New Evidence That Marijuana is Safe, Effective
The International Association for Cannabis as Medicine just concluded its 5th Conference on Cannabinoids in Medicine in Cologne, Germany. The conference included significant new evidence that marijuana is a safe, effective medicine for certain conditions, some of which can be found in the conference abstracts, now available online.
Canadian researcher Mark Ware presented results of a yearlong safety study known as the COMPASS study, which compared 215 patients who used marijuana to manage chronic pain with comparable control patients who did not use marijuana. Ware and colleagues report “no difference in serious adverse events” between the two groups, concluding, “Cannabis use for chronic pain over one year is not associated with major changes in lung, endocrine, cognitive function or serious adverse events.”
A much-awaited study came from the University of California, San Francisco, where Donald Abrams and colleagues tested the effects of adding marijuana to the therapeutic regimen of chronic pain patients on long-term morphine or oxycodone therapy. Unfortunately, because the researchers were crunching numbers right up until the conference, the abstract doesn’t include a lot of details. But the study shows that marijuana did indeed add significant pain relief on top of that already provided by the narcotic painkillers. The scientists conclude, “Cannabinoids may augment the analgesic effects of opioids, allowing longer treatment at lower doses with fewer side effects.”
Meanwhile, British researchers added to the body of evidence indicating that marijuana can aid the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Two-hundred and seventy-nine patients received either a standardized cannabis extract, given orally, or a placebo. Patients receiving the extract were twice as likely to experience relief of muscle stiffness, and also reported relief of body pain, spasms, and sleep problems.
Tagged with: Medical Marijuana and multiple sclerosis and pain and science by the author
91 comments
closer and closer the ants begin taking over the proverbial giant elephant in the room. a great an underestimated movment for merijuana prohibition prohibitionist<lol
Thanks for the info….
I recently read on another blog that the MPP Arizona Medical Marijuana Initiative indicates that Arizona Medical Marijuana Patients “WILL NOT” be able to grow their own medicine if they are located within a certain distance from a dispensary………
Why would MPP want to prevent patients from growing their own medicine?!?!?! Are these supposed to be State operated or Privately owned dispensaries????
This Arizona Initiative sounds very restrictive on medical patients and sounds like it was designed to protect the Cannabusiness Dispensaries commercial interests……
Can someone from MPP please clarify its initiative in Arizona?????
Articles like this brings tears to my eyes, bet it brings tears to the eyes of prohibitionists too.lol
Ah who am I kiding, they will just do as always. ignore ignore ignore the truth . After all, they will lose a ton of money when cannabis is legal.
***Wisconsin could be the 14th state to allow medicinal marijuana.***
Medical marijuana supporters rally at Capitol
By SANDY CULLEN
Hundreds of medical marijuana supporters rallied Sunday at the State Capitol for legislation that would make Wisconsin the 14th state to legalize cannabis for treatment of debilitating illnesses.
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, are co-sponsors of the newly drafted Jacki Rickert Medical Marijuana Act, which would protect Wisconsin patients from arrest and prosecution and allow them or a designated caregiver to possess and grow a small amount of cannabis for medical use, said Gary Storck, communications director for the nonprofit advocacy organization Is My Medicine Legal YET?
“It is time that we address medical marijuana as an issue of providing comprehensive health care to all people,” Pocan and Erpenbach said in a memo to legislators. “The patient and their doctor should have as many options as possible available when treating a patient’s medical condition.”
Rickert, a 58-year-old grandmother from Mondovi who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and advanced reflex sympathetic dystrophy, founded IMMLY in 1992. In 1997, she led a 210-mile trek of patients in wheelchairs from Mondovi to Madison to advocate for legal access to marijuana.
Rickert said she began using marijuana to stimulate her appetite after dropping to 68 pounds. “I’m alive because of cannabis,” said Rickert, who now calls herself “a heavyweight” at 93 pounds.
“It’s got to be this bill, this time,” Rickert told supporters Sunday, saying that every time someone else signs on in support of medical marijuana, “It’s like saying, ‘More hope.’”
Storck, who has been advocating for medical marijuana for decades, said cannabis has helped him retain his eyesight, which he began losing from glaucoma as a child. He agreed that the time for passing legislation could be now or never. “Gov. Doyle has been willing to sign it all along,” he said, adding, “The legislature has never been in a position to pass it until now.”
Storck said that while there is a lot of support for the legislation from people throughout the state, “We need them to step forward and let their legislators know it.”
The act is based on a Michigan law passed by voters in November 2008, Storck said. It also includes provisions from a Rhode Island law that would allow patients to obtain medical marijuana from dispensaries if they cannot grow it themselves.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_2f805238-b148-11de-844f-001cc4c002e0.html
We will still Hope. We will never stop Hoping. We Hope for the day when we will no longer live in fear and repression from simply utilizing this natural herb as medicine for our ills, or as wings for our spirit, or as nourishment for our bodies, or as a tool to help craft our ingenuity through it’s fibers. We hope for the day that this plant may once again run free over the fields and meadows, over the hills and mountains to yet further it’s own distict character and charm to once again find us marveled in it’s splendor. We will Hope. It is all we have left…
I suffer from neuropathy pain over my whole body. This therapy would help me very much. Unfortunately I live in Kentucky. I would move to a state where I could receive this “Wonder Drug” if I could afford to. Unfortunately I am on disablity and live on a limited income. It would be a blessing if someone helped my wife and I move and let us pay them back for their generosity. My wife is a hard worker and would find employment wherever we moved to. My disablity income isn’t much but not having to buy expensive pain medicines and probably Many of the 42 pills I now take each day would allow use to reimburse anybody that could help. We also own a home on a seven acre apple orchard that we could sell or give to the person willing to help. We each give five dollars a month to MPP as that is all our budget will allow. Please help if you can, as I feel I will die from the damage these “symptom masking drugs” are causing. My pain is a result of being shocked while installing lighting in Fresno, CA. My wife and I worked for the same company and we traveled from job to job in a Motorhome. We were paid perdiem for using the Motorhome. While staying in a trailer park in Fresno I tried Medical Marijuana given to me by another person staying at the park also. “IT WORKED”. For two weeks I was pain free. I was able to work every day. That job ended and we were transferred to the next job in Phoenix, AZ and I couldn’t get the Medical Marijuana. So I went back to the pain meds. Then I was asked to take a drug test by my company. I told them I used Medical Marijuana while in California after being told by my doctor that it would help with my pain. Four months later the company fired both of us. No insurance from that day forward. We were earning over $30,000.00 each per year before overtime. Now my wife earns $10.00 per hour and we are struggling just to get by. We would move to Alaska where we could get Medical Marijuana and grow our own.
