"Legalization is not in the president's vocabulary, and it's not in mine,"
"the federal government views marijuana as a harmful and addictive drug"
"Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit,"
So nothing has changed? I guess for those of us who hoped Obama and his hand picked drug czar would support a sane drug policy are left with just wishful thinking.
What's it going to take to get this kind of foolishness to stop? How much more are we going to have to do? Why is it that even the most liberal of President's completely discard personal freedoms again and again upon election? All talk and then once elected, no action. When is this going to change?
And this is no surprise. It will political suicide to do anything that might detract from the War on Drugs, yea, until the end of time, hallelujah, amen.
What's it going to take to get this kind of foolishness to stop? How much more are we going to have to do? Why is it that even the most liberal of President's completely discard personal freedoms again and again upon election? All talk and then once elected, no action.
This is not the most liberal of Presidents, nor has he ever professed support for legalization at any point. At least since he's been on the national stage, anyway.
Everytime this comes up, the answer is the same: It's currently political suicide to support the legalization of marijuana.
I'm not asking the man to do a bong hit for the press. I'm just asking why he can't appoint a drug czar who isn't a fucking tool.
Because then he wouldn't qualify for the position of Drug Tsar?
Exactly. Let's just abolish this silly position. I eagerly await Obama's leadership on this issue.
I don't quite understand why you are consciously ignoring the multiple times he has publicly stated that he's opposed to marijuana legalization and that he has not once in his time on the national stage purported to support such a stance. It just seems, rather odd.
So nothing has changed? I guess for those of us who hoped Obama and his hand picked drug czar would support a sane drug policy are left with just wishful thinking.
What's it going to take to get this kind of foolishness to stop? How much more are we going to have to do? Why is it that even the most liberal of President's completely discard personal freedoms again and again upon election? All talk and then once elected, no action. When is this going to change?
No, nothing has changed. It was foolish for you to hope for Obama to support a sane drug policy as he only made remarks about doing anything remotely sane about drugs on one occasion years ago, and has shied away from those remarks again and again.
"All talk and then once elected, no action" is a nonsensical thing to say. You're trying to paint Obama has a charlatan when in reality he is just a moderate. He campaigned on being a moderate and there was no reason to expect anything from him but moderation.
matisyahu on
i dont even like matisyahu and i dont know why i picked this username
Remember that this is the same guy who called for an end to the war on drugs and for a more treatment-based rather than incarceration-based approach to drugs back in May.
I think the administration is taking baby steps. They need the support of the AMA right now to pass health care reform, I can't see them basically telling the AMA to stick their official position statement on medical marijuana up their ass until after a health care bill is passed.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Remember that this is the same guy who called for an end to the war on drugs and for a more treatment-based rather than incarceration-based approach to drugs back in May.
I think the administration is taking baby steps. They need the support of the AMA right now to pass health care reform, I can't see them basically telling the AMA to stick their official position statement on medical marijuana up their ass until after a health care bill is passed.
It is also the position of every major medical organization in the world, including the Netherlands (where marijuana has been de facto legalized) and Canada/UK (where the legislature overrules the medical association in allowing it to be prescribed). While marijuana may have some medicinal benefits (although quite few not addressed by marinol) they are primarily end of life palliative.
The push for legalized medical marijuana is largely disingenuous. Its a poorly disguised push for legalized recreational marijuana. As legalizing - as opposed to decriminalizing - marijuana creates problems for pharmaceutical and narcotic regulation and it doesn't have the support of the medical establishment or general public its unlikely to progress any time soon.
Remember that this is the same guy who called for an end to the war on drugs and for a more treatment-based rather than incarceration-based approach to drugs back in May.
I think the administration is taking baby steps. They need the support of the AMA right now to pass health care reform, I can't see them basically telling the AMA to stick their official position statement on medical marijuana up their ass until after a health care bill is passed.
It is also the position of every major medical organization in the world, including the Netherlands (where marijuana has been de facto legalized) and Canada/UK (where the legislature overrules the medical association in allowing it to be prescribed). While marijuana may have some medicinal benefits (although quite few not addressed by marinol) they are primarily end of life palliative.
