Later this month a committee of state legislators will begin a process that could lead to amending the state's law, that requires punishment, and sometimes incarceration, for people who use the drug.
The Hoosier lawmaker behind this effort is Sen. Karen Tallian (D-4th), who quietly authored and guided the revision legislation in the last session. It calls for a study committee to review the state's criminal law and sentencing policy and to make recommendations regarding the following issues:
Tallian, an attorney, is on record as opposing Indiana's current marijuana law, calling it “draconian.” She has advocated putting marijuana in the same category as alcohol, which is regulated at both the federal and state levels.
Currently, 16 states and the District of Columbia have enacted medical marijuana laws and 13 states have reduced penalties for possession of small amounts. No state has legalized recreational use of cannabis, with California voters rejecting a ballot initiative last year that would have done just that.
In Michigan, Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette has launched a campaign to revise that state's medical marijuana law, contending that it is being exploited by those who are simply using it to obtain pot for recreational use.
While Republicans and Democrats tend to be on opposite sides of the marijuana liberalization issue, there's evidence that might not be the case in Indiana. Tallian said she has heard from a wide variety of people interested in making changes to the law, but most don't want to be identified by name with the issue.
An exception is Republican State Representative Tom Knollman, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. He said during the past legislative session that he wanted to some day legally try the drug to relieve his pain.
While states have legalized marijuana for medicinal use, the federal government has maintained the position that cannabis is against the law, period. The U.S. Justice Department this month issued a memo that could set up a confrontation between the federal government and the states that have enacted medical marijuana laws.
In a letter to U.S. Attorneys, Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the Obama Administration never intended to shield medical marijuana operations, that produce large quantities of the drug, from federal enforcement action and prosecution.
By Bob Carr
Proposition 19, the referendum on legal marijuana for recreation in California, was defeated in a state wide general election on November 2, 2010. The vote against the proposition won by 54% - 46% tally. The results had not even gone official before the backers and supporters of Proposition 19 vowed that 2010 was just a battle lost in the ongoing war for legal recreational marijuana in California. A war that they wholeheartedly believe can and shall be won in 2012.
A marquee proponent of legal marijuana in California is Richard Lee, the executive director of Oaksterdam University. Oaksterdam U. is a four campus institution of higher learning with 3000 students and 58 employees, headquartered in the Bay Area. Oaksterdam offers education and training for legal marijuana oriented industries in the United States and Canada. Lee is a legal marijuana for medical purposes user as the result of a back injury. Despite these injuries, in addition to Oaksterdam University, Lee also runs a successful legal medical marijuana dispensory out of a coffee shop. His legal marijuana businesses have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes for the State of California and the Federal Government.
One of the main arguments for the proponents of outright legalization of marijuana in California is the potential tax windfall. Marijuana, an untaxed $14 billion dollar industry in the state of California, is twice the size of the state's dairy industry. Legal marijuana in California for recreation could be taxed into a windfall by the state, which has a staggering 25.4 billion deficit according to the Los Angeles Times on November 10, 2010. Richard Lee states, "The bad economy has definitely helped us out as far as opening up a lot of people's minds that this is a waste of money."
The state is not only missing out on generating income on taxing legal marijuana in California. The Golden State is currently spending funds and resources at a price tag of 1 billion dollars a year for the law enforcement of cannabis prohibition. The former Los Angeles County Police Chief Stephen Downing is on record for his support of legal marijuana attributing that it would redirect money out of the hands of gangs and cartels and into the State of California's pocket. Downing states, "There's one reason we don't see wine cartels growing grapes in our national parks, and that's because alcohol is legal. We have to move away from prohibition and toward controlling and regulating the market for marijuana, just as when we ended alcohol prohibition to put Al Capone's smuggling buddies out of business."