Thanks again Bruce.
Think I’m going to need a new printer soon.
To Green Soul Jah #2: MPP believes that robust and state-sanctioned dispensaries are the best way to ensure reliable patient access to medical marijuana. The ballot initiative proposed by the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project is consistent with this thinking. It is definitely dispensary-based but does, as you noted, allow patients and/or their caregivers to grow their own marijuana if there is not a dispensary within 25 miles. This 25-mile halo does not serve “business” interests because the dispensaries must be run as non-profits. In addition, the initiative would provide for competition in the system as it requires the state government to license one dispensary for every 10 pharmacies in the state.
I think all attempts by MPP, NORML or any other group that tries to block people from growing their own Medical Marijuana or just Marijuana if made legal is outright criminal in itself and will soon cause them to loose more and more support. I do not want my money, as little as it is, to go toward blocking anyone from growing a plant that is an intricate part of the health of everyone and the planet too. If they keep moving in that direction they are showing their true colors, as groups out to profit from others pain, and should be exposed for the hypocrites they are. I certainly hope that is not the case.
The prices I’ve seen in dispensaries are as bad as the black market. The only benefit they provide is you don’t get arrested.
Bruce Mirken:
Thanks for the quick response in clarifying that Arizona Medical Patients WILL NOT be able to grow their own medicine if they are located within the 25 mile radius of a dispensary.
Clever how you tried to switch the emphasis on “does allow patients to grow” if there is no dispensary within 25 miles.
Kinda sucks for the Medical Patient wishing to grow their own medicine.
“Does not serve business interest because dispensaries run as non-profit” ?!?!- There are more than dozen ways people can profit from non-profit organizations……It’s done here everyday in California….although it’s true, the organization will not profit, but the managers/operators of the organization can greatly profit in one way or another.
Thanks for clearing everything up………..
Here’s a recent article from examiner.com that doesn’t sound so enthusiastic about your organization’s intentions, and others:
http://www.examiner.com/x-23625-Detroit-Drug-Policy-Examiner~y2009m9d26-War-breaks-out-within-the-marijuana-legalization-movement-part-1
I think Jack Herer said it best at Hempfest:
“I don’t want to f**king give the United States government one f**king dollar of taxes. I think that they should go to f**king jail for getting you and me and 20 million people getting arrested for pot. It is the safest thing you can do in the universe. And that is what we are going to do in California. Okay? Come over to my booth, over there, and I will see you next time.”
Bud from KY { 10.05.09 at 3:12 pm } : My point exactly!!!
#11 and #12-
I am a resident in Arizona and do not have any legal means to acquire medical cannabis. I have severe reactions to many opioid derivative pain killers, and many other pain killers do nothing at all but add symptoms. So, all I get to use right now is ibuprofen and aspirin, of which both are destroying my stomach as well as other parts of my body (they also barely do anything for my pain). I am unwilling to put my family in jeopardy to try and get any cannabis. I am for the legalization of cannabis (and quite possibly all drugs), but to get along with others in society there needs to be a give and take relationship. I look at this as a first step to helping those in need. So, before bashing organizations like MPP, sit back and think on the mounds of dung they have to sift through to get heard by those that clearly oppose such endeavors. You can say that it isn’t fair and that it is ludicrous to put such restrictions on a plant, but the truth is is that the U.S. has dug itself a stink hole so deep that right now this is the only way to get out. And frankly I don’t care if I can’t grow my own because a dispensary is close by, and maybe the prices there are inflated. The crap out here is just that, crap, and you definitely don’t know what you are getting. With all the crap going on at the border (less than an hour from me), I would happily pay taxes to regulate cannabis here. I normally like what you write Green Soul Jah, but I am pretty disappointed in your stance. Think about others like myself that can benefit from cannabis medically before you get on a high horse about what MPP or NORML does. And Bud from KY, try living here first before you speak. A dispensary is an almost guarantee of quality, variation, safety and understanding as opposed to the dingy dirtbags that deal ditch weed, don’t give a crap about who, what, or where they sell it.
To Bruce Mirken,
Bruce, as a representative of MPP, can you assure me and all of the members of MPP, that MPP is not seeking to profit from the blocking of private individuals from growing their own plants, anywhere they live, on their own property, for their own use, as long as they do not sell it to another individual? I’m not trying to cause problems for you or MPP, I’m just asking where my money is being used.
Agree Trogo #14 and thanks for stating so.
Again, this movement is and will continue to go through Growing Pains. All the details will be worked out when it’s legal, quit sweating the small stuff. Look how far we’ve come!
At this point in time I’d much rather have dispensary-based cannabis to start out with, I could actually ask for and more than likely receive the correct strain that works best for my particular needs.
Bud, I am nonplussed by your question. Of course MPP doesn’t seek to profit from blocking personal cultivation. We are not involved in any sort of marijuana production or distribution, commercial or otherwise, period. All we want is to get workable laws passed. And sometimes getting them passed means you have to settle for workable rather than ideal, because that, unfortunately, is the reality of politics.
Trogo,
If you read all of my posts you would see that I go through the same pain and take far more meds than you. I also support MPP and NORML. I also live in Kentucky where it is harder to get cannabis then in Arizona. These groups use the money donated to them to hire legal staff to make sure that they work in the best interest of the members. They do not have a gun pointed at their head telling them they have to support wording preventing growing. This is just like making wine or beer in your home. It has nothing to do with taxes, or preventing you from getting your cannabis from a “legalized drug pusher”.
Bruce and Lea,
Growing has already been made legal in many of the states with Medical Marijuana laws. Why try to back up just to help the dispensaries that are taking money that patients can’t afford. You have to have a good income to afford the prices charged by these “Legalized Drug Dealers”. If you can’t pay their elevated prices and can’t grow your own, then you are out of luck. That is all I’m saying.
Bud,
First, I never made any assumptions that you took less or more medication than I do, nor does it matter to the point I was making. Secondly, for some people acquiring cannabis may be easy, but for me (when I was trying to before I had a family) it wasn’t easy at all. And all of it was crappy weed. I can only go by my own opinion and experiences. In no way am I construing that I am worse, better, more drugged than you claim. I am not attempting a metaphorical pissing contest with you, but if it makes you feel better, you win.
