be obliged to grit their teeth and abide by the law; there would be no legally legitimate way for state and locals to help the feds in their already-futile crusade, whatever their sympathies, and there simply aren’t enough federal agents in the universe to enforce prohibition in California if it’s legal under state law. I think it wold mark the beginning of the end for federal prohibition (which is unconstitutional and actually illegal under the Controlled Substances Act as well).
Of course that’s getting ahead of things. Rich Lee of Oaksterdam University says they’ve raised enough money to get their initiative on the ballot, likely in June, and he thinks another $6-7 million for the campaign is realistic. While one Field Poll showed 56% of Californians in favor of ending marijuana prohibition, and it would help the state budget at both ends — less money spent on enforcement, more coming in through taxes — you can be sure that the Drug Abuse Industrial Complex would come out in full force to oppose it, which might change the electoral equation. I hope it passes, of course, and I think it’s extremely healthy to have these initiatives circulating and would be even more healthy to get one on the ballot. But I have my doubts — unless public opinion is even more favorable and firm than I think it is.
Posted in: California • Civil Liberties • Culture • Drug law reform • Medical Marijuana • marijuana legalization • Oaksterdam | 5 Comments »
September 22nd, 2009, 4:40 pm by by Alan Bock, Register editorial writer
The Secretary of State’s office has announced that two initiatives to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana have “entered circulation,” meaning the proponents can start gathering signatures to get them on the ballot. My understanding is that the first one, with a 510 phone number, is being proposed by two former allies of Richard Lee of Oaksterdam University, who for reasons I don’t understand yet, seem to have split away from him, while the second is a one-man-show. Lee says he’s already raised $1 million to get the Oaksterdam initiative on the ballot. It’s unclear whether the others have serious money behind them.
I fear having several initiatives in circulation, along with a legislative proposal by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco, with hearings possible come January, will split the enthusiasm. But one way or another, the issue will be before Californians in the coming year.
Posted in: Civil Liberties • Drug law reform • Election 2010 • Medical Marijuana • marijuana legalization | 20 Comments »
|
|