Equivocation of marinol with marijuana belies an ignorance of the medicinal nature of marijuana. Basically, marinol is a THC analogue, but THC is not the only medicinal substance in cannabis.
The push for legalized medical marijuana is largely disingenuous. Its a poorly disguised push for legalized recreational marijuana.
The assumption here is that recreational users are not necessarily also self-medicating. I don't think that's a safe assumption to make. In other words, you're setting up a false dichotomy.
I also don't think it's disingenuous. Don't confuse political expediency with dishonesty. Currently, the legal and regulatory framework does not recognize non-medical recreational use as legitimate. Currently, there are only two recognized uses of a drug: medicinal and abusive. I think that's wrong, and I would like to see that framework completely overhauled, but I can understand the desire to try to legalize a drug within the current regulatory framework rather than try to challenge the framework itself.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Remember that this is the same guy who called for an end to the war on drugs and for a more treatment-based rather than incarceration-based approach to drugs back in May.
I think the administration is taking baby steps. They need the support of the AMA right now to pass health care reform, I can't see them basically telling the AMA to stick their official position statement on medical marijuana up their ass until after a health care bill is passed.
It is also the position of every major medical organization in the world, including the Netherlands (where marijuana has been de facto legalized) and Canada/UK (where the legislature overrules the medical association in allowing it to be prescribed). While marijuana may have some medicinal benefits (although quite few not addressed by marinol) they are primarily end of life palliative.
Equivocation of marinol with marijuana belies an ignorance of the medicinal nature of marijuana. Basically, marinol is a THC analogue, but THC is not the only medicinal substance in cannabis.
The push for legalized medical marijuana is largely disingenuous. Its a poorly disguised push for legalized recreational marijuana.
The assumption here is that recreational users are not necessarily also self-medicating. I don't think that's a safe assumption to make. In other words, you're setting up a false dichotomy.
I also don't think it's disingenuous. Don't confuse political expediency with dishonesty. Currently, the legal and regulatory framework does not recognize non-medical recreational use as legitimate. Currently, there are only two recognized uses of a drug: medicinal and abusive. I think that's wrong, and I would like to see that framework completely overhauled, but I can understand the desire to try to legalize a drug within the current regulatory framework rather than try to challenge the framework itself.
What about caffeine?
Also, couldn't we bill pot as a viable treatment for pot addiction?
Technically, the DEA and FDA could at any time decide that caffeine should be illegal (without a prescription, since there are legitimate medical uses) without an act of Congress and there would be nothing you could do about it.
That they've chosen not to do so doesn't mean they recognize recreational drug use as legitimate in any institutional capacity. They simply don't exercise their power over it.
The easiest analogy is like a cop that doesn't give a shit about speeding. Just because he's not busting you for speeding doesn't mean the law recognizes a legal right or privilege to speed.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Marijuana is a harmful and addictive drug with no medical benefits?
Bold faced lies, pure and simple.
Yes and no.
Marijuana can be a little harmful, but the harm is minor compared to other recreational drugs.
It is addictive.
It does have medical benefits.
Anyway, the administration is just parroting the AMA stand on the issue.
No, it is not chemically addictive. It's only addictive in the sense that anything can become an addiction.
You do not want to attempt to throw down with Feral on this subject. Dude doesn't need to show yet another internet medical expert the error of his ways and - in the end - you'll still be wrong.
All psychoactive drugs change the chemistry of your brain. All of them. That is what they do.
Most drugs, even drugs that aren't widely considered "physically addictive" have the potential for changing your brain over the long term. That's what any addiction is, including sex, gambling, WoW, etc.
When people say "physical addiction" they mean something else. They mean there are withdrawals manifested as bodily sensations. Shakes, chills, tremors, diarrhea, etc.
However, the difference between a withdrawal sensation experienced in the body, like tremors, or a withdrawal sensation experienced in the mind, like anxiety or paranoia, isn't all that great. Either can be resisted. Either can be intense. Either can cause the recovering addict to relapse. The only time the distinction is relevant is when a physical withdrawal symptom becomes so severe as to require medical intervention, as with severe tremors or seizures off of alcohol. But for an addict to get to that point, they have to have engaged in habitual use for a long time. In other words, "psychological" addiction always precedes "physical" addiction. You don't fall face-first into a vat of cocaine or booze and come out with withdrawals... you have to have been seeking it out on a daily or near-daily basis for months or years. By that time, your life may already be fucked up - and many addicts manage to destroy their lives without ever experiencing a physical withdrawal symptom.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Remember that this is the same guy who called for an end to the war on drugs and for a more treatment-based rather than incarceration-based approach to drugs back in May.