My point is that there needs to be incentive for others that do not have share the viewpoints you and I have for them to support legalization. I’m all for full legalization that anybody can grow, give, or do whatever they want with cannabis, but it just won’t happen. As Bruce said above in #17, the current legalization process is only workable, not ideal.
im just happy that mpp, norml r fighting for the legal access of marijuana, one day yes we can grow our own marijuana… but for now lets just fight to get it passed nd legal and not think about growing our own, we will be able to one day.
i also forgot… Bruce and everyone at mpp, Thank you for your hard work, and all the supporters.
bruce,
when they finish crunching numbers for sf article do you think you could post a link. i would love to have statistical data to smash my prohobitionist counterparts.
thanks
c
I thank you also, MPP and Bruce, for all of your hard work and assistance.
Peace Trogo, Lea, Bruce and Nick!
There is no pissing contest. I’m for everything that can be done to further the cause. Is Jack Herer wrong for questioning the need for entering in any contract that takes rights away that have already been set as law. Working with states established laws is just like using set presedence when a judge rules on a case. If the shoe fits wear it, so to speak. Alaska has a right to privacy law that they are very strict about upholding. If you have less than one ounce or twenty-five plants they will not bother you. This is for any person not just people like me or you. They also have a very good Medical Marijuana law. They have very little problems with people selling on their streets and no killing people over Marijuana. I’m aware of the fact that there are not as many people in Alaska, but Marijuana is not very easy to get because of their remote location. This is what everyone should get behind. The tide is changing and we need to take advantage of this fact and not just compromising. I give money each month and my wife does the same. We both take the message to the street every day. I don’t know what you do and it doesn’t make any difference to you what I do. The point is that we fight the fight and do it well without compromising what we have already got.
I also thank MPP, NORML and any other group that works so hard. I also thank Bruce for all he does. Thanks Bruce.
After reading this webpage…….you guys be the judge of what MPP and NORML are up to……
http://www.newagecitizen.com/MERP/RelegalizeNowObama08.htm
Yes it is a small step forward for Arizona, but they will obviously be forced slaves to dispensaries for their medicine…..similar to pharmaceutical companies….MPP should have followed what other states have done and left growing an option….They had 13 other states to pattern their initiatives from….But then again, their actions speak louder than their words…… This is the only initiative known that restricts growing and forces people within a certain area to only obtain medicine from “State Sanctioned Dispensaries”?!?!?
Bruce Mirken : “Of course MPP doesn’t seek to profit from blocking personal cultivation” – So why did MPP put it in the initiative and who does stand to profit???
All in all – Thanks MPP for all the great reporting (cough: SPIN) you have done to keep us informed. (and uninformed on)
For everyone else that’s been donating your hard earned $$$$……you better start asking questions……..They may need money for their Playboy Mansion Christmas party coming up……… LOL
If that initiative passes in Arizona, I’ll move there and put up a non-profit dispensary since laws would be put in place to help guarantee my company patients since it would be criminal for them to grow for themselves……….I guess there’s a good and bad side to everything.
I apologize if I came off self-righteous and confrontational, Bud. You as well, Green Soul Jah. I have no ill intent, and I am happy to see so many people passionate about ending this long overdue prohibition problem.
Just today I asked my doctor about marinol as a possibility for pain management, but since he is unfamiliar with it he refused to prescribe it. I think even if he did write a Rx, I don’t think my insurance would cover it. On the bright side, my Primary Care Physician, ENT, and Pulmonologist all agree that cannabis would benefit me greatly. Plus, they started asking me questions about its benefits…which is kind of scary. Shouldn’t they know this stuff? It was strange, kind of like talking to my parents about drugs.
Wow..green soul jah.. I think we need all groups…mpp, norml, safer, map, drugtruth, leap, the people who plant seeds…local, state, etc…this blog has gone from scientific evidence that supports the efficacy of medical marijuana…to questioning the motives of mpp/norml. I agree with bruce, the changes come slowly and with much compromise.
I dunno about all this.
In Wisconsin we’ve got grassroots people getting a bill in place which would include allowing people to grow their own. Why is it so hard for a lobby group like MPP to do this as well in another state?
It doesn’t hurt to ask these questions if we plan on giving more money. Just lay it all out for us.
Hey ya , give bruce and Mpp a break , this is just stepping stones to what will work best for all.
In the end legaliation for all will happen ,til then…steppin stones.
http://www.foxnews.com/freedomwatch/
Heres a link for an interview with Judge Napolitano and normls Paul Armentnao. Theres also a short one with Andy Levy and The judge. All About cannabis and ending prohibition. Excellent interveiw.
The New Age Citizen article struck me more as speculation and conspiracy theory than anything. It seems far more logical that the plant restrictions are really a political move to gather support for the bill. I think Bruce said it best when he said politics is a game. The reason this movement has progressed so slowly is our refusal to play within the system. For so long we refused to play the political game and it got us nowhere. Part of the political game is, quite frankly, pandering to the voters and giving concessions to alleviate their warrentless fears; or not financially backing an initiative you are not fully comfortable will pass. So much of playing by the rules goes against what we feel is ethical, but a foot in the door offers us a chance revisit these laws later; much like Rhode Island did and Hawaii is about to. Peoples ideas about marijuana won’t change by itself. We need to show them that marijuana can work outside of the black market and the sky will not come crashing down before we can work on the details.
I’m sorry to disagree with the Hemperor, but taxes NEED to be part of a sensible cannabis policy. It gives our movement needed leverage. Without it legalization has no chance of going through any time soon. That’s the reality of the political climate. We can either flow with it or we don’t get anywhere.
It’s only natural to have disagreements about what direction to head in. And I’ve disagreed with the MPP on a few occasions. But when it comes to actively telling people to shoot down a medical marijuana initiative, as this article is suggesting, you have to wonder if we don’t have a saboteur in our midst. Since we’re talking about conspiracy theories, it seems just as likely that this Cain guy, either through prohibitionist influence or personal vendetta, just wants to derail the legalization movement. Think about it. Such a thing could ONLY hurt our movement. Shooting down that initiative would help absolutely no one and only serve to continue the criminalization of the sick and dying in Arizona. This MRPP model he’s touting just sounds to me like a marijuana free-for-all. No taxes, no regulations, unlimited and unrestricted grows. And he seems to think he can make this a reality in under a year. I have a hard time believing he’s a serious cannabis activist. If legalization fails this time around, it would be because of divisive tactics like these. We’re all on the same side here. Blind ideology obviously doesn’t serve prohibitionists well. It won’t do us any good either.
Well said Mikey. Arizona still has lots of hang ups when it comes to cannabis, especially due to border issues. There are a lot of people I have met over the years that agree with people like Joe Arpaio and believe he is winning the war on drugs (mostly cannabis) with his vigilante style tactics. Until people like Joe Arpaio are out of the picture, or they change their mind on the issue, it will be difficult to get any kind of cannabis legalization.
