Man, I am so pissed at these Neo-Con coneheads.....

Here's what's going on. I've been in remission from the big C, for about two years now. Just recently, one of my warning signs came back, so they've put me back on "preventive" chemo for a little while.

Well, the stuff is really nasty. On any given day, I'm likely to be on the hairy edge of throwing up, like continuously. I mean, to the point where it makes me very inpleasant to be around, 'cause I'm feeling so rotten.... I mean, it gets really bad, like, I feel so rotten I'm almost "non-functional" - even though I can still get a few things done, I wouldn't want to be around me while I'm doin' 'em.....

So, to make a long story short, the docs tried EVERYTHING on me, all the latest newfangled meds, and it turns out that the only thing that gives me some measure of temporary relief, is pot. It actually makes the difference between me being able to get up and live a normal day, and me being completely incapacitated 'cause I'm too schlecht to do anything useful.

So, I'm like very grateful for this tidbit of natural medicine - 'cause you don't know what it's like, not being able to function liike that (or maybe you do, in which case you'll know exactly what I'm talking about). It affects "everything" - your self-esteem, your relationships, your familiy life.....

So NOW, I have to deal with these bonehead Neo-Cons, who don't understand the very Constitution they like to hypocritically wave under my nose......

'Cause now, the stupid neo-Cons are going after the pot dispensaries in all the states where medical marijuana is legal (and that would include California).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but last I checked, according to the Constitution, the federal government has no jurisdictiobn over drug dispensation. Pharmacy laws notwithstanding, that's what it says in the Constitution. "All powers not specifically enumerated herein are reserved for the States".

So ONCE AGAIN - we have a stupid boneheaded President who doesn't even understand the very principles he claims to uphold. Suddenly he wants to trample on States' rights just because he thinks there's a few people "abusing the system". What a freakin' bonehead. This is so typical of Georgie's mentality, and iit's what makes him who he is.....

Well, in "my" case, it's only for thirdy days (if things go well, 'cause I really don't like pot, it makes me stupid), but I can tell you that there's a whole lot of people out there who are in much worse medical shape than I am, and for whom pot does make the difference between being able to function and being bed-ridden all day in a miserable state - and for those people, I have no doubt that the hatred for George W Bush and the Neo-Cons, goes far deeper than mine.

Me - I only think the man's a dangerous menace. I've come across people though, who feel a little more strongly about it.....

So, I don't know - I meant to ask a question - which is, have any of you had experience with medical marijuana (or know someone who has), and if so, what's your political viewpoint on this issue?

Here's a description of my experience with medical marijuana.

Some news from the debate in New York:

http://www.nysun.com/article/56334

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WARNING: In the unlikely event of an accidental agreement with any or all points made in the above post, contact a clinical psychologist immediately.

The views expressed in the above post are not necessarily those of Joker and/or any of his affiliates.

. "You have found the secret message. Do you have too much time on your hands? ...Let it go."

I love this part:

Dumb, dumber, and dumberer.....

Yeah, the law has to be very carefully worded so it doesn't step on "doctor's rights". A doctor can not legally prescribe pot, but re can legally "recommend" pot. That sutble distinction, keeps the AMA from getting all up in arms. Otherwise, it would be a direct ground-up challenge to the pharmaceutical industry, starting with the dispensation laws (which are unconstitutional to begin with, but no one's going to force that debate because it would be political suicide to do so, at this point in time).

However, consider that the government has no right to be telling me what I can and can't put into my body. I mean, that certainly would infringe on my "right to liberty", wouldn't it? The way this is supposed to be, is just like booze and prostitution and all the other "vices" - all that is supposed to be left up to the States.

I mean, I'm like a true-blooded dyed-in-the-wool "get out of my face" political conservative, and I kinda approach the issue from that standpoint, and I find it kinda odd to wake up in bed with a bunch of liberals and anarchists who are simply interested in catching a buzz......

However, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, it seems, in this case... The Supreme Court has formed some interesting decisions around the dispensation laws - do you follow that stuff? Are people generally aware of "why" the federal government claims jurisdiction in this area?

Like?

So, it would be like beer then? We certainly cannot have that. The best option? Just don't get cancer. Problem solved.

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I wasn't born with enough middle fingers.

If it were only that easy...

The problem I was trying to raise though, is a "political" one.

I mean, think about it - all those resources. ALL those resources - spent for what?

