Last month, Joyce Priddy wrote an article in this space about a Bernie Ellis, a Tennessee farmer who was prosecuted by the Federal government for growing marijuana, which he used to alleviate pain associated with his degenerative joint disease and pain and sleep disturbance associated with fibromyalgia. He was also providing free cannabis to several ill people in the area. Mr. Ellis was convicted in a Federal court and was incarcerated in a half-way, minimum security facility, for eighteen months. According to Ms Priddy's article and the sources she cites, Mr. Ellis is now trying to avoid the statutory forfeiture that is often part of a Federal drug case. There is considerably more to the story and the reason why the Federal authorities choose to target Mr. Ellis! http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/235524/marijuana_for_medical_use_a_federal.html My personal view: so long as marijuana cultivation remains a crime, it should be treated as one. However, I'd like to see legislation relaxing it's use as a medicinal herb with a doctor's prescription. I'm not 100% sure complete legalization of marijuana is the way to go, BUT I consider alcohol use to be more dangerous by far and the war against marijuana use is incredibly ineffective and expensive. Better to legalize marijuana and put that money spent to other use..
If someone is old and sick and it makes them feel better to get high, I think they should go right ahead! I won't tell.
I am against all drug laws -- except for labeling regulations. Every "medical marijuana" person I've dealt with has been a complete kook. Yeah, I'm a "medical whiskey" drinker myself. To me, the most important thing is that the court have wildly overstepped their constitutional bounds in allowing the federal government to use it's authority to "regulate interstate commerce" to shove drug laws down the states throats. How the hell can it be interstate commerce when he wasn't even charging for it? This is all F.D.R.'s fault.
Well, my personal view is not going to be liked by some. I have been using pot for over 30 years. I do not agree with the laws obviously and it would be great if they did change someday, but regardless I will continue to smoke forever. I do not think that it has anything to do with intelligence, as you can plainly see I speak well, and my spelling is immaculate! I feel as though it has more to do with the paranoia, that everyone thinks it is a "gateway" drug. I do not feel that way though. I think if someone is going to do some coke, they will, with or without pot. Furthermore, and more importantly, I feel as though alchohol should be illegal - how many DUI deaths are reported versus how many pot deaths have you ever even heard of before? To me, and this is a personal thing, pot is NOT a drug. It is not processed or created in any chemical kind of way, it is naturally grown and it has obvious medicinal purpose. I know that cocaine is processed, and it takes some effort to get that white substance, and I know it is grown from coca leaves, but it is still processed in the sense that you can not just pick it from the ground and use it like you can with pot. Anyway, "Medical Pot" has many valuable applications, I have heard of everyone from arthritus patients to cancer patients using and getting more benefit than any pill they might have been able to take. Of course, I am Pro Pot, but the facts still remain. Alchohol - should be illegalized, too many roudy drunks, fights and aggresive behavior Pot - should be legalized as it is a non-violent plant that is grown from the ground. JMO
You can chew coca leaves right off the plant. It's better with lime, but you can do it without. OH YEAH!?!?!?!? WANT TO FIGHT ABOUT THAT?!?!?!? Err... umm... don't mess with the Irish.
Hehehe... I used to live in Helmond and Eindhoven. Unfortunately, my body is all screwed up and does not respond well to marijuana -- or a lot of other drugs. Sucks to be me.