Show me a link that tells me who is requiring the restrictions on individuals growing their own Marijuana, on their own land, for their own use, even if they have to register with the state and pay taxes or a fee for a stamp. These guys should not be allowed to charge huge prices for a plant. Paul Stanford said on a television interview about pot growers in Mendocino County, CA, that he made three million dollars a year off of supplying cards for patients and Marijuana for dispensaries. A Marijuana Plant cost about $20.00 to produce and it will on average, produce about 2-1/2 pounds of buds. How can anybody justify $15.00 plus a gram in dispensaries. That is no better than Big Pharma. It is theft. You can put lipstick on a pig, and it’s still a pig. If that is what you call a non-profit then you have been smoking too much. If I’m wrong, my bad. Please stop bashing me and show me the facts. I just want to know where my donations are going and what they are supporting. Alaska has it right and we should be fighting for that model. I do not hear anything about Alaska coming from MPP and the only thing from NORML about Alaska is in the state law section. Come on people, what are we doing?
ROE….. GO FOX NEWS…. i still dont like em…. but who cares!!! how often do you get a spot like this??? there was the stiletto stoners piece on the today show which was almost all positive…. this one however, and the one with the red eye guy, was 100% on our side… no question about it, from the first word spoken to the last word….. everyone needs to watch both spots….
http://www.foxnews.com/freedomwatch they are labeled “legalize it?” and “the drugs won” pass them on!!!
ok… all good points.
i believe that ALL adults SHOULD be able to grow their own ANYTHING in their backyard (like seasonal tomatos, etc) withOUT having to pay a tax on it, especially IF they are consuming the bounty of their own garden.
however, i CAN see how to get ANY marijuana initiative to a ballot box or legislative chamber, there are going to be COMPROMISES, on both sides of the issue; now AND in the future.
MPP is aware that they will be at work on these types of issues for MANY years to come. they have excellent job security until ALL 50 states have made marijuana legal (in some fashion). so i can’t see MPP having any sinister motive in not forcing the growing issue in A particular state.
i am confident, that when dealing with prohibitionists, MPP can get a read on what is a deal-breaker during the compromising stage when writing policy.
MANY people in the USA are either ignorant, or still under the prohibitionist propaganda ether. over a third of americans believe that marijuana is as harmful as alcohol!
perhaps a few of these folks are on the other side of the table from MPP.
maybe it is a GOOD strategy to take what we can get NOW; and in the future amend and tweak the laws. after enough time has passed and and we have our feet in more doors, and some of those 33% have seen that marijuana is NOT the boogie-man our government has made it out to be.
then… perhaps the day will come when anyone can grow their own, and ‘put it up’ in the root cellar, alongside the blackberry cordial, without fear of their front door being kicked in by gun toting prohibitionists.
one step at a time.
one state at a time.
Wow. How quickly people here have turned against MPP. I too am very non-plussed.
Dismissing the threat of imprisonment, and legal access to marijuana in yet another State is incredibly myopic. I can see Jack’s point of view regarding taxes. However, I think removing the threat of prison, and having legal access to cannabis enshrined in law is nothing to sneeze at.
Paying the government for permission to grow a plant for personal use is not ideal, and the cannabusiness community is indeed interested in making money. Those screeching about such moderate restrictions are missing the big picture completely! No organization in the nation has done more to keep cannabis users out of prison, and to give sick people access to marijuana that MPP. DPA and NORML are not far behind.
Patients and stoners alike will be much better served by pushing hard on all fronts, supporting MPP, DPA, NORML, LEAP, ASA, SAFER, etc. than by acting like self-righteous assholes. If you can do better, DO IT. But don’t act like the most successful reform group in the history of prohibition is suddenly the devil.
Thanks for another great post Bruce, and thanks to all the committed agents of change at MPP.
c (#23): It may be a while before there is anything more to post. Typically the next move after a conference presentation is to write up a full article and start submitting it to medical journals — a process that can take many months and sometimes even years. But if any more details details become public, we’ll post them.
btw…along the lines of the conference…
i was glad to see ANOTHER scientific study recognizing the virtues of marijuana.
i am also glad to see Dr. Abrams mentioned in it.
this is just one front in the war against prohibition.
the scientific front that our President said he’d pay more attention to regarding marijuana’s future, either as a medicine, or an adult recreational substance choice.
MPP and others are at a different front in this war. policy.
in the interviews hosted by Judge N., the Shafer Commission was discussed.
the findings of the Shafer Commission, the judicial viewpoint provided by Judge Young back in ‘71, and study results like those of The International Association for Cannabis as Medicine in 2009 are more evidence combating the prohibitionist ‘company line’.
it IS progress when we are discussing not IF there will be marijuana grown, but WHERE and by WHOM it will be grown.
gardeners all over the USA still have my vote, but until everyone can grow whatever they want from seeds or cuttings, i will settle for progress that might be amended some day.
FYI: NORML ardently supports adults rights to grow their own cannabis. SEE:
http://blog.norml.org/2009/07/01/the-importance-of-permitting-consumers-the-right-to-cultivate-marijuana-for-personal-use/
Alcohol consumers possess the legal right to create their own home brew, free from government interference. Although the vast majority of alcohol drinkers never utilizes this freedom, and prefers the convenience of purchasing alcohol at a retail outlet, that option remains available to those who wish to use it. We believe that similar regulations should govern the non-retail production of cannabis.
The cultivation of cannabis for personal use is the single most important element of the NORML legalization proposal. Allowing for the legal, personal cultivation of cannabis provides consumers with the option to grow their own product should commercially available sources offer cannabis that fails to meet the consumers’ needs because it is excessively expensive, too heavily taxed, or of inferior quality. The mere threat of consumers exercising this option should be sufficient to assure that the legal market for cannabis will be responsive to the needs of consumers, and will not be exploitive.
For the record, Bruce Cain/New Age Citizen is lying regarding NORML’s position (and those of others), and has been for some time, in a misplaced effort to bring attention to his fledging one-man organization.
GREEN SOUL JAH
you opened my eyes a little more than I thought they were already
A PLAYBOY MANSION MARIJUANA PARTY? HOW THE HELL IS THAT HELPING THE CAUSE? PLAYBOY?!!
Bruce Mirken : “Of course MPP doesn’t seek to profit from blocking personal cultivation” – So why did MPP put it in the initiative and who does stand to profit???