I think the administration is taking baby steps. They need the support of the AMA right now to pass health care reform, I can't see them basically telling the AMA to stick their official position statement on medical marijuana up their ass until after a health care bill is passed.
It is also the position of every major medical organization in the world, including the Netherlands (where marijuana has been de facto legalized) and Canada/UK (where the legislature overrules the medical association in allowing it to be prescribed). While marijuana may have some medicinal benefits (although quite few not addressed by marinol) they are primarily end of life palliative.
Equivocation of marinol with marijuana belies an ignorance of the medicinal nature of marijuana. Basically, marinol is a THC analogue, but THC is not the only medicinal substance in cannabis.
And yet THC is the only recognized medicinal substance in cannabis.
The push for legalized medical marijuana is largely disingenuous. Its a poorly disguised push for legalized recreational marijuana.
The assumption here is that recreational users are not necessarily also self-medicating. I don't think that's a safe assumption to make. In other words, you're setting up a false dichotomy.
I also don't think it's disingenuous. Don't confuse political expediency with dishonesty. Currently, the legal and regulatory framework does not recognize non-medical recreational use as legitimate. Currently, there are only two recognized uses of a drug: medicinal and abusive. I think that's wrong, and I would like to see that framework completely overhauled, but I can understand the desire to try to legalize a drug within the current regulatory framework rather than try to challenge the framework itself.
There are a large number of narcotics users that are self-medicating. I don't see how the improper use of narcotics in an imprecise and nonspecific manner to alleviate symptoms poorly understood by the patient is that relevant. Often these acts of self-medication are not beneficial and can be as detrimental as drinking to gross intoxication would be.
And its the stated motivations that are disingenuous. Relatively few people care whether marijuana can be legitimately prescribed for the relatively narrow set of ailments and symptoms there are fairly tentative scientific links to at the current date. Yet this is the tact taken in order to allow this medical usage. That's the dishonesty that annoys me.
My position is very similar to the President's in that while I don't believe it should be a priority, I also don't think the narrow medical advantage provided by legalizing marijuana over the recommendation of the medical community and FDA regulatory agencies would outweigh the (not overly large) health problems due to the expected increase in use and the damage it would do to the role of law/science in government where a drug can be given a pass on a politicians say-so instead of scientific facts. Given the previous administrations abuses regarding religion and contraception for instance, this is not a road I think the US needs to go down when most of the advantages can be gained by deprioritizing pot arrests/prosecutions.
Remember that this is the same guy who called for an end to the war on drugs and for a more treatment-based rather than incarceration-based approach to drugs back in May.
I think the administration is taking baby steps. They need the support of the AMA right now to pass health care reform, I can't see them basically telling the AMA to stick their official position statement on medical marijuana up their ass until after a health care bill is passed.
It is also the position of every major medical organization in the world, including the Netherlands (where marijuana has been de facto legalized) and Canada/UK (where the legislature overrules the medical association in allowing it to be prescribed). While marijuana may have some medicinal benefits (although quite few not addressed by marinol) they are primarily end of life palliative.
Equivocation of marinol with marijuana belies an ignorance of the medicinal nature of marijuana. Basically, marinol is a THC analogue, but THC is not the only medicinal substance in cannabis.
And yet THC is the only recognized medicinal substance in cannabis.
Recognized by whom?
The AMA does not recognize any medicinal substance in cannabis.
Yet there are studies that show that other cannabinoids (and non-cannabinoid botanical substances) in marijuana have therapeutic properties. Here's one, for example.
You need to define what you mean by "recognize" in this context.
There are a large number of narcotics users that are self-medicating. I don't see how the improper use of narcotics in an imprecise and nonspecific manner to alleviate symptoms poorly understood by the patient is that relevant.