Going after a bunch of pot-heads who'd be out buying on the street if they couldn't get it "legally"?

I mean, Prohibition didn't work either, right? All it did was create the enormous wealth that is today's "organized crime". Consider that today, profits from the alcohol business go into the pockets of shareholders, while profits from the pot business go to some terrorist arms-dealer in Colombia.

And here we are, spending all those federal dollars to figure out where the pot stores are, who owns 'em, who's renting to 'em, getting the warrants, pushing the paperwork, prosecuting whoever they decide to prosecute - all that, amidst wars and bridge collapses and we still haven't paid for all those Katrina trailers.....

It's a question of priorities. And this administration's priorities, are, have been, and likely will continue to be, all mixed up. I mean, this is a perfect case in point, right? They're obviously approaching this from a moral standpoint, because this is NOT going to help Republicans get elected in '08, in fact the trend among States is going exactly the opposite way. So what measure of political "genius" could possibly conclude that a pot crackdown "now" is a good thing?

Well, what seems to have happened down here, is that some rich Republican contributor here in Sherman Oaks, got pissed off because he didn't like all the young people milling around in front ot the "store" in his neighborhood, so he called the feds and threatened to go to the media with the story, and lo and behold, next thing you know Bushie is sic'ing his DEA dogs on these guys. That's how these people work, it's absolutely par for the course.

In my opinion, that kind of behavior on the part of a President of the United States is absolutely shameful, and every American ought to be hanging his or her head in shame and disgust at the actions of our elected figurehead. 'Cause I can guarantee you, that this is not what We the People care about.

I mean, let's put this in context, from a law enforcement point of view - in New York City, where jaywalking is illegal and has been ever since the days of the horse and buggy, they just upheld the first jaywalking ticket in 87 years. You go to NYC, and walk around for 60 seconds, and tell me how many people you see crossing the street. Selective enforcement? YOU BET. Well, what do you think would happen if Bushie suddenly went in there and said, "we're going to send in the NTSB to clear the streets of jaywalkers"?

It kinda sounds like a far-fetched analogy, but think about it for a moment... this is exactly the kind of crap that gets Bushie in trouble. The man doesn't THINK. Hey George - I got news for you buddy - if you had even one brain cell in that vacant space between your ears, you'd be trying to get the federal goernment into the pot-taxation business, instead of deeper into the no-win money-pit pot "enforcement" business. Poor George.... that's just his pattern.... deeper and deeper....

Well, what can I say? Personally, I'm going to stick with the Constitution and my best understanding of States/ Rights on this one. And George W Bush can go take a flyin' leap at the moon, as far as I'm concerned. In fact, here George - let me give you a swift kick in the pants to help you on your way.....

I agree. The "War on Drugs"tm isn't working too well. And like prohibition it's created enormous wealth for people willing to supply the goods.

I know I don't care. But I don't think W is cracking down any harder over all than any other President. Most drug arrests are at the state and local level.


Well, even aside from the thread topic, I'm all for that.

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I wasn't born with enough middle fingers.

(*)(*)(*)(*)! I don't think you should need a medical excuse to be doing marijuana.

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Theodore Lamar Heiks
BA, History/Political Science, Western State College of Colorado, 1984
MBA, Entrepreneurship/Marketing, City University of Seattle, 1993

Well, law enforcement of "all" kinds, operates pretty much like most businesses do these days, which is that they have to much to do, and not enough resources to do it "all". So, hopefully, they prioritize their efforts to where they'll do the most good.

"All" of these agencies (DA's, federal prosecutors, the sheriffs, etc etc) have priorities, and sometimes they conflict. Like, if the feds want to go after someone "really bad" but the locals don't think it's important enough, or something like that.

Wouldn't it be nice if we had a consistent policy with respect to these things? I mean, with most of the "locals" as you say (at least here in LA), you kinda know where you stand. It's like, they do sweeps around the holidays, and when people start getting their jury summons for Sept. 4th you kinda start telling your friends to make sure they stock up and stay off the streets on Labor Day - and so the cops usually nab the "real junkies", or that is to say the people who either are totally clueless and don't know what's going on, or who really need their fix and will do anything to get it, and either way those kinds of people probably "really need help", so they go to treatment and everyone's happy. Kinda keeps things under control, keeps them from getting out of hand.