All in all – Thanks MPP for all the great reporting (cough: SPIN) you have done to keep us informed. (and uninformed on)
For everyone else that’s been donating your hard earned $$$$……you better start asking questions……..They may need money for their Playboy Mansion Christmas party coming up……… LOL
thats from GREEN SOUL JAH
I dont want this to be ignored.
Why are there different organizations fighting for marijuana? Why not join together and fight for one common goal?
DECRIMINILIZATION,
Take heed from RON PAUL and JACK HERER
the ceo of a non profit is allowed under 100,000 a year. please correct me if i’m wrong. or maybe more
im sorry but NORML, MPP, SAFER, SSDP and all the other marijuana law reform organizations are doing a great job!!!
The name of the game is EDUCATE and they are doing an excellent job.
For the people who will bitch about what I just said and will go back to the MPP playboy party……… Would you refuse that invitation? Neither would I, why would you expect anyone to?
[...] in Daily life, Drug laws, Medical, Science at 11:41 am by LeisureGuy Bruce Mirken at the Marijuana Policy Project Blog: The International Association for Cannabis as Medicine just concluded its 5th Conference on [...]
This is progress… and progress happens slowly….
This blog all of a suddent took a turn for the worse. Regular contributors to this site are now voicing their opposition to the Arizona bill and from what I can read the very nature of MPP. All of this after reading one article and one website from someone who is voicing what all of here would eventually like to see (no restrictions on marijuana use, or cultivation). What is totally void from this guy’s website is the Political Reality of today. The thought that his views can be implemented within the year should in and of itself tell you that he is a kook!
Yeah… I would prefer for no regulations to be put on marijuana as I believe that it is a safe substance and because death is not a side effect I do not believe the government should have a role in the regulation. HOWEVER… I live in reality and not a marijuana induced coma… I understand that for the legalization to occur we, as a movement, are going to have to take our fight in steps. I’ve said this before but it needs to be repeated… when we have an opportunity to ask the President his views on a subject why do we always go right for the jugular and ask him about legalization? He has publically stated he is against this idea, yet we think that we need to ask the same question over again. Are we really expecting him to change his mind? He has said before that he believes medical marijuana is no different than other drugs precribed by doctors. He has said that it is entirely appropriate for marijuana to be handled in the same manner as other drugs PRESCRIBED BY DOCTORS!!! Whay do we not focus our energy on asking him why he hasn’t done anything about it (directed the DEA to reschedule)… Why continue to focus on something he is publically opposed to?
Steps to Accomplish:
1) Medical Marijuana Bills in 26 of 50 states – it doesn’t matter the specifics of the bills (to grow or not to grow), just that more than half of the States are finally “accepting” the medical use for treatment.
2) Federal Medical Marijuana protection – with more than half the States accepting the use for treatment what will our Government’s reasoning be for opposing such a change to the CSA???
3) Nationwide research can be achieved to conclusively prove the safety of marijuana… real-life regulatory systems can be shown to be effective at preventing the illegal dissemination of product to the underground market… the general public can witness that this isn’t the deadly and dangerous substance that the Government has led them to believe over the past 72 years.
Any bill that can be passed to allow our sick and injured to access the substance that can help them live a better quality life should be the first goal on everyone’s list. Stop only thinking about yourself and start thinking about the big picture. Please stop and take a moment to understand the political climate that we live in and the challenges that we face at getting our legislation in place. MPP has been and will continue to be the most effective reform organization out there.
Thank you to the Staff at MPP for all that you do to keep this part of the public conscienceness.
Political Culture on Growing:
Remamber that there are a majority of politicians that are simply uneducated on the marijuana issue. They believe that with the right to grow, people will abuse the privledge and excess product will make it into the hands of the underground market (recreational users and children). We can sit there and debate that children would be better suited with a legal regulated industry and we can talk about the relative safety of the product for responsible adults, but those that oppose will continue to agree with the lies they have been told. The debate being had is not for recreational use it is for limited medical use. By eliminating the ability for patients to grow their own (Bruce correct me if I’m wrong) but MPP believes they can garner more support for the overall passage of the bill as this is a consistant objection from the other side. The purpose being to make sure that the sick and injured aren’t also made out to be criminals.
Bruce… I have a specific question for you or anyone else at MPP that can answer this:
New Mexico has authorized a State-Run dispensary for their medical marijuana patients. Rhode Island just agreed to allow 3 dispensaries. If these two States actually begin their own cultivation and distribution of marijuana won’t these two States be acting against the Single Convention of 1961? Are these laws not then open to a challenge based on their Constitutionality (being that they are in opposition with this Treaty)?
Honestly I think we need to re-evaluate all of our Country’s treaties and remove ourselves from those that do not suit a purpose to our Country, but as things stand… does this treaty not pose a problem for these “State-Run” facilities?
As usual DarthNole excellent comments with a compassion focus.
With that said, most everyone involved in this movement, either directly or not, have times when the frustration can get to them. I’ve been through it myself.
MPP is doing a great job, just that the MJ community can talk about it, in my mind, is monumental.
DarthNole #48: The Single Convention and other international drug treaties permit medical use, which is treated differently than non-medical use. That’s why in the Netherlands, medical marijuana is grown under contract with the government and sold through pharmacies, while “recreational” marijuana policy is a wink-and-nod policy of “tolerance.”
By the way, I’ve been trying to stay out of most of the dialogue here and just let people speak for themselves, but I will say one thing: I would just ask those who disagree with MPP’s approach on any given bill or initiative (and there will always be honest disagreements about details) to bear in mind that the most ideal bill doesn’t do squat if you can’t get it passed.
Its so sad to me that I have four doctors saying the same thing, that it will help my pain and spasms, help me sleap and relax my cramps, yet Here in KY we face arrest and loss of family and home if we medicate and get caught.
I was told last check up to move to CA or another medical marijuana state, yes Move, thats what it has come to in non medical law states, doctors are telling sick and dying ciitizens they have to move away to get the treatment that will work best. It makes me sick that people like me in 37 states are being told to leave or if cought, lose our home, kids, wife and job, face not only criminal charges but have backlash from friends and the community we live. All for trying to make our lives better by using a safe and natural plant, we can grow ourselves and works better than any man made pill or drug!
Its just wrong, no its un-american to have a Drug War and we have to stop it today!
MPP wrote the AZ Initiative, why would they remove growing within 25 miles of a dispensary?!?!? No one found it odd that they failed to mention this in their AZ article!?!?!
It’s not rocket science, and if you’re looking to hear a little MPP spin they’ll probably tell you they just want to ensure patients get the best medicine from “State Sanctioned Dispensaries”.
What does the State Govt. know about growing besides that shit they call medicine they’ve been giving to the IND patients.