The federal government has been less than enthusiastic or supportive in the cause of legalizing marijuana. The Obama administration, as liberal an administration as the nation has seen in recent memory, was not on board with legal marijuana for recreation on the eve of the Proposition 19 vote. A letter sent from Attorney General Eric Holder to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) made the administration's stance very clear when it said ""We will vigorously enforce the [Controlled Substances Act] against those individuals and organizations that possess, manufacture or distribute marijuana for recreational use, even if such activities are permitted under state law". The conflict of state's rights vs. federal government has heated up across the nation during the beginning of the 21st century in America. Could legal recreational marijuana in California be one of the prime battle grounds in the coming days as this war for who will legislate the country begins to grow?
California is the engine that drives pop culture in the United States. Public opinion is often formed for a whole generation by this state due to the influence California enjoys with main stream mass media. A growing majority believe outright legalization of marijuana in California would transform the Golden State into the Amsterdam of the Western World, generate billions in revenues in tourism. The change would cut into reserves that feed gangs, cartels and what could also be argued, terrorism.
Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying "That government is best which governs least." The lessons of history have already shown us with alcohol that decriminalization works when a substance is regulated, monitored and controlled. Abolishing prohibition worked for alcohol, there is no reason why the same cannot happen for legal recreational marijuana in California.
Robert Carr, is an activist in the ongoing effort for legal marijuana in California. Visit http://legalmarijuanacalifornia.com/ for more information.
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Legalization Of Weed - Medicinal Treatment
Medical Marijuana - A Valuable Treatment
By Alfred Ardis
For many years, the use of marijuana has been outlawed in the United States, despite numerous studies that have proven the plant has benefits in the treatment of certain diseases, including cancer and glaucoma. In addition, the drug is both less addictive and has less long-term side effects from usage than both alcohol and tobacco, products that are currently legal for adult use in the United States. Because of these facts, the movement to legalize pot in America has gained momentum over the past two decades, and major headway has been made in the past ten years.
The use of marijuana for medical reasons is currently legal in 11 states, including California. These states have not legalized the use of pot for recreational purposes, but only for those individuals suffering from ailments that have been proven to be helped by cannabis treatments. These patients are now able to legally obtain the drug. Prior to these laws being passed, many patients suffering from chronic or terminal diseases needed to engage in criminal behavior in order to obtain a product that helps relieve many unpleasant daily symptoms, particularly nausea and vomiting. In some cases, these patients have even been prosecuted for the purchase of cannabis.
Many consider the marijuana legalization for medical purposes to be a step in the right direction, especially for a country that has an overly repressive attitude toward the drug. Although pot is legal in many countries around the world, and the tax dollars gained from the legal buying and selling of marijuana are used to stimulate the economy, American politicians have staunchly refused to jump on that bandwagon. This may be because many fear that crime rates will rise if the drug is more easily accessible or the fact that it is often considered a gateway drug that draws younger users into the world of harder drugs. Either way, buying and selling pot remains a crime punishable by prison time.
For now, however, the legalization of medical marijuana seems to be a decision that many states are able to live with. In addition to the acknowledged medical benefits that cannabis offers, pot obtained from a dispensary via a doctor's prescription brings additional revenue into the state. The drug available from the dispensary is generally of a higher quality and produced locally, providing an overall benefit to the state's economy. It seems to be only a matter of time before the legalization of medical marijuana goes national, perhaps opening the door for further decriminalization of the drug at a future point in time.
Medical marijuana Riverside can help you to find out if you qualify for a legal prescription. Medical marijuana can assist patients with glaucoma, chronic pain, ease side effects of chemotherapy and other conditions. To learn more visit http://thcmd4u.com
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The Legalization of Medical Marijuana
By Charles M. Brooks
There is no doubt that the opinions of those against and for the legalization of marijuana have grown since the Controlled Substances Act was changed in 1972. In 1972, the Controlled Substances Act stated that marijuana has no accepted medical use. However, thousands of people in the United States of America think otherwise. This is why around fifteen states have already legalized the medicinal use of marijuana. There are many different reasons why medicinal marijuana should be legalized. The main reason is the fact that it has been proven that medicinal marijuana can help those who are sick with certain ailments.
