Medical v. General

Before there is any miscommunication, I am for medical use.

Is the push to get the public to accept MJ as a medicine detrimental to acceptance for general use?

So here's my theory. There is no medicine out there that is as effective as MJ has been proven to be and still be safe for general consumption. Every medicine that provides great benefits also have dangerous side effects. Even simpler medicines like aspirin have potentially dangerous side effects if used/consumed improperly. The assumption behind things that are approved for general consumption is that IF it is used/consumed improperly that there aren't dangerous side effects. These to assumptions by the public seems to make it impossible for something to be accepted as a potent medicine but still safe enough for general use.

I see where you are coming from.
The way I see it is, until we get open minder politicians, neither one can hurt the other.

They take the hard line that Marijuana is a dangerous drug and there is no medical use for it....
Regardless of what numerous studies have shown, there is no medical use for it....

End of Discussion... No Medical Use for it. Period...

We can have all the information from all the studies that say Marijuana has legitimate medical uses, BUT
as long as the oil baron, pharmaceutical empower, regime is running things

IT DOES NOT MATTER!!!!

To bad though

I feel better after my little rant.

Dreadscale said:

I see where you are coming from.
The way I see it is, until we get open minder politicians, neither one can hurt the other.

They take the hard line that Marijuana is a dangerous drug and there is no medical use for it....
Regardless of what numerous studies have shown, there is no medical use for it....

End of Discussion... No Medical Use for it. Period...

We can have all the information from all the studies that say Marijuana has legitimate medical uses, BUT
as long as the oil baron, pharmaceutical empower, regime is running things

IT DOES NOT MATTER!!!!

To bad though

I feel better after my little rant.

Click to expand...

I feel better after reading it, thanks exactly how I feel.

I have been voicing this same concern for some time now, although for the most part the response I get is "how could you be so lacking in compassion"? My concern is that I know of no legal prescription drugs that are also approved for use by the general public for recreational use.

In other words, if the Feds ever decide to accept the medicalization concept, recreational users will still be stigmitized and criminalized.

So my premise has been (and hence the criticism), marijuana should NOT be medicalized, but should be legalized on the alcohol/tobacco model... those who need it for medical purposes will then have much easier access and those responsible tax-paying recreational users can finally come out of the closet.

I have plenty of compassion, I just don't think anyone should be jailed for adult marijuana use, period.

VG

That was very well stated VintageGrow.

I personally don't smoke marijuana, but I see no harm being done by the adults that do.
I believe prohibition should be ended, and consumption controlled.
For me that would be a win, win situation.

I believe prohibition is unconstitutional.
Congress had to amend the constitution to prohibit alcohol. 18th amendment
Repealed of prohibition 21st amendment

Why is marijuana any different?

There are more FDA regulations when marijuana is used medically because its medical use classifies it as a drug, doesnt it? Meaning that when general legalization becomes an issue it has to be treated much like other prescription drugs, regardless of how harmless it is. Does that make sense or am i full of it?

If marijuana is medicalized, I believe it would fall under the jurisdiction of the FDA, as do all prescription medicines.

If it's modeled after the alcohol/tobacco model, it stands to reason that criminal issues regarding same would fall under the umbrella of the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms), which I guess would have to change it's name to the ACTF (Bureau of Alcohol, Cannabis, Tobacco & Firearms)...

For the blissfully ignorant, It's a treaty that the the US along with about 108 other countries have signed. It's probably the root of the legalization/med use issue. It's why states can say it's cool and the feds will still come in and shut down a compassion club, or opium den. Here's the preamble:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Parties,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Concerned with the health and welfare of mankind,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Recognizing that the medical use of narcotic drugs continues to be indispensable for the relief of pain and suffering and that adequate provision must be made to ensure the availability of narcotic drugs for such purposes,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Recognizing that addiction to narcotic drugs constitutes a serious evil for the individual and is fraught with social and economic danger to mankind,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Conscious of their duty to prevent and combat this evil,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Considering that effective measures against abuse of narcotic drugs require co-ordinated and universal action,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Understanding that such universal action calls for international co-operation guided by the same principles and aimed at common objectives,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Acknowledging the competence of the United Nations in the field of narcotics control and desirous that the international organs concerned should be within the framework of that Organization,[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Desiring to conclude a generally acceptable international convention replacing existing treaties on narcotic drugs, limiting such drugs to medical and scientific use, and providing for continuous international co-operation and control for the achievement of such aims and objectives,[/FONT]