This is Canna-Politics at its finest……….
I’m on the fence as far as taxation and regulation are concerned…….But to prohibit growing within a certain distance of a dispensary is asinine. I could understand if they said 1,000 feet from a school……..but 25 miles from a dispensary????
Who are they protecting the dispensaries from??? I guess patients that grow their own medicine……
Honestly, I too was 100% behind MPP until they forgot to tell everyone about the Tax & Regulate initiatives and that they have no plans to follow it up til 2012……They spent $$$$ on a tax & regulate commercial and plan on following it up 3 years later……
Of course I would have went to the Playboy Mansion Party if I was invited, who wouldn’t. But what exactly did it do to promote the Legalization??? They would have been better off promoting Viagra at the Playboy Mansion!!!
If that initiative passes in AZ, don’t be surprised when dispensaries start selling medicine at $80/eighth, because patients won’t have a choice but to buy from them since it would be a crime to grow within 25 miles. So you think competition will keep the price down? Not if they all agree to keep prices on a certain level……the patients wont have much choice.
If you close your ears to their spin, their actions tell a different story.
For anyone else not keen on what they’re up to…..keep on drinkin’ the Kool Aid!!!
I feel that they are a refreshing change from the near complete prohibition I currently live with. Any foreward progress against that is OKIE DOKIE in my book.
Green Soul Jah….. its called comprimise….. lets do whatever we need to do to get it legalized…. then we will have plenty of time to hammer out the small stuff
who cares about growing our own damn marijuana…. dont we want it legal? Lets just work on getting it legal damn, ONE DAY WE WILL BE ABLE TO GROW OUR OWN DAMN MARIJUANA.
I dont wanna end up in prison and no one else does, so lets work on getting it legal and not think about growing it.
This Idea that sorros and mpp,norml are trying to do what ever to control the limit or amout a person can grow seems ludicus to me. After cannabis is legal…how will anyone controll how much a person grows? Puff puff give. grow grow give .
Something you all should keep in mind …there are forces out there that will seek to sabotage any and all reform groups. Even if it means playing OUR game. Stay vigil people.
CORRUPTION: A disease that spares no one.
Even with all the thuths about marijuana finally being told to the world we are still being lied to by big bro. Fox finally stood up and ran a pro pot story. If fox news can be talked into a single story today maybe tomorrow another story may be told on another chanel. Baby steps, but at least there is finally steps being taken. Keep tokin and over grow, big bro.
It’s funny how we all on the same side but coming at this issue from soo many different angles. I really hope that everybody is taking this as a positive debate and not an assault on anyone’s rights or opinions.
I would love to grow my own, and have successfully grown a couple of plants this past summer. Unfortunately I live in NY where any kind of marijuana is illegal. I also know that medicinal marijuana laws are under review in NY state right now. I checked on a couple of local officials and i think i understand the issue with Arizona propositions. While some reps here in NY state are all for legalization and allowing patients to grow their own, majority of the reps will only support medicinal marijuana being distributed through dispensaries.
So i think at the end of the day, we all just have to ask ourselves one question. Do we want to be treated as criminals or as patients?
If NY state accepts a resolution similar to AZ, yes i will be a bit disappointed about not being able to grown, but i’m not supposed to be growing right now either,and at the least with this resolution accepted I can enjoy my smoke legally.
So let’s let MPP and NORML do their job, i dont think i can do any better on my own and i doubt that most of the people posting here can do any better either.
Thank you Bruce and all the folks at MPP and NORML for providing all this information and taking part in these discussions.
Thank you to all fine people that post here. I enjoy reading every comment, whether i agree with it or not. You are all a great intelligent group of people and I just wish one day we can all light one up in front of the white house with our president.
Free The Weed. Free The People.
Rome wasn’t built in a day…was it? no…seriously…was it?
Here you go Green Soul Jah, this will help you gain some perspective as to what we’re up against.
http://www.drugfree.org/ — http://www.timetotalk.org/
Whoa, you’re moderating comments now.
That’s o.k., I understand.
I couldnt grow a plant to save my life. Honest. Every time I grow anything it dies. it took 400 yrs to end slavery in america. right now, the public seems to be okay with giving marijuana on compassionate grounds to people with physical conditions. It’s very limited approval. the first step of any movement is to dispell myths and create awareness. unfortunately, we have been bombarded w the war on drugs and all of the information that tells us pot is bad. but many people are starting to discover pharmaceuticals are much worse. the biggest drug dealers in north america and the world are dr’s not growers. at this point, just being able to obtain a safe and reliable supply would be progress. we used to think alot of stupid shit about people of color.then one day we realized, hey theyre just like any one else. so it will be the same with pot.once the government figures out a way to make money off of it, it will be decriminalized and legalized.until then, theyre making way too much money and creating jobs from law enforcement and big pharma. also, cheech and chong type websites do not help. i think any normal person can agree pot is relatively harmless and has many more benefits than risks. why fight over what should be legalized first? change takes time. and thats the pisser of life. just ask the afghan refugees and countries that have been at war for generations.
I’ve been reading the comments from Green Soul Jah, and others, and I’m troubled. I’m troubled by the paranoia and lack of intelligence shown in the comments, as well as the general tendency of humans to engage in the “people’s front of judea” pattern of behavior (”Splitters!”).
Guys, stop and think for a moment. Let’s assume MPP’s motives are benign (and we have plenty of grounds to make this assumption). Why would they sponsor a bill that doesn’t allow you to grow your own if you live within X miles of a dispensary?
Well, I’ve only thought about the issue for about 5 minutes, but I can come up with a very obvious answer, and frankly you should have reached the same conclusions yourself. What’s the fundamental, in fact the only argument that prohibitionists have against medical marijuana initiatives? The answer is of course that they claim it is a cover to allow people to smoke marijuanna recreationally, or that even if it isn’t a cover, it loosens the controls and will lead to more marijuana landing in the hands of rectreational users. This is of course usually followed by pleas to “think of the children”.
By proposing restrictions on the self-cultivation of marijuana, they are making the initiative more palatable to people who might be for allowing medical marijana but might still have irrational fears regarding Cannabis. They are further removing a major talking point that the opposition might make. In other words, it is part of a strategy to insure that the initiatives are actually passed. Given the good work that MPP has done,given the fact that the dispensaries will be run as non profits, how can you come to any other conclusions? Don’t let your frustration with reality cloud your judgement and rational thought.
Now I am for the legalization of recreational cannabis, and so is the MPP. But I also recognize that ensuring that genuinely sick people can get access to a valuable medicine is far more important than my desire to have a puff of weed to relax in the evening, and still more important than whether or not I can grow it myself or not.
