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Medicinal Marijuana

Do you believe that terminally ill patients should be allowed to live out their final days in as little pain as possible? Almost everyone does. But if you believe that this is the aim of medicinal marijuana legislation in America, you are about to feel taken advantage of. Dubbed “Compassionate Use” laws, the medicinal marijuana movement is just that -an exploitation of compassion over reason.

In San Diego County California, an investigation into the practices of medical marijuana dispensaries found that 97% of buyers had no serious medical ailment. The study resulted in the closing of all dispensaries operating in the county.(2)

Both in America and Europe, large amounts of money have been invested in advertising campaigns and political contributions which promote the legalization of marijuana use. Those who have gotten rich off of the sale of marijuana, marijuana seeds, drug culture publications and marijuana paraphernalia, brag about investing millions of dollars in support of these fronts. Many of marijuana’s most successful advocates, such as Mark Emery of Cannabis Culture Magazine and Kieth Stroup of N.O.R.M.L., are open an honest about their general disagreement with marijuana regulation in general. Other’s however, have spearheaded misleading campaigns designed to incorrectly manipulate the perceptions of voters, in an effort to advance their legalization agenda.

Often backed by high profile spokespersons and pop-culture norms, these movements have found a very successful tactic in exploiting the suffering of those who suffer from cancer and other terrible ailments. Strategists have found a weak link in the hearts of a largely uniformed, yet naturally sympathetic public. Relying upon anecdotal accounts, this method paints a picture of marijuana being a magical medicine that has been overlooked by the medical profession and needlessly oppressed by the government. As a result, it is claimed, these patients are being denied “the one thing” that makes them feel better. Unfortunately, the movement has also found unlikely support from a roster of public officials who themselves admit to prior marijuana use during the 60′s and 70′s.

The success of these initiatives has been a failure for society in general. In the long-term, decriminalization of marijuana has universally been linked to increased health care costs and rising crime. (See the “Drug Legalization” page for specifics.) Marijuana has been conclusively proven to negatively impact the human body, particularly in smoked form. Scientific research, both in the public and private sector is overwhelmingly unanimous in identifying the harmful effects of marijuana use. The hypocrisy of medicinal marijuana laws, particularly in America, is clearly demonstrated by a number of circumstances.

The Unnatural Way of Things:The organic nature of marijuana as a natural product is one assertion often used to persuade the public to accept cannabis as a harmless substance. This is also one of the most frequent defenses raised by teens. In actuality, marijuana is just one of several thousand deadly substances that are found naturally occurring on our planet. In that, it is no different than toxic mold, poison mushrooms, or rattlesnake venom etc.. Few people dispute that marijuana is at least as toxic as tobacco -which is a natural product too- but enough loved ones have been lost to tobacco that public opinion has finally turned. The legalization of cannabis would force us to re-learn all of the hard lessons taught to us by tobacco.

Claiming that a plant is a natural product of the earth, is a far cry from saying that its harmless to dry it out, set it on fire and inhale the smoke. As widely accepted research, from oncology to global warming has demonstrated, the burning of otherwise harmless natural products releases chemical compounds that are harmful to the environment and to people living within it. And while marijuana is a plant, it is no longer a “naturally occurring” plant. Whereas the native marijuana -common in the 60′s and 70′s- produces THC of 2 to 3%, decades of genetic engineering have produced a plant that now yields up to 30% THC content. Referring to today’s marijuana as a ‘natural plant product’ would be like referring to young Arnold Swartzenegger’s steroid sculpted body as a ‘natural human physique’.

Leaky Legislation:More than a decade after “medicinal marijuana” became a legal way to treat cancer patients in California, marijuana dispensaries were forced to put cancer warnings on their products, alerting their patients to the carcinogenic properties of burnt marijuana. And much to the surprise of many voters, cancer patients weren’t the only ones to receive the warnings. Initially billed as a humanitarian way to lessen the suffering of seriously ill patients, scores of investigational reports have since found that “medicinal marijuana” is commonly prescribed for things like: trouble sleeping, sore joints, generalized anxiety, and headaches. As shown by government investigations and investigative journalism, walk-in patients with $150 and a complaint of pain, can easily secure a prescription for marijuana. In an even more troubling trend, high school students began getting high at school under the cover of medicinal marijuana that had been prescribed for ‘stress’ and ‘sleeplessness’. As cited here by San Diego District Attorney Damon Mosler, and many other officials, all a teen needs to get legal pot is “a bogus symptom and a little cash.”(1)

The Objective Facts:The scientific and medical communities have thoroughly researched the medicinal application of marijuana as a treatment for ailments such as glaucoma, and to alleviate the side effects of certain cancer treatments. With rare exception, private science is in agreement with the government, that smoking marijuana is not a viable treatment for any known medical condition. The known health risks associated with smoked marijuana are serious, and have been conclusively linked to the drug, whereas the potential benefits have been deemed minor and anecdotal. The D.E.A. has partnered with the F.D.A. and pharmaceutical community to harness the anti-nausea, hunger-stimulating properties of marijuana and provide it in a less detrimental form of delivery. The result is a drug called Marinol, which delivers synthetic THC in the form of a pill, patch or inhaler. Marinol is currently available for prescription in all states, but it does not produce the euphoric disorienting effects common to the smokeable form. Surprisingly, this safe product has received no support from the pro-legalization movement.

The second most common assertion made by pro-legalization advocates pertains to America’s hypocritically lenient policies towards alcohol, contrasted against those towards marijuana. They point towards the comparatively astronomical death and destruction attributed to alcohol abuse. Though the point is well made, the solution does not lie in the legalization of another dangerous drug.

As of 2009, eleven states currently have “Compassionate Use” marijuana laws. Hopefully, the damage done by these efforts can be mitigated by the lessons eventually learned. For more information on drug legalization, visit the “Drug Legalization” page.

Marijuana Tutorial: Page 20 of 21

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1. Teens at California schools getting high on medical marijuana. Steven Luke, KNSD-TV, San Diego, California. 3/27/07
2. California Teens Smoking Medical Marijuana in Schools: CADA.org; accessed 3/15/07: http://www.cadca.org/resources/detail/california-teens-smoking-medical-marijuana-schools