Medical Marijuana Can Help Sick Men and Women
There is no doubt that the medical use of marijuana can help men and women who are sick with specific diseases. For example, medical marijuana can help those who are sick with HIV, AIDS, Cancer, Glaucoma, Multiple Sclerosis, and epilepsy. Medical marijuana is often known to help sick men and women who have to deal with pain and nausea. Medical marijuana is also commonly used as a last resort when everything else fails to work. There are many different sick men and women who cannot keep down the nutrients that are needed to fight their specific ailments. These men and women often cannot keep down those nutrients without the use of medical marijuana.
Advantages of Medical Marijuana
There are many different advantages to using medical marijuana. For example, marijuana has the ability to ease the suffering of men and women who are sick. In addition, marijuana has other useful purposes. For example, the THC that is commonly found in marijuana has been found to kill brain tumor cells. Other research shows that the THC found in marijuana can also kill breast tumors, pancreas tumors, and liver tumors. This means that marijuana can prove to be extremely useful for men and women who have cancer. Other men and women also say that the legalization of marijuana could help the economy. If the United States of America legalizes the drug, regulates the drug, and taxes marijuana, there is no doubt that it could potentially lessen the overall federal debt.
The receptors in a person's brain can allow the acceptance of cannabinoids like THC. These receptors are also a large part of the body's receptor system. Having said this it is known that the THC in marijuana can reduce pain and other stressful symptoms of specific diseases. For example, it can reduce symptoms that are commonly associated with chemotherapy regimens.
Health Risk Myths
Although there are some health risks to smoking marijuana, there is no doubt that many of the stated health risks are simple myths. For example, no one has ever overdosed on marijuana. In addition, while others believe that marijuana is addicting, research shows that marijuana is not physically addictive.
Medicine Dispensing System is a touch-screen machine that is placed inside your neighborhood medical cannabis facility (Collective) and offers a touch-screen user interface that allows you to choose from many varieties and quantities.
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Legalizing Marijuana: Where Do I Stand, Stagger and Eventually Fall Down on the Subject
By Tim Giardina
Over the course of the past couple of years I have been approached to give my official opinion on the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Somehow the conversation always turns to legalizing it altogether.
I have remained relatively quiet on the subject because I feel I have an obligation as a lung cancer survivor and founder of the GFLCCO to approach the matter cautiously and therefore I avoid the matter publicly as much as possible. But the question keeps surfacing and I thought it time to take a serious look at the subject.
My hesitation to give an opinion fell upon my lack of knowledge as to the health effects in relation to the lungs and respiratory system of the average marijuana smoker.
So I called upon the people who know these things and asked for research material and data so that I could educate myself with the actual health concerns.
What I am prepared to present to you is a brief history of marijuana, the legal issues, the health impact, the financial ramifications, social impact and where the true opposition can be found. Keep in mind that I write based on facts from scientific research but also marinated overnight in my opinions and maybe some hazy memories from days gone by.
So, plug in your lava lights, fluff up your beanbag chair and prepare the munchies and if you can't read with an open mind, I suggest maybe you wait for the movie. Let's take a little walk on the wild side shall we?
First a quick definition of what we are talking about. The plant that produces marijuana, as is well known, is the hemp plant, cannabis sativa. The pharmacologically active ingredient in marijuana is tetra-hydro-cannabin. (THC). THC is what provides the euphoric effects which include a heightened perception as well as mood altering and relaxation qualities that makes marijuana the worlds choice of recreational drug and the second most widely smoked substance worldwide with an estimated 166 million users. The number one smoked substance of course being tobacco.
It is estimated that about 30% of adults in the U.S. use marijuana.
Now let me give you the Readers digest history lesson of Marijuana.
Marijuana has been used by people from around the world for thousands of years. From 7000 to 8000 BC, fabric and rope were woven from hemp.
China notes usage of hemp for food as early as 6000 BC and began growing the plant on a large scale for food, fabric and to treat a wide variety of health issues as early at 2750 BC.
Scythian tribes were using hemp for clothing, and medicine as well as leaving it as offerings in Royal tombs around 1500 BC.
In 1200 BC cannabis became known as one of the Five sacred plants of India.
900 BC it's found in the Middle East, In 500 BC it's found throughout Europe.
I do not have exact dates on when marijuana use became part of rituals in the Native American, Mayan or Incan cultures, but I would imagine it falls somewhere on our brief timeline.