But the more zealous guys, try to keep you guessing by plaiung these little cat-and-mouse games, like one day they'll be talking big sh** about how they're going to clean everything up, then they'll go away for a while, then they'll find ONE or TWO people to bust, and make a big media deal out of it - and the whole thing, is just an intimidation tactic. It's POLITICAL, and it has no other useful purpose. It doesn't really "help" anything, but what it really DOES do is get people pissed off. And then the cops wonder why they're getting bottles thrown at 'em the next day, when in reality they had nothing to do with it. See what I mean? Dumb and dumberer....

I will say this though - it is certainly true that there is some crossover between some of the pot "clubs" and the unsavory side of the drug underworld. "Most" of the pot clubs, are legitimate co-ops, who buy from local small-time growers and local bakeries and that kind of thing. But once in a while there'll be someone who's fronting for the cartel or something (and you can kinda tell, 'cause their stock is different, if you know what I mean), and it seems to me that THOSE are the people you want to be picking out of the crowd, right? I mean, if there's anyone resembling a "bad guy" in this picture, those people probably come the closest.

So, what I see then, is a government that's responding to "a person of influence" who happened to have a pet peeve that day, instead of a government with a systematic and logical approach to enforcement. And you're absolutely right, it IS the locals' jurisdiction, and any other day they'd be screaming loudly about an invasion of their turf by unwanted federal agents, but these days LA gets a WHOLE lot of money from the federal government (you know, that "security" thing and all), and they're not going to screw it up by making hay about a relatively insigniciant boundary violation. On the other hand, if if "keeps happening" someone's eventually going to assert their rights - maybe not if it happens "again", but if they try anything consistent or anything large-it'll be a different story.

The CHP has already been notified by our illustrious Guvinator that they can no longer "arrest first and ask questiosn later" when they nab someone with pot in the car - they MUST obey the state law and release anyone with the appropriate paperwork. Judges in Ventura have been ordering the cops to give back peoples' pot with a formal apology, and they're now obeying the state law also.

And a similar thing is going on in Oregon, for an entirely different reason (but also medical, it's the assisted suicide thing, and the whole question of Oregon's "medical triage law") - the feds are trying to assert dominance but Oregon State is starting to put up pickets in that regard, and in both cases these cases would end up before the 9th Circuit, so....

Generally speaking, States don't like to have their rights trampled on, and this one gets REALLY complicated because of the pharmaceutical industry, but by and large everyone knows what the "right" answer is, they're just either unable to find the right "political" solution, or they're unwilling to make the effort relative to other priorities like those Katrina trailers that still haven't been paid for (and now they're having to replace all the countertops and tabletops because they emit strange odors and people have been getting sick.... oy!).....

Anyway, 'nuff said.

Oh yeah - one more thought - if the feds actually went after the "bad guys" I was talking about earlier, it would be a win'win and everyone would be happy - think about it - Bushie would get his kudos, the feds would actually be doing something useful and they'd actually be helping the locals, the legitimate pot clubs would benefit because they'd get increased business, and really, that's like the best possible outcome.

But Bushie and his people, they don't think that far. No no no. As far they get is, "hey, let's go bust a few teenagers and make a statement, and that'll win us a few points with the Republican base". I can't, in my true heart of hearts, actually believe that Bushie believes he's doing any real good by directing his people to act this way. Bus see, if he actually asked himself that question, he'd probably come up with the same answer I did - take out the REAL bad guys, and leave the rest of those poor slobs alone. The former are probably worth the effort, and they can be pumped for information and all that good stuff, but the latter won't give you anything useful, except long hours and lots of paperwork and a big headache at the end of the month when you have to appear in court on your wife's birthday, and like that.....

Actually, the Bush team has insisted marijuana be treated as the top drug menace - moreso than crack, meth or heroin.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0725-03.htm

I don't know why, but I think it's stupid. I also think it's stupid that a doc could prescribe codeine and other highly addictive substnaces, but not pot. I've used mj medically (recommended and given to me by a doctor), and gotten it for others who needed it.

He also used it but wouldn't admit it - so he's jailing people for doing what he did.http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/feb/21bush.htm

non - I'll be praying for you, bud. If you want reiki - just ask - I'll put you on my reiki line.

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Either we'll succeed, or we won't succeed. And the definition of success as I described is sectarian violence down. Success is not no violence." --GW. Bush