You don't think it's relevant that there are populations of people out there who are suffering from various ailments and saying, "The best thing that works for me is pot?" Would you look a cancer or multiple sclerosis or migraine victim in the face and say, "Sorry, your concerns are irrelevant?"
And its the stated motivations that are disingenuous. Relatively few people care whether marijuana can be legitimately prescribed for the relatively narrow set of ailments and symptoms there are fairly tentative scientific links to at the current date. Yet this is the tact taken in order to allow this medical usage. That's the dishonesty that annoys me.
"Relatively few people" - 45% of people pollled is "relatively few?"
"Relatively narrow set of ailments" - Marijuana has been seriously and successfully studied for therapeutic effects in cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, migraines, AIDS, anxiety, epilepsy, chronic pain, and insomnia. And those are just the ones that come immediately to memory, I'm sure I could find more if I dug for about 5 minutes.
the damage it would do to the role of law/science in government where a drug can be given a pass on a politicians say-so instead of scientific facts
The damage has been done already. The motivations behind the banning of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and LSD were entirely political. "Scientific facts" do not justify the scheduling criteria in the controlled substances act.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
I'm pretty sure the American Medical Association supports pot, as does the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Association.
edit; scratch the AMA even though data published by them support my opinions on it go figure huh?
The FDA and DEA do not thus it is illegal.
Also as far as the Physically vs Psychologically addictive. Absolutely anything is psychologically addictive because any thing you do conscious or subconscious changes your brain chemistry. The point you make by calling pot addictive is moot because you can call everything but it's very damaging to the reputation of pot because when the layman hears addiction he assumes heroin and the choosing of your words should not be based on semantic jargon but on what the intent you want to convey is.
Also pot is a plant that's evolved in tandem with the human culture so integral has it been throughout history. The few harmful bits in it are at such a minor concentration that nothing bad could come out of smoking it or ingesting it in plausible (re:possible) quantities. The studies which found it was a carcinogen involved giving animals near lethal amounts of THC (by itself) for months on end. Further the studies themselves admit that after a couple of weeks any trace of the THC in the system was gone leaving no observable long term effects.
elfdude on
Every man is wise when attacked by a mad dog; fewer when pursued by a mad woman; only the wisest survive when attacked by a mad notion.
Interestingly the vote by the federal government whether to decriminalize it or not was defeated by a minor 20-50 (I can't remember the exact number) people. I'm sure within at least 4, years at most 12 years, pot will be legalized and hailed as a substitute to a much more lethal tobacco.
elfdude on
Every man is wise when attacked by a mad dog; fewer when pursued by a mad woman; only the wisest survive when attacked by a mad notion.
1) Wow, there's a lot of evidence out there.
2) We still need more anyway.
3) We don't like it when people smoke. Can we start looking into alternate delivery methods?
I understand the motivation behind (3): they have spent the last few decades treating tobacco smoking like the devil, I understand why they don't want to back a different kind of smoking.
The incongruity between (1) and (2) is rather puzzling to me, but I suspect it's mostly a matter of CYA.
The AMA says "we won't support medical marijuana until there's more research."
The DEA says "we won't let you grow marijuana for research purposes because it's illegal."
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Over 50% of Americans support full legalization in recent polling.
<snip>
Coming out in favor of medicinal marijuana or at the very least saying "let the states decide" is not political suicide.
Oh yeah, I'm sure the first black President coming out "pro-drug" will have zero political ramifications.
I suspect that it's going to have to be a conservative to finally legalize pot.
A liberal would just be seen as supporting stoned hippies. A bona fide conservative could spin it on a platform of less government interference in peoples' private lives.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Over 50% of Americans support full legalization in recent polling.
<snip>
Coming out in favor of medicinal marijuana or at the very least saying "let the states decide" is not political suicide.
Oh yeah, I'm sure the first black President coming out "pro-drug" will have zero political ramifications.
I suspect that it's going to have to be a conservative to finally legalize pot.
A liberal would just be seen as supporting stoned hippies. A bona fide conservative could spin it on a platform of less government interference in peoples' private lives.
Over 50% of Americans support full legalization in recent polling.
<snip>
Coming out in favor of medicinal marijuana or at the very least saying "let the states decide" is not political suicide.