I can tell you that in 1492 a blurry-eyed Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Looking for the New World and a box of Twinkies and bringing cannabis to the East coast of North America.
In 1619 a law was passed in Jamestown, Virginia requiring farmers to grow hemp.
George Washington grew hemp as his primary crop at Mount Vernon in 1797 and Thomas Jefferson grew it as a secondary crop at Monticello.
By the late 1800, Turkish smoking parlors were all over the Eastern United States.
In 1908 Henry Ford produced the first model T fueled by...yep you guessed it, hemp ethanol.
In 1906 the Pure foods and drugs act was put into place to regulate drugs by the government.
By 1913 States began to adopt marijuana laws beginning with ( Sit down for this it's going to make your head spin) California, quickly followed by other states.
It was in 1930 with bales of marijuana arriving in the U.S. that the government named prohibitionist Harry J. Anslinger as the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics.
Over the next thirty four years this man was instrumental in forming not only our country's but the worlds opinion of marijuana use and it's negative effects on society. The result, many of the laws in effect today accompanied by a brilliantly manipulated public view of a plant that otherwise would be found growing in public parks.
So marijuana moved quickly from no regulation and world wide acceptance to not only an illegal status but one backed by so much negative publicity and propaganda that for a time much of the public thought you could actually go insane from smoking it. Ansilinger's scared straight approach on controlling marijuana was,once again, nothing short of brilliant.
Looking at the legal issues of marijuana, you'll find some interesting things. In the 1950s, part of the anti drug propaganda of the day was to link marijuana to the growing heroin problem listing it as a gateway drug and allowing for much harsher penalties then in the past.
On and on it goes with stiffer penalties including life sentences for second offenders of marijuana position in certain states. We could go step by step, inch by inch, through this time line but I think you get the point.
So lets jump to the sixties where generations were colliding and a growing marijuana culture bumped heads with a fierce anti drug, law and order, President. Interesting that the same people who were clamoring for stiffer penalties began to lighten their steps when it became more and more evident that the majority of people being charged with marijuana related crimes at the time were their own children. With this new revelation came the Controlled Substance Act of 1969 which eliminated mandatory jail time and reduced penalties for possession.
In 1972 The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse released a report stating that marijuana should be available for private use in the home and that the herb should be decriminalized. It's reported that President Nixon promptly discarded the report without reading it. His response, the forming of the D.E.A also in 1972.
Each President since then has taken the popular public stance and each state since then has continued to bounce between state and federal laws so to talk about the legal ramifications any further would just be redundant. But before we put that thought to bed, please take a second and do a little math in your head, and give me a rough dollar amount on the cost to arrest, take to trial, and incarcerate every nickel and dime marijuana case since 1930.
So let's get into the heart of the matter for me, the health effects as related to the respiratory system.
We'll take a minute and discus not only the medical marijuana issue, but the research provided to me regarding lung cancer and respiratory effects.
I received a copy of an editorial and back round research written by D.P Tashkin which appears in volume 35 of the European Respiratory Journal entitled, "Does cannabis use predispose to chronic airflow obstruction?" It is from this source that I base my thoughts on the medical ramifications of legalizing marijuana. Let me assure you that I am strongly trying to resist the urge to type something to the effect of "You would have to be stoned to understand all the variances of clinical research findings." Bad joke but I couldn't let it go.
There seems to be plenty of research out there based off of case studies with focus on the effects of smoking marijuana in regards to airflow obstruction of both large and small airways as well as studies regarding lung cancer.
Rather then present each individual study to you which is not the point of this article, I'll offer my conclusion of what I have learned.
After the smoke has cleared, (how could anyone resist that one?) it seems that the findings, although sometimes hazy,(these are the jokes, folks.) points to marijuana smoking causing a mild, but significant narrowing of larger airways but no demonstrable abnormality involving smaller airways. Studies show that marijuana smokers show a higher prevalence of symptoms of chronic bronchitis than non smokers. Overall the weight of evidence does not seem to indicate an adverse effect of marijuana smoking on airway dynamics nor did I see anything that led me to believe that smoking marijuana in itself would lead to an increased risk of COPD.