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Know thine enemy

I'm not sure what comes after the preamble, but the preamble seems to support medical marijuana

Desiring to conclude a generally acceptable international convention replacing existing treaties on narcotic drugs, limiting such drugs to medical and scientific use...

VintageGrow said:

I'm not sure what comes after the preamble, but the preamble seems to support medical marijuana

Desiring to conclude a generally acceptable international convention replacing existing treaties on narcotic drugs, limiting such drugs to medical and scientific use...

Click to expand...

It's way to big and boring to post the whole thing. But you can read it yourself here:

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961

And read what Wiki says about it here:

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jus fucking legalize it ...it hasnt killed anyone..and i think its funny how all you ''stoners'' or anyone who smoke weed say it isnt good for medical use or general..you shouldnt be on this forum if you think that!!

so i just had a thought. what about the reverse situation? Is the push for general use acceptance hurting medical?

I mean if the general public start seeing it as safe for general consumption does that risk the other assumption that its not a medicine harm the movement to get it recognized as such?

The medical movement wouldn't need it recognized, they'll just go ahead and smoke/eat it regardless, just like recreational and medical users have been doing it despite the fact it's illegal. if you look at the countries that have relaxed the laws on medical use, they look like the ones heading for legalization. At the moment people who are in favour of legalizing it (in the more liberal countries eg. Canada, Switzerland, Australia ( I think? ), stands at about roughly half, according to recent polls. In order to sway public opinion on legalizing it, we need to have a much higher %, and one way of getting there is through medical use; this will destigmatize it in the public eye, and more people will realize it's uses, and it's harmlessness.

I campaigned to put medical Marijuana on the 2008 ballot for the State of Michigan. I agree that Legalization is the right thing to do. unfortunately the polls show that is not going to happen right now, a majority of people across the US do favor Medical Marijuana. Folks that need it for a Medical Condition should not have to fear being arrested, while we educate the rest of the folks about Marijuana. Most of the States that have Medical Marijuana Laws, passed them by Ballot Initiative, so they all have different laws. Our's allows the patient or a caregiver (12) maturing plants and 2 1/2 oz of dried marijuana, and rules out stems, seeds, etc (this would include clones beiong excluded). A 'Caregiver' can grow for up to (5) patients (Hmm.. seems to fit my 60 plant flowering setup). The only involvment by anyone else is the issuance of ID cards and the Doctor's recommendation.
Some of the folks that helped get this MMJ on the ballot do not support the legalization of marijuana. Those discussions need to take place lets get this done first.
The only way Medical Marijuana can be hurt by the legalization movement is by us being unprepared. You may have noticed that Romney and others went from saying they are not for Medical Marijuana to saying those folks are pulling the wool over your eyes, they just think this is a way to get it legalized. We have to be prepared to attack them on this issue. The conversation might go something like this.
"I'm glad you brought that up a lot of people think we believe this is a way to get Marijuana legalized and while that is not our intention with this initiative, there are many of us that think that should happen. This initiative 'is' about the Medical use of Marijuana.
In the United States Marijuana is the number one cash crop period. Estimates of 'regular' adult users of Marijuana range as high as 25,000,000 people and last year over 600,000 people were arrrested for possesion of Marijuana. Its estimated 90,000,000 Americans have smoked Marijuan at some time in thier lives. Its obvious the 'public' does not agree with the Federal Governments stand and that has to change. No one should feel they have the right to tell us what we can put in our bodies. Not everyone agrees with this, and while we have a discussion about it, lets stop arresting 'Patients' for getting relief from pain. Lets stop making a women in a wheel chair go to a dark alley to get relief from pain. And then we can have this other discussion. Show some compassion. Many of these folks will be dead by the time we are done talking about it."
The way the Medical Marijuana group[ gets hurt is by the pro-legalization folks not signing the petitions. They stand there and selfrighteously proclaim, "I'm not gonna sign that. I want it legalized, f^&%$ that Medical Shit, make it legal,hahahahahah" THAT SHIT AIN'T FUNNY MAN. You expect folks that don't smoke MJ to support Medical MJ and you won't even sign a petition? VV