Whether you agree with the strategy or not, it is an intelligent one, and it’s morally unambiguous. I resent you paranoid rantings as they are harmful to the movement, and frankly this kind of overly emotional stupidity and lack of rational thought stresses me out, makes me fear for the future of society, and generally fills me with the need to out an smoke a pipeful. I’m at work right now, so that’s not really an option.
If I had to guess, I’d say you’re problem is you want everything all at once. You apparently haven’t educated yourself much with regards to history or to the political process in the united states. Incremental change is useful and important, and in the case of marijuana prohibition is certainly part of the solutoin. The more states which allow medical marijuana the more hard data exists to support both its medical benefits, and to negate exagerated claims to its harmfulness. As medical marijuana becomes more mainstream, cannabis loses its stigma, and decriminalization becomes more politically acceptable, even to culturally conservative voters. It’s evolution, which history shows is much more effective at designing good structures than revolution. All that is required from you is a little intelligence, thought, perspicacity and patience.
So any time someone has an opinion that goes against the grain you feel the need to take them out back and bash their poor sick little brain in rather then think about the possibility they could have a point. If you are sick and have no insurance and the cost of your medication is too expensive, sometimes you can get that medication for free or at a reduced rate. I have contacted all the Dispensaries in California that I could find an address or phone number for and not one would offer reduced prices for low income patients even though the state has reduced rates for their Medical Marijuana card. Although some of the Dispensaries offered reduced rates for “Frequent Buyers”. With the most commonly quoted price being $15.00 a gram, which adds up to the magical $420.00 an ounce, and the considered doseage being one ounce per week, how would you suggest the low income patient get their Medical Marijuana? This has little to do with politics as usual and more to do with supporting Canna-Business as usual. Bruce never answered my question, I guess he was too nonplussed, who required MPP to write in wording preventing growing within 25 miles of “Non-Profit” Dispensaries. At $420.00 per week the patient pays $21,840.00 per year. If the “Non-Profit” Dispensary had just 100 patients the total that the “Non-Profit” Dispensary would gross is $2,184,000.00 and the news reports say the average Dispensary has 500 patients which adds up to $10,920,000.00 thats a lot of “Non-Profit” in anybody’s book no matter how you pad it. I have nothing against someone earning a buck but when that buck is taken from the sick and the poor anyone that does it should be taken out back and have their gready little brain bashed in. Thats my story and I’m sticking to it. (A Poor Little Patient!)
And I will repeat myself just so you know – I SUPPORT MPP, NORML, AND LEAP – NOT JUST IN SPIRIT BUT WITH MONEY I CAN’T SPARE – I ALSO BOUGHT – MARIJUANA IS SAFER SO WHY ARE WE DRIVING PEOPLE TO DRINK AND – THE EMPERIOR WEARS NO CLOTHES – I do this because it’s the right thing to do.
After reading (skimming) the Arizona initiative (http://stoparrestingpatients.org/home/initiative), it looks to me like mj patients in mj will be able to form a patient-held non-profit dispensary and grow and dispense their own mj to members at whatever (reduced) cost they choose. That seems to put to rest some of the fears that dispensaries will be able to charge exorbitant prices.
Correction to previous post: That should have read, “…mj patients in __Arizona__ will be able to form a patient-held non-profit dispensary…”
Which leads to an interesting mental exercise:
Given what we know about marketplace competition over time (think about prices of VCRs and DVD players), what might we expect the marketplace for mj to look like after, say, ten years of a relaxed policy similar to the one proposed in Arizona. (Or just pick a state; what will the mj situation look like in 2020?)
This is turning into a pissing contest and I dont see a reason for that. I can definitely see the point that Bud from KY is making. This resolution in AZ won’t do squat for low income families like Bud himself, and that is definitely very frustrating.
On the other hand it all comes back to a simple choice. Do we want medicinal marijuana to be legal which would at least put us outside of criminal liabilities or do we want to continue dealing with drug dealers and be treated like criminals.
It does suck that even through a dispensary the cost of marijuana is not any cheaper than the street price, but again I rather deal with a professionally operated dispensary than with any drug dealer.
Bud from KY, please continue to post and show your support. I am sure you are not alone in your situation and guys at MPP and NORML do take people like yourself into consideration when coming up with such resolutions. It is really unfair that people like you, who really needs their medicine will still not be able to afford it or enjoy the legal status of medicinal marijuana but think about all the people that this resolution will help.
Let’s all be a little bit more considerate of each other and stop being so judgmental. Glenn Stark, i share your view to a certain degree but you came off really strong and offensive, there’s no need for that. We are all fighting for the same cause.
Free The Weed. Free The People.
to Jade: Please dont stop trying to grow. If you already taken that chance then dont give up. I have been able to grow 2 plants in my backyard but have been unsuccessful growing indoors. I am more than happy to share my growing experience with anybody who wants to give it a shot.
There are many grow guides out there but I would love to speak with someone who has personal experience.
I am still trying to grow indoors one plant at a time and as long as feds dont come knocking on my doors, i have no intentions of giving up.
Free The Weed. Free The People.
I believe it, I have Charcot Marie Tooth, Neuro Disorder, very very painful…but if I vaporize(no lung damage) throughout the day…I am as close to pain free as possible. 40 mg oxy doesnt do what medical marijuana does, it cures SO many bad symptoms of all the meds I must take and the nerve condition itself…pain, nausea, helps me eat, helps me sleep, lets me sit and not want to cry because of the nerve pain…it calms me down like a xanax would…just without ANY side effects that arent positive.
All of this is just ridiculous, people get WASTED on alcohol, and its illegal for me to buy my medication?
So glad this came out since for MS/CMT neuro disorders, we really benefit 10 fold.
if its made legal medicinally, it would cost 10 bucks to produce an ounce for the government in a major factory…thats including costs…200 dollar ounces gives money back to the government, and gives us near 1/3 off
Folks, we really try to keep the discussion free and unfettered here, but let me strongly suggest that a public forum such as this is NOT a good place to discuss potentially felonious activity, such as growing marijuana plants. Please be careful.
Bruce thank you for your concern.
Being from Arizona, I think it will be sad that poor people wouldn’t be able to afford dispensary medicine. However there will be a fix for that, make sure you’re out front after this passes and have your town ban dispensaries. I’m 100% for MMP’s bill; it’s just too bad they got pressured to add the 25 mile part. Thanks for all the hard work MPP!