Unfortunately, the two case studies provided concerning cannabis smoking in relation to lung cancer were inconclusive which to me, leaving this question unanswered is the equivalent of jumping out of the plane and then looking to see if you remembered your parachute.
Medicinal marijuana has been found to have positive effects with cancer patients as far as helping to control nausea and increasing appetite with no notable long term effects. It is for this reason that I am interested in this subject. Although I don't think that chronic writers cramp necessarily merit's a prescription for marijuana, the use of marijuana to offer relief to the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation as well as helping to alleviate some stress for a cancer patient is a priceless commodity.
Now that we have the history and the health effects, lets look at the effects of legalizing marijuana.
We would all be quite na�ve not to realize that there would be both positives and negatives if decriminalization took place.
I believe if managed correctly, it wouldn't take long for the government to figure out how to tax, license and regulate the new industry to the hilt. This would of course bring some well needed relief to individual state budgets as well as a Federal boost.
Main street USA would see a desperately needed boom as new store fronts and marijuana related businesses begin to take root and grow.(Sorry) Additional jobs created by farming and transporting marijuana to market.. Law enforcement duties replaced by regulatory offices responsible for maintaining integrity in a once taboo now acceptable industry.
For every yin there is a yang and someone is going to lose out in legalization.
The obvious would be anyone who makes a living illegally producing and selling marijuana and anyone who currently produces medicinal marijuana.
The next and maybe biggest loser could be the combination of pharmaceutical manufacturing and medical insurance providers. It is no secret that marijuana has the capacity to effectively eliminate a large portion of questionable prescribed drugs and replace them with the same results and better side effects at a fraction of the cost. Also eliminating the need for a portion of office visits which would instead be replaced by a trip to your backyard garden or flower box. One could assume that the alcohol related industries might see a decline.
So here are my thoughts.
Shortly after I finished my treatments for lung cancer, it dawned on me that I had developed a problem with prescribed pain killers. I stopped taking them immediately and I must tell you it was tough not only on me but my family who had to endure my wrath as the narcotics and I parted company.
I often wonder how many people end up "hooked" to a prescribed addiction?
Thirty percent of the adults in the United States admitted to currently using marijuana so I would think you could add another fifteen percent for people who would never admit it. If that many people are going to use it why not legalize and regulate it to ensure that what is out there is safe?
The U.S. government currently holds a patent for synthetic marijuana development, obviously the medicinal values are undeniable, the troubling point is that it's natural there is no reason to make it synthetically unless you wanted to force people to buy pills instead of plant a garden.
How much blood has been spilled over a plant? How many lives could be spared if it were legal?
Keeping in mind that I haven't used marijuana for over a quarter of a century(ouch). So I am not an expert I will leave you with my final thoughts.
The selling point for me is that there is no overwhelming evidence that would tell you that the consequences for marijuana use would outweigh the benefit either medicinally or as a recreational drug. I think that substituting cannabis for vicodin would be a huge step in the right direction.
As a current lung cancer survivor, I have to recommend a good brownie mix if it were to become legal since anytime you place a chemical into your airways you are taking a risk.
Maybe in the end we are becoming a culture that is tiered of being governed by fear as in this case and would like to make these decisions on our own.
Look for Uncle Tim's fine brownie and cookie mixes coming to a grocer near you.
Tim Giardina is the co-founder and President of the GFLCCO as well as a current small cell lung cancer survivor. The GFLCCO is developing a World Wide network of supporters with facts and information regarding lung cancer, lung cancer treatment, proper diets and exercise and alternative medicines and treatments as well as valuable links to a deep pool of resourses for patients and their families.
The primary function of the GFLCCO is to support Scientists by funding research for a cure. If you would like to learn more about the GFLCCO, need information or support or would be interested in reading more of Tim's work, please visit us at http://www.gflcco.com
We are a non profit organization that also relies on the support of others to carry on with our work, if you find our site useful, your support would be greatly appreciated.
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