you guys might be on to something. if it were legal federaly it would be under lock and key pick it up at the pharmacy.they wouldnt need compassion clubs and probly wouldnt stand for any pharmasutical drug being sold anywhere but at a pharmacy.
also i bet sooner or later if it is accepted as a medicine nationally it would be regulated like any prescription you only get so much per visit. eventually they would make it in pill form and do away with smoking it.or limit use to a prescribed amount/per prescription like other meds

i also think they know that we are on to something with it medically and allow people to e card holders for now until they find a way to monopolize on it.

hopefully i'm wrong

Titania said:

The medical movement wouldn't need it recognized, they'll just go ahead and smoke/eat it regardless, just like recreational and medical users have been doing it despite the fact it's illegal. if you look at the countries that have relaxed the laws on medical use, they look like the ones heading for legalization. At the moment people who are in favour of legalizing it (in the more liberal countries eg. Canada, Switzerland, Australia ( I think? ), stands at about roughly half, according to recent polls. In order to sway public opinion on legalizing it, we need to have a much higher %, and one way of getting there is through medical use; this will destigmatize it in the public eye, and more people will realize it's uses, and it's harmlessness.

Click to expand...

well i'm not saying after legalization, i'm saying on the road to legalization. Perhaps because the general public sees it only as a recreation drug that it has impeded the acceptance as a medicine.

Speaking of "compassion clubs"...

A further issue regarding medical marijuana, especially in California, is this concept of "compassion clubs". One of the reasons, in my opinion, that medicalization hasn't progressed further, is CA's adoption of these clubs. Since when do people go to a "club" to take their medication? Since when did taking medication become a "social activity"?

I, for one, was shocked and dismayed, back in the early med mj days, when CNN flashed one of their first stories on California's medical marijuana to the rest of these United States. I expected to see visibly ill people approach a "pharmacy" window, show their "prescription card", get their medicine, put it in their purse or pocket, and then proceed to their home to take their medication.

Instead, I and millions of Americans, were shown what appeared for all intents and purposes to be a club or restaurant where people are sitting having drinks, socializing, and smoking marijuana. I was particularly astounded when barefoot, tie-dye shirt and bead wearing young ladys were going from table to table with bowls of buds for these patients to pick and choose from. Everyone looked like they were having a good time.
Nobody looked sick.

And people wonder why America hasn't jumped on the medical marijuana bandwagon. I mean really, who goes to a club to take their medicine? Does your pharmacist offer you a selection of pills and let you choose which to take?

I've never seen or heard of a valium club, or a viagra club, or any club where patients get together to socially share their "medicine". As long as this is the image being shown to the rest of America regarding medical marijuana use, you can forget about this concept being universally accepted.

Using medical marijuana as a stepping stone to get people more accepting of recreational marijuana use is like saying we'll use Oxycontin to get people to be more accepting of recreational heroin use.

Hang on a sec, let me get my suit of armor on...

VG

listen if your state offers medical mary. you should jump on it we are all sick.
you would feel better to get great quality stuff every time , a selection, clones, in a secure location with no fear of being prosecuted.that is what prop 215 did for ca. so yes med is great. the real argument of the gov. is taxes.if its legal anyone can and would grow it and it wouldnt produce billions in dea drugbust funds like it does now

doctors that want medical marijuana legal don't tend to want weed to be totally legal because it would be like being able to grow and buy your own medicine from other places besides the doctors office or the pharmacy, i think it should be like when doctors suggested people smoke ciggarets way back when, but in a good way. maybe give patiants a discount or free