Do You Think Medical Marijuana Should Be Legalized?

[Isaac-Saxxon]

Originally Posted by joepole

I drink occasionally, but haven't smoked weed since college or shortly after. I'd probably smoke it every once in a while if it were legal, probably instead of drinking.

Joe you are 31 and "since college or shortly after" was not very long ago so you softened your stance since you last post and well I know just what a worldly guy you are and way a "head" of the curve when it comes to knowing the facts and I do respect your opinion even though we do not agree most the time your post are fun to read.
Isaac

[LateNight]

How marijuana can be illegal, and a bottle of whiskey isn't.. I'll never understand. Given the number of alcohol related deaths and accidents, and health related issues.

Especially medicinal marijuana. If it can give some relief to someone in need, I say WHY THE HECK NOT ????

[AnimeSpirit]

Originally Posted by LateNight

How marijuana can be illegal, and a bottle of whiskey isn't.. I'll never understand. Given the number of alcohol related deaths and accidents, and health related issues.

Especially medicinal marijuana. If it can give some relief to someone in need, I say WHY THE HECK NOT ????

I'll tell you why! You gotta line the pocket of the nearest 3 bureaucrats first! That's why!

[scarlett]

Originally Posted by LateNight

How marijuana can be illegal, and a bottle of whiskey isn't.. I'll never understand. Given the number of alcohol related deaths and accidents, and health related issues.

Especially medicinal marijuana. If it can give some relief to someone in need, I say WHY THE HECK NOT ????

I am with you on this one it has always confused me. As someone said once to me, when was the last time someone was stoned and driving and killed someone????????? If they are driving they are heading for BK or Mikey D's and well aware of all their surroundings.

[Al Swearengen]

People will abuse potato chips. Some people will abuse anything, regardless of whether its legal or not. If I want to abuse drugs or whatever, thats my damn business and nobody else's. The government rarely does anything for altruistic reasons, so dont for a second think grass is illegal because the government feels its not good for your health. As the Wiccan motto says: "an it hurt none, do what thou wilt"!

[Texasbelle]

I can tell you this that there is never a reason for a cancer patient or any patient to need an illegal drug to ease their suffering. If a patient is suffering from nausea, there are plenty of perfectly legal drugs available to them to control it. Examples: Anzemet, Zofran, Compazine, etc. If a patient is suffering with pain, there are plenty of pain medicines available to them as well. All capable of keeping the patient comfortable and giving them quality of life as well. There are so many options available to a patient. There is no need to resort to marijuana. This is just an excuse people are using to use the drug. I am sick so I want this drug. But it's just an excuse which is just like a butthole...everybody's got one!

People who are sick such as the terminally ill require a very good physician who knows how to manage these problems such as nausea and pain and give them the correct medicines so that they don't have to suffer.

[Al Swearengen]

Originally Posted by Texasbelle

I can tell you this that there is never a reason for a cancer patient or any patient to need an illegal drug to ease their suffering. If a patient is suffering from nausea, there are plenty of perfectly legal drugs available to them to control it. Examples: Anzemet, Zofran, Compazine, etc. If a patient is suffering with pain, there are plenty of pain medicines available to them as well. All capable of keeping the patient comfortable and giving them quality of life as well. There are so many options available to a patient. There is no need to resort to marijuana. This is just an excuse people are using to use the drug. I am sick so I want this drug. But it's just an excuse which is just like a butthole...everybody's got one!

People who are sick such as the terminally ill require a very good physician who knows how to manage these problems such as nausea and pain and give them the correct medicines so that they don't have to suffer.

Ok, in the first place, why the hell would ANY adult need an excuse to use a drug? Who the hell ever said anybody needed an excuse? In the second place, if I have a debilitating illness, be it terminal or otherwise but MOST ESPECIALLY IF ITS TERMINAL, you can bet your sweet patootie Im gonna goddamn well do whatever the f**k I wanna do as far as using drugs is concerned. What the f**k are they gonna do about it? Arrest me? Incarcerate me? Please! Youre scaring me! Listen, if the day ever comes when I get the news that "its terminal", all bets are off, folks. Old Al is gonna have it his way and you can either like it or lump it! If I'm dying and I wanna snort a 55 gallon drum full of cocaine you can either help me snort it, you can sit your ass down quietly and watch, or we can shoot out...those are your choices, and unless you've got a terminal disease too, thats a shootout you'd damn well better win.

[rhertz]

The FDA would never approve alcohol if it came up for approval for over the counter use today. If you believe me so far, then the next step is to ask if alcohol has any legitimate uses, much like medical marijuana is being questioned today? If you cannot prove that alcohol is a medicine of some sort, then I would like to point out to you Christians out there that your sacrament would be illegal to possess or distribute if some people had their way. We already see tobacco smokers rights fading away. I am fairly consistent in my believe that government cannot engineer or provide a safe society, or at least one that I would want to live in.