Thanks Free The Weed, I’m just trying to stay alive, day to day, and cope with the pain. I have come close to setting my spirit free many times, but somehow pull through. I shure don’t need to be bashed just for speaking the truth. The Dispensaries in California could care less about anything but money. I went to my doctors appointment this afternoon in Indiana, because I can’t even get medical care in Kentucky. I asked my doctor what she new about Medical Marijuana and she said buy law she couldn’t advise me, then she said off the record it was probably the most important wide spread cure for most underlying conditions patients have and it is well known by most doctors. Some choose to fight it because they fear losing there income, because of less patients seeking relief. Others fear legal repercutions. Most fall under the same group she is in, which is outright procecution for promoting an illegal substance. She told me if I could move to a legal state I should do so. I would move to Alaska today in a heartbeat if only I could. I can’t self medicate because I am required to have piss test just to get care at the walk in clinic that handles the homeless patients in the city. I am charged a reduced rate because my wife earns just above the allowed income to be treated for free. $420.00 an ounce might as well be a vacation in France. They both are beyond my reach.
I still haven’t seen documentation of MPP being pressured. That is what Jack Herer was speaking about with so much passion, just before he collapsed from a heart attack. He was inviting NORML’s crowd to come to his booth and he would prove that there were things MPP and NORML didn’t want their supporters to know. That’s all I know because Jack will probably never be able to fight for our rights again.
Bud from KY { 10.07.09 at 9:14 pm } : Thats because they weren’t pressured. Like what Bruce said : “MPP believes that robust and state-sanctioned dispensaries are the best way to ensure reliable patient access to medical marijuana.” Doesn’t sound like they were pressured, it’s actually what they want to happen.
Pretty funny how they aren’t addressing our questions and just letting all their cheerleaders do the work for them……
Sad to say, seems like Jack Herer had it right……
Headlines state clearly that Mom and Pop Growers are putting a dent in the Drug Cartels profits and making headlines in the United States bring our cause to the fore front. In the words of the Beatles MPP its “Let It Be”!!!!
All I have to say is WOW. I am a 100% supporter of MPP untill the 25 mile restriction. I only have 2 main points I would like to make. 1) it is amazing to me that all the people in here have seen coruption for most of there lives, Wether it was politics or law enforcement, and the people in here would go down swinging with MPP. Doesnt matter if they have changed doesnt matter that uncorputed people can become corupted. lol 2) with this 25 mile restriction that with how many dispensaries will be initially active to purchase from, Now what happens in 5 years and 50 new despensaries? what then???? On top of all that garbage once this law is in place thats it. (period) So like I said I was a supporter of MPP 100% Heck I wont even be around to read the hate replies. Peace out to the real peps trying to make this happen. Screw the peps trying to flow with the same ol BS political crap. 25 miles wtf. later
Bruce, you’re no doubt very familiar with the Arizona proposal. Would medical mj users be permitted to form a legal dispensary and then produce and sell at a reasonable price? Doesn’t that option effectively address the concerns that dispensaries will gouge consumers?
You must be careful with back pain as the consequences can be dangerous so findrxonline indicated in an article on the subject, I suffer from chronic fibromyalgia for a few years ago I had a tug on my lower back and has gotten worse over time, I have visited many doctors and to ease my pain I was prescribed narcotic opioid drug that is like vicodin, oxycontin, lortab that help curb these terrible back pain.
Hello Conservative Christian,
If you can’t afford to buy a weeks supply of Medical Marijuana from the dispensaries, how would you suggest buying the license needed to start your own clinic? I feel like I’ve missed something along the way, could you help me see the light?
I’m sorry that was rude.
I’m sick with some bug and haven’t slept in two days, so I am a little on edge. The bug probably would not have been so evil if I wasn’t taking so many Meds that my system is weekened. If I could have Medical Marijuana I could reduce the amount of “Legal Drugs” I have to take now.
I wonder how Jack Herer is doing today. I know he is in for a very long battle. I hope he pulls through. He could use all of our thoughts.
Bruce,
I hope you didn’t take my question wrong about who forced MPP to add the grow ban wording. I just want to know if I’m doing the right thing by sending what little I can afford to help support them. I know they have been fighting for our rights for a long time, but this sounds like they are getting crawfishy if you know the old cajun term referring to backing up from the fight. I don’t mean any harm to MPP if they had no choice, as I understand backing off to fight another day.
Pot legalization gains momentum in California.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091008/ap_on_re_us/us_marijuana_legalization;_ylt=AiT5v5gkQuOWUt4In2iuYgCs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNicjZtYWM4BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMDA4L3VzX21hcmlqdWFuYV9sZWdhbGl6YXRpb24EY3BvcwM3BHBvcwM0BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDbWFyaWp1YW5hbGVn
I suggest people not put too much weight into what Bruce Cain has to say. You can feel the ego seeping through the monitor when you visit his page. He talks a lot about himself and spends plenty of time disparaging the attempts for law reform by other groups (as well as complaining about how they won’t give him money for his efforts); but there’s very little in the way of realistic ideas or controbutions to the cannabis reform movement. Most of his energy is directed at trying to discredit actual functioning cannabis law reform groups like MPP and NORML. The MRRP system is completely unworkable and definitively WILL NOT garner much support from those on the fence about legalization. And his time frame laughably unrealistic. This guy and his “organization” is a joke and I’m dissappointed to see how many folks out there are actually buying into it.
Do you honestly think Arizona Conservatives were fine with the concept of people growing their own crop and the MPP just arbitrarily removed it? It would have been a point of contention for the initiative. We have to play the political game, get our foot in the door and show Arizona the world isn’t going to end. Then we can perfect the law. How is pointing fingers at the MPP and shooting down the initiative going to help anything? If this initiative fails it will be because of forces in our own movement. Don’t be foolish. Pass the initiative and THEN work on the details
It is cruel and unusual punishment to withhold medicine from the people of the United States, or any other nation on earth. No where in the Constitution does it state that the Federal Government has the right to deem what is considered “medicine.”
The Arizona bill isn’t ANY MORE restrictive than the pending New Jersey bill. Yet no one has jumped all over New Jersey NORML’s efforts to get medical marijuana legislation. No one has tried to derail the New jersey legislation. In New jersey you couldn’t grow PERIOD. Not a peep about that. The critics of the Arizona initiative are perfectly fine with the political football game going on in New Jersey. In all fairness the New Jersey bill is going through the New Jersey legislation and therefor a bill had to be crafted that the New Jersey legislation and the Governor would go along with. The Arizona bill is going directly to the people but the same politics are at play, only on a larger scale. So the same considerations had to be made. That’s the reality of politics.
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