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Subscribe to RSSSEATTLE -- The governors of Washington state and Rhode Island have filed a petition with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that would allow doctors to legally prescribe marijuana as a medical treatment.
Christine Gregoire of Washington and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island are asking for the DEA to reclassify marijuana as a schedule 2 drug from schedule 1 -- where it is listed alongside heroin and ecstasy -- which would make it legal for doctors to recommend its use and pharmacists to supply it.
"Poll after poll shows an overwhelming majority of Americans now see medical marijuana as legitimate," said Gregoire of Washington, where pot-dispensing clinics have become popular in the 13 years since the state allowed them.
"Sixty percent of voters in our state said yes on a 1998 ballot measure. An ever-growing number of doctors now tell thousands of suffering patients they may find relief from the unique medicinal qualities of cannabis."
Washington and Rhode Island are two of 16 U.S. states which allow the sale of medical marijuana in some fashion, even though the drug is still illegal under federal law.
The governors' petition will require the Federal Drug Administration to conduct a new scientific review and analysis of recent advances in cannabis research since the last time the FDA reviewed the matter in 2006.
A spokesman for the DEA did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
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I don't understand why this country doesn't legalize marijuana, not just medical marijuana. Pot isn't as bad for you as some say. It's good for pain, and other medical reasons. Legalizing marijuana would create billions of jobs and revenue for every state. That would take care of the job problem in this country. I don't know why they are so against it. Here, this country is suffering and legalizing marijuana would boost stocks and our Government wouldn't have to worry about cuts or the deficit. On next year's Presidential ballot, there should be a place for the American people to vote to legalize marijuana. Let the people decide. There are like 13 states which has medical marijuana, so why not the whole country. It would probably cut way down, the cartel bringing drugs into this country. So, put it on the ballot for next year's election.
Big pharma, distilleries, breweries and wineries have been resisting legalization since 1920's....
"Legalizing marijuana would create billions of jobs and revenue for every state"
Hey AZRon, how can that create billions of jobs when the population is 312 million? LOLZ!!
Perchance he meant "tens of thousands of jobs, and billions in revenue for every state".
The reason this country doesn't legalize cannibus is because the Hearst Newspaper chain, the Du Pont family and the US cotton growers all wanted to get rid of the Hemp competition back in the 1930's. They just used marijuana as the excuse saying it was a "Black" drug that was corrupting the women (read White women) of America. Hemp can be used to make fabrics (in competition to cotton and Du Pont's nylon) and paper (which Hearst wanted to use the forests that he owned to corner the paper trade) at comparably cheap prices. Much like Cuban tobacco, Americans are not allowed to even inport hemp products from other countries like India or the Asean countries. Once these political entities were able to ban the substance (fabric), it became very difficult to "turn back the clock". Today users of marijuana are labled as "stoners", "Hippies", and "slackers". Just look at how some in power (particularly in the GOP) refer to the OWS protesters. Unlike alcohol (which kills tens of thousands of people evey year primerily through DWI but also through health deteriation), marijuana (even though more potent today than in the 1930's) rarely kills anyone. The only person whose death was directly attributable to marijuana use (and it was by accident) that I know of was Bruce Lee who was allergic to cannibus (an allergy which only 1 in a billion people have) but whose mistress gave him an analgesic when he complained of a headache (not knowing his allergy or even that cannibus was an ingredient in the headache power she gave him that she purchased from a Chinese apothecary earlier that fateful day).
Only when America wakes up and (like during Prohibition) demands from their government the legalization of cannibus and hemp, both on economic and tax revenue reasons (medical reasons are a start), will this fraud perpetrated by powerful lobbies be overturned. The benefits to humanity by both taking a major source of revenue away from the Mexican Cartels and relieving suffering from cancer, glaucoma, and other medical conditions, cannot be understated. Cheap fabrics made of hemp fibers could also help small business owners and entrepreneurs. Hemp was grown by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Henry Clay among others of our Founding Fathers and who today is willing to label them as "stoners"?
Great sermon, KMack! If you have read my previous posts, you know we're on the same side.
But let me add a personal story that you may want to use.
When I was in the Army, the guy at the next desk (I was a "chairborne trooper" - I worked in an office, 8 to 5) claimed that marijuana saved his life. He was serious! He said that when he was in college, he became a complete alchoholic and he was convinced that he would have died of his alchohol habit if he hadn't found marijuana first. He said that after he found marijuana, he was able to stop drinking, straighten out and finish school. He seemed like a pretty straight and level guy to me.
(Oh ... and by the way ... in case anyone is wondering. I have never, ever even tried marijuana, although I've been in places where the weed smoke was pretty thick because everybody else was smoking. I can't recall feeling any effects however. Maybe I wasn't there long enough or maybe it takes more than that. I really don't know.)
This is a religious issue, pure and simple. It doesn't have to be written down as dogma to be religious; it only has to be kept in force through a deep, emotional response by enough people. In France, women can be prosecuted for wearing a veil. In Saudi Arabia, they can be prosecuted for not wearing one. Does either one make sense?
It has long been clear that it was simply the belief of uninformed people that marijuana was evil that kept it from being legalized. But we have long since past the point where the damage being caused by this irrational and purely cultural response cannot be tolerated any more. We need to get rid of the crime and destruction of lives that is being caused by these laws that make it possible for criminals to get rich supplying a commodity that should not be illegal in the first place.
