I was skimming through the TV channels the other day, and came upon a talk show that was discussing the usage of medicinal marijuana for chronic pain relief with terminal patients. I'm sure some of you may have seen this particular show, with several guests promoting the usage of it, and some experts who believe that it needs to remain illegal.

Since it was a US based show, they were discussing the particular US laws and how it relates to the topic, but I think we can open this to a worldwide discussion.

Regardless of my views on it, I find it interesting that even though the individual US states can deem it legal for medicinal purposes, the Federal government still has the right to arrest overturn that decision and make arrests. [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] It's also interesting to note that the US Federal government has been issuing it to several individuals in the US for some time now.

Being from a law enforcement background my views on this are very conservative, however, I am starting to open my eyes a little. I'm curious to know everyone's thoughts on this particular subject. It's important to note that I am curious about medicinal usage only, not recreational.

So what d'yall think? [img]smile.gif[/img]

I think it's stupid to make marijuana illegal to begin with. Medical or otherwise. It just doesn't affect you enough to make it criminal. If there is a level of fun that it's criminal to have, it's waaaaay much more fun than you have just tokin a doob.

I see no reason why some one can not use it for medical reasons. As long as it is not consumed in public. If it brings people some form of releif from pain we would be foolish not to grant this to suffering and terminal ill people.

But keep in mind if these people do any other thing with the drug ie. sell it then that is another whole issue.

If you ban marijuana from a country, it's only going to make people want to take it more, whether it's for medical reasons or not. It's the whole forbidden fruit thing. I see the same thing going on with alcohol in this country. Kids are banned from ever having a single drop until they reach 21, and once they finally do, they go off the rails and are having to have their stomachs pumped. I think both alcohol and marijuana should be made more easily accessible, so that people can get used to them, know their limits, and so that the whole novelty wears off, since it's this novelty that makes it so attractive to a lot of people in the first place. I'm fairly conservative in a lot of my views, but not when it comes to soft drugs.

<font color=lime>I am in the process of trying to obtain a permit to have a small amount for personal use, for some symptoms from my M.S..
The Dr. involved is in Portland OR. and I am in Washington st.. Both are medmary states, but apparently this doctor has set up a program that permits just the usage and small possesion. It costs around 200 bucks. That is the process I am in now, saving. ;) </font>

We have medicinal marihuana here, but it's totally unnecessary imho. It's true that people with chronic headaches have benefits from smoking a joint, but even though i don't know any such person, i can hardly imagine that they go through all the trouble of going to a doctor with some heartbreaking story, get him to write you a prescription notice, then go to an apothecry, and go stand in line and wait for your bag of (crappy) Maryjane, while all he has to do is walk out the door, find the nearest coffeeshop (they're never far away in the Netherlands), get the best weed on the market for only a few €, and smoke his headache to smithereens in one of those lazy leather couches along the wall. :D

its the Illuminate i tell you! crazy sons of beehutches!...aside from my conspiracy beliefs.
Ive never touched it myself and i dont really intend to...not that im against it or anything i jsut dont feel the need to..but for medical medicinal reasons i suppose id use it..all depends on the situation

Ah... happy thoughts, johnny, very happy...
But face it, it's illegal for now, and all we can do is wait. And petition maybe. I'm for the open access to alcohol and drugs, and I'm not talking like a kid who has nothing to do in his life than smoking joints and drinking. If it were legal, it would be commercial in matter of minutes, meaning industry would take it over from the dealers that deal far worse things than mary, and it would put a pretty big dent to the local pusher population's purse. As for open access to alcohol, I'm with Arledrian. People gotta get used to it, know their limits in both.

There are some positive reactions people have to help with there suffering and it should be used for that. When the bill was passed in Calif. everybody was arguing up and down about should it be legal for "medicinal" purposes'. However, it was legal already for any doctor to perscribe it before the law went into effect. I believe the DR. had to go an extra step to perscribe it but it wasn't illegal.

If it becomes legal for recreational use I think there is strong chance it will be even more of a gateway drug than it is now. For that reason I wouldn't support legal rec. use.

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#00FF00">I believe the gateway drug is more myth than fact. If the gateway thing is true than we already have alcohol, and nicotine (smokes) to blame for being gateway drugs, and when abused these are just as bad for you or worse than Marijuana. Marijuana however at least as some medical application and the only thing I can see criminal about it is the governments denying people suffering from chronic pain an effective remedy. As well if you wish to smoke a joint in the privacy of your home, or designated Marijuana cafe than you should be able without be harrased by police.</font>

[ 09-23-2004, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]