Re: Medical marijuana...... A recent P.B.S. news story featured a debate between the director of N.O.R.M.A.L. (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), and one CALVINA FAY, director of ".D.F.A."....."Drug Free America". Ms. Fay's rhetoric was truly "uninspired", and two-dimensional. Exhibiting the same mentality of Bush's "War on Terror", she attempted to justify a ban on the medical use of cannabis. (For an insightful view of her organization, got to "www.dfa.org".... They feature a "survey" about possible outcomes of the medical-use of marijuana; You'll notice that ALL OF THE "SURVEY" RESPONSES ARE NEGATIVE... a visitor to the site CANNOT choose an option like "Drug-use will remain unchanged", or "No opinion". The site also states "statistics" about the numbers of people incarcerated for drug-use.... They cite numbers the "prove" that most people in prison, are there for "distribution" of drugs, not "use"..This distorted "spin" ignores the fact that ANYONE who has ever used an illegal-drug, has also "distributed" it. People get their drugs from friends, relatives, business-associates, and a multitude of people; not some shadowy "drug-pusher" who waits in dark alleys. Many people buy larger quantities of drugs than they need, in order to sell the rest and finance their habit. This organization promotes "abstinance" from drugs... a naive tactic which also has been applied toward sexual-behavior in teens. When "abstinance" was taught as the only "safe" approach to teen-sexuality, the instances of "non-intercourse" sex-acts increased DRAMATICALLY, with a huge increase in "S.T.D.s" Experts have long-ago concluded that "treatment" is the only effective approach to the drug-abuse problem, yet America has the LARGEST number of "drug-related" criminals now in prison. It may be further noted, that the "privatization" of America's prisons have also contributed to the profit-motives associated with our failed "War-on-Drugs".) As "Deep-Throat" said in the "Watergate" affair; "follow the money"..... The money is coming from the corporate-lobbyists and campaign-contributions that have stolen our democracy. Phamaceutical companies cannot make money on an "Herb", which anyone can grow in their backyard. Timber companies cannot make money from their massive investments in pulp-wood plantations, if hemp is grown to make particle-board and paper. Oil companies , and their chemical subsidiaries cannot make money from fossil-fuels, if hemp is competing as a "bio-mass" and source of hemp-oil. It is NO coincidence, that hemp production was outlawed as a result of Dupont inventing "nylon", and William Randolph Hurst's ownership of massive tracts of paper-producing forests. Virtually ALL products which are made from nylon, can be made from hemp... Building materials, such as M.D.F. (medium Density Fiberboard) and paper-products can ALL be produced from hemp; and hemp requires 1/6th as much land to grow as wood. Hemp is also a viable alternative source of ethanol bio-mass, and livestock feed. It requires NO pesticides, grows on "marginal" lands, requires much less water than corn, and needs little fertilizer. These facts make it VERY unpopular with chemical companies and the oil-companies which own them. These same chemical-companies sell toxic hebicides to spray innocent South American farmers.... who are now suffering from an array of health-problems from their use. The "Military-Industrial-Complex" is fervently in favor of a "War-on-Drugs", offering yet another chance to sell aircraft and military hardware to patrol our borders, spray drug-crops, and fund sympathetic foreign military-regimes. (think Iran-Contra) As a result, NO federal-monies have been spent to research the possible medical benefits of cannabis/hemp; while millions have been spent to penalize it's use, prosecute and incarcerate it's users, and denounce it's "abuse". Consider the prescription drug IMITREX... prescribed to treat severe migraine headaches. It currently costs about $95.00 for SIX TABLETS!!! or more than $15.00 per dose!! Similar "vaso-dialator" effects can be had from marijauna.... WHICH CAN BE GROWN IN ANYONE'S BACKYARD, FOR FREE!!! No "pharmaceutical company" has yet to produce a cheap treatment for the severe side-effects of cancer-chemotherapy; Yet relatively-cheap cannabis effectively treats the nausea and pain which ultimately occurs. People have been "self-medicating" with a variety of substances for centuries. Alcohol, cocaine, opiates, mushrooms, mescaline, and various naturally-occuring toxins have been used for thousands of years to achieve "altered-states". Many opiate-derived phamaceuticals are currently prescribed by doctors; yet these substances are HIGHLY addictive compared to the minimally addictive effect of Cannibis. These "prescription-drugs" are only available since drug-companies can "patent" their dosage and method of "delivery"; and thereby make huge profits from their sale. (It is still illegal to grow your own opium-poppies, however) Drug-companies now make BILLIONS from the sale of "anti-depressants", such as Zoloft , Wellbutrin, and Prozac. The "euphoria" and sense of-well-being associated with Cannabis is simply another form of "depression-therapy"; one which has FAR less danger, and virtually NO evidence of violent behavior. Has anyone EVER heard of someone who "Beat their wife" while "stoned" on "weed"???? It is ALWAYS alcohol which triggers these types of violence. The sale of this same alcohol, fuels our "Major-League" sports.. funds our media networks, and creates huge addiction problems plus hundreds of alcohol-related deaths. The Maloof brothers, owners of the Sacramento Kings, and "magnates" of the Las Vegas strip, MADE THEIR FORTUNE FROM THE SALE OF COORS BEER, AND other LIQUORS!! The owner of COORS BEER IS A MAJOR REPUBLICAN-CAMPAIGN-CONTRIBUTOR!!! Our democracy is STILL for sale. The issue of "medical-marijuana" is integrally connected to that corruption; with the Neo-Con "spin-meisters" hard at work to protect their vested-interests. As usual, cancer patients and other suffering Americans are paying the price.................Dave
- posted by Dave @ 1:27 PM