[Old Soul]

Everyone take a deep breath and calm down.

Perhaps I should have mentioned that I am in the medical profession. Ok, I just did. Now that we have that out of the way, let me say that all the drugs mentioned earlier have serious side effects. They slow down repsirations, they slow it down to a point where all we're doing by giving some of these drugs is a kind and gentle euthenization. The side effects of weed are not as severe. Another bonus of weed is that it tweeks the appetite, something that none of those other legal drugs can do.

Anyone remember that movie "Reefer Madness"? Pure propaganda. TRUST ME ON THIS, no one is going to lose their sanity and commit murder on the influence of reefer. And no one can over dose on it. But all that other stuff that's legal? Well. Yes you can.

[Texasbelle]

You are not understanding my point Al. Most of the people trying to use the marijuana are not truly sick with a terminal illness. The people with cancer, etc. are using the legal drugs available to them. There are some exceptions out there but it's their choice to make. The problem with this becomes the family members of these people also using the drug along with the patient. We have seen this day in and out. Trust me I understand your point of "If I am diagnosed with a terminal illness all bets are off". We take care of terminal patients all the time. We see their pain, heartache, and feel it right along with them.

My issue and argument is that most of the people wanting to use marijuana are people with a chronic disease versus a terminal disease and also people who are using it for symptoms that are easily controlled by much simpler methods which are legal. Why would you choose an illegal drug that does not work as well as a legal drug?

[Old Soul]

Originally Posted by Texasbelle

I can tell you this that there is never a reason for a cancer patient or any patient to need an illegal drug to ease their suffering. If a patient is suffering from nausea, there are plenty of perfectly legal drugs available to them to control it. Examples: Anzemet, Zofran, Compazine, etc. If a patient is suffering with pain, there are plenty of pain medicines available to them as well. All capable of keeping the patient comfortable and giving them quality of life as well. There are so many options available to a patient. There is no need to resort to marijuana. This is just an excuse people are using to use the drug. I am sick so I want this drug. But it's just an excuse which is just like a butthole...everybody's got one!

People who are sick such as the terminally ill require a very good physician who knows how to manage these problems such as nausea and pain and give them the correct medicines so that they don't have to suffer.

Let's take MORPHINE as an example. It's given to cancer patients for pain. Do you understand what the side effects of morphine are? Do you understand that morphine causes death? Can you provide me with one shred of evidence where weed is that deadly? Quality of life? Are you SERIOUS?!!?

Want another example? Let's talk Oxycontin. Legal. Legal and DEADLY.

Don't take my word for it. Ask your family doctor.

[Al Swearengen]

If you are 18 or older, not mentally retarded, and are literate, you should have the right to smoke, shoot, ingest or inhale any damn substance you want, as it is UNDERSTOOD by you and everyone else that if it harms your body, YOU and nobody else are responsible, and it is also understood that you engage in these activities KNOWING the risks and rewards. Some people might see this as a question of morality, which we all know cant be legislated.

[Isaac-Saxxon]

Originally Posted by Texasbelle

I can tell you this that there is never a reason for a cancer patient or any patient to need an illegal drug to ease their suffering. If a patient is suffering from nausea, there are plenty of perfectly legal drugs available to them to control it. Examples: Anzemet, Zofran, Compazine, etc. If a patient is suffering with pain, there are plenty of pain medicines available to them as well. All capable of keeping the patient comfortable and giving them quality of life as well. There are so many options available to a patient. There is no need to resort to marijuana. This is just an excuse people are using to use the drug. I am sick so I want this drug. But it's just an excuse which is just like a butthole...everybody's got one!

People who are sick such as the terminally ill require a very good physician who knows how to manage these problems such as nausea and pain and give them the correct medicines so that they don't have to suffer.

Not to get off of subject as the thread police will attack but you did say in your other post that the doctors where not doing enough to help your mother with her depression and that there where drugs that could have helped but do to doctor apathy they where not used. Please do not think this is aimed at your mom but at doctors. I do not know the pros and cons for using Marijuana for medical use but I am sure if it where to help they could find a way to place it in a pill like everything else. I have been around cancer patients and other people that where terminal and the attitude is when they are going to die is just give them what they want so they can be happy thru their last days. I think that pain management is first and foremost the problem in terminal patients and that it does get over looked while the patient is the very one that facilitates the doctor getting money from the insurance Co. I see it all to much in geriatric medicine.
Isaac