I believe you are mistaken, sir. This has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with MONEY. Read the history. The entire "reefer madness" campaign was a con based on the lobbying efforts of a businessman afraid of losing money.
And religion is not all about money??!!!
Only if you worship your money. But that wasn't the point, was it?
Good answer!
But walk into any mainstream congregation today and tell me that these latter day Sadducees are not worshipping money.
Clearly lots of people base their opinion on propaganda films like "Reefer Madness" instead of actual scientific facts.
If you feed the bears at the park, they will demand MORE. They will KILL you to get MORE.
U know u sound ignorant, right?
God made marijuana, man made cocaine, meth, heroine and booze who do you trust!!! RON PAUL 2012.
Your "god" also made lead, poison ivy. and asbestos. Oh; and rattlesnakes.
Ah, hell. Now AT has a problem with snakes? I've never been bitten by a snake, although I've caught plenty and relocated them. Generally speaking, I stay out of their business and they leave me alone. Pretty simple concept that Americans would do well to (re)adopt.
Y'know Miker ... you and I may have things in common. There are rattlesnakes behind my house all summer long. One has been back three years in a row. (Yes, I can recognize them.) I give them pet names.
Of course, I'm aware that rattlesnakes are about as dumb as rocks, but they're still beautiful creatures and if you stay out of their way, they won't bother you.
I think we need to take steps. If it is shown to help with medical patients, then legalize it for that, develop the supply system and use this as the testing grounds for eventual mass legalization.
I would ask, what is the fundamental difference between marijuana and alcohol? Both cause long term damage and both can alter your response time (i.e. driving). I think the difference is one only causes damage to oneself while the other can cause damage to a secondary person through second hand smoke (I'm ignoring the DUI part since that is quite obvious).
One benefit that nobody is talking about is it would put marijuana drug dealers out of business. Isn't this what we want? Government would also make a boat load of money to help offset future deficits.
Yeah: It's too bad we have alcohol legal. I sure as hell don't want to any MORE dangerous substances get legalized.
Arizona, you do realize they tried to make alcohol illegal at one point, right?
Prohibition was an epic failure that increased incidents of alcohol related crime, financed organized crime, lead to more alcohol related accidents than when it was legal, and cost taxpayers huge sums in enforcement and lost tax revenue.
Trivia question: Which state was the final vote necessary to end prohibition (Twenty-first Amendment)?
------------------
Utah!! President Grant (Heber Grant, President of the Mormons at the time.) urged the legislature not to do it and it stands as one of the very, very few times that the Utah legislature has gone against the wishes of the Church.
More trivia ... Before that, prohibition was put into effect in Utah by Governor Bamberger in 1909 and he was a Jew!! For a brief time, between about 1870 and 1920 or so, Utah actually was a functioning democracy. Sadly, it has reverted to a theocracy today.
A State should not petition the federal government for "permission" to legalize marijuana - or anything else. The country has completely gone off the rails. Thanks, Abe, for screwing it up.
Would you prefer we were a loosely joined set of fully sovereign states? I hear that is working out really well for Europe right now. Or possibly a United states and a confederacy? I think that would have turned out bad for both sides, and especially for the southern half.
On that one I strenuously disagree with you, EE. Sorry. Yes, I'd much prefer the relatively loose set of sovereign states that this country was designed to be.
Ironically, Europe seemed to be doing pretty well as a whole BEFORE they became the EU.
So ... Miker ... how far would you carry this? Counties, cities, families, every man for himself ?
Doesn't sound like democracy anymore to me. Sounds more like ... What do they call that? ... Oh yeah! Anarchy!
Civilization is hard, but we crawled out of caves when we learned how to work together.
Porter - You realize America was/is a republic, not a democracy, right?
It's very simple...
Follow the $$$
the office of the Drug Czar has an 80 Billion dollar annual budget, this does not include the fact that if Marajuana was leagalized that the police forces in the US could be cut by around 15%, jail staff could be cut by as much as 35% Judges, clerks lawyers, you name it.
Follow the $$$ Keeping Marajuana and Drugs Illegal is nothing more than a business!!!
I agree marijuana should be legalized. The financial gain for the country is also an important factor to consider. In states, such as California, where marijuana has been legalized for medicinal purposes there has been new jobs created related to the sale and distribution of marijuana. From dispensaries to college that educate individuals on how to grow and house cannabis. It may not erase our deficit, nor create "billions" of jobs, but it would greatly decrease crimes associated with the sale of marijuana. Also, many marijuana related offenses would be eliminated. This would create space in our overcrowded prisons, and allow law enforcement to focus on more serious crimes. Legalizing marijuana would have an impact, more so than the a lot of stimulus programs being offered up by politicians.
If you ever watch those judge programs on tv and they get people from California on the show and they say oh I have a prescription for medical marijuana. Your 19 whats your problem oh I have this hang nail that keeps growing back. Then they go to the 20 year old what is your problem I pulled a muscle in my back. But the prescription is for a year? Well it still hurts and it's not getting better. Lets legalize everything so these drug fiend's don't have to deal with reality