Oh yeah, I'm sure the first black President coming out "pro-drug" will have zero political ramifications.
I suspect that it's going to have to be a conservative to finally legalize pot.
A liberal would just be seen as supporting stoned hippies. A bona fide conservative could spin it on a platform of less government interference in peoples' private lives.
I look forward to your vote in 2012.
You're a single issue voter, and that singular issue is marijuana?
Over 50% of Americans support full legalization in recent polling.
<snip>
Coming out in favor of medicinal marijuana or at the very least saying "let the states decide" is not political suicide.
Oh yeah, I'm sure the first black President coming out "pro-drug" will have zero political ramifications.
Well, he could pressure somebody to write up a document advocating that caffeine should be banned because it's more addictive than pot, let somebody leak it, and then publicly denounce it.
Over 50% of Americans support full legalization in recent polling.
<snip>
Coming out in favor of medicinal marijuana or at the very least saying "let the states decide" is not political suicide.
Oh yeah, I'm sure the first black President coming out "pro-drug" will have zero political ramifications.
I suspect that it's going to have to be a conservative to finally legalize pot.
A liberal would just be seen as supporting stoned hippies. A bona fide conservative could spin it on a platform of less government interference in peoples' ...... lives.
I look forward to your vote in 2012.
You're a single issue voter, and that singular issue is marijuana?
You say that as if politics and reality have anything more than a passing familiarity with each other.
Most people approve of getting rid of DADT. Still around.
Besides that, 37 percent are against it. Depending who those people are, it could cause some problems in states that Obama might not win next time.
538 has an article on it:
This is probably not one of those issues, however, where Washington is liable to be on the vanguard. When Barney Frank introduced a bill last year to decriminalize pot, it got only eight co-sponsors, one of whom subsequently withdrew her name. And President Obama has steered clear of any suggestion that he might move to legalize or decriminalize pot, in spite of some earlier statements on his record to the contrary.
My guess is that we'll need to see a supermajority of Americans in favor of decriminalizing pot before the federal government would dare to take action on it. If the upward trend since 1990 holds (and recall my earlier caution: it might not), then legalization would achieve 60 percent support at some point in 2022 or 2023. About then is when things might get interesting. But I'd guess we'll see other some other once-unthinkable things like legalized gay marriage first.
Most polls still show a majority against legalization:
We all know that Michael Phelps was on something. But perhaps he was also onto something. Three recent polls show that Americans are more sympathetic to the idea of legalizing marijuana than ever before.
The first poll, conducted last week by Rasmussen Reports, has 40 percent of Americans in support of legalizing the drug and 46 percent opposed. The second, conducted in January by CBS News, has 41 percent in favor of legalization and 52 percent against. And a third poll, conducted by Zogby on behalf of the marijuana-rights advocacy group NORML, has 44 percent of Americans in support of legalized pot and 52 percent opposed.
Over 50% of Americans support full legalization in recent polling.
<snip>
Coming out in favor of medicinal marijuana or at the very least saying "let the states decide" is not political suicide.
Oh yeah, I'm sure the first black President coming out "pro-drug" will have zero political ramifications.
I suspect that it's going to have to be a conservative to finally legalize pot.
A liberal would just be seen as supporting stoned hippies. A bona fide conservative could spin it on a platform of less government interference in peoples' private lives.
I look forward to your vote in 2012.
If there were a conservative candidate who supported legalization of pot and also didn't threaten to undermine the other issues I'm passionate about (health care, gay rights, education funding, economic regulation, not getting involved in a land war in Asia) I'd consider jumping the aisle.
The chances of that happening are roughly equivalent to me getting a pet unicorn for Christmas.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
1) Wow, there's a lot of evidence out there.
2) We still need more anyway.
3) We don't like it when people smoke. Can we start looking into alternate delivery methods?
I understand the motivation behind (3): they have spent the last few decades treating tobacco smoking like the devil, I understand why they don't want to back a different kind of smoking.
The incongruity between (1) and (2) is rather puzzling to me, but I suspect it's mostly a matter of CYA.
Hence the Catch-22.
The AMA says "we won't support medical marijuana until there's more research."
The DEA says "we won't let you grow marijuana for research purposes because it's illegal."
Yeah I hate the associations that aren't reviewed. Anslinger's own research project to prove to congress pot was bad proved the opposite.
And *cough* *cough* RON PAUL.
elfdude on
Every man is wise when attacked by a mad dog; fewer when pursued by a mad woman; only the wisest survive when attacked by a mad notion.
Over 50% of Americans support full legalization in recent polling.
<snip>
Coming out in favor of medicinal marijuana or at the very least saying "let the states decide" is not political suicide.
Oh yeah, I'm sure the first black President coming out "pro-drug" will have zero political ramifications.
I suspect that it's going to have to be a conservative to finally legalize pot.
A liberal would just be seen as supporting stoned hippies. A bona fide conservative could spin it on a platform of less government interference in peoples' private lives.
I look forward to your vote in 2012.
If there were a conservative candidate who supported legalization of pot and also didn't threaten to undermine the other issues I'm passionate about (health care, gay rights, education funding, economic regulation, not getting involved in a land war in Asia) I'd consider jumping the aisle.
The chances of that happening are roughly equivalent to me getting a pet unicorn for Christmas.
Ironically I think a conservative will be the first to fundamentally change how health care works in this country as well.
When a democrat does it the GOP votes in lockstep "no" and the moderate/conservative democrats run away from it because it's too "socialist".
If a conservative did it (UHC through mandated insurance and/or MSA's and/or tax credits etc..) it would be far more palatable to both the GOP and certainly tolerable to dems since they couldn't possibly vote against a bill that resulted in more coverage.
Posts
Bold faced lies, pure and simple.
Depends on what "medical" means.
And this is no surprise. It will political suicide to do anything that might detract from the War on Drugs, yea, until the end of time, hallelujah, amen.
This is not the most liberal of Presidents, nor has he ever professed support for legalization at any point. At least since he's been on the national stage, anyway.
20 years. Give or take.
It makes expecting reasonable things to come out of his mouth kind of silly.
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
The same as it's ever meant.
Yes and no.
Marijuana can be a little harmful, but the harm is minor compared to other recreational drugs.
It is addictive.
It does have medical benefits.
Anyway, the administration is just parroting the AMA stand on the issue.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I'm not asking the man to do a bong hit for the press. I'm just asking why he can't appoint a drug czar who isn't a fucking tool.
Because then he wouldn't qualify for the position of Drug Tsar?
Exactly. Let's just abolish this silly position. I eagerly await Obama's leadership on this issue.
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
I don't quite understand why you are consciously ignoring the multiple times he has publicly stated that he's opposed to marijuana legalization and that he has not once in his time on the national stage purported to support such a stance. It just seems, rather odd.
No, nothing has changed. It was foolish for you to hope for Obama to support a sane drug policy as he only made remarks about doing anything remotely sane about drugs on one occasion years ago, and has shied away from those remarks again and again.
"All talk and then once elected, no action" is a nonsensical thing to say. You're trying to paint Obama has a charlatan when in reality he is just a moderate. He campaigned on being a moderate and there was no reason to expect anything from him but moderation.
I think the administration is taking baby steps. They need the support of the AMA right now to pass health care reform, I can't see them basically telling the AMA to stick their official position statement on medical marijuana up their ass until after a health care bill is passed.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
It is also the position of every major medical organization in the world, including the Netherlands (where marijuana has been de facto legalized) and Canada/UK (where the legislature overrules the medical association in allowing it to be prescribed). While marijuana may have some medicinal benefits (although quite few not addressed by marinol) they are primarily end of life palliative.
The push for legalized medical marijuana is largely disingenuous. Its a poorly disguised push for legalized recreational marijuana. As legalizing - as opposed to decriminalizing - marijuana creates problems for pharmaceutical and narcotic regulation and it doesn't have the support of the medical establishment or general public its unlikely to progress any time soon.
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
Equivocation of marinol with marijuana belies an ignorance of the medicinal nature of marijuana. Basically, marinol is a THC analogue, but THC is not the only medicinal substance in cannabis.
The assumption here is that recreational users are not necessarily also self-medicating. I don't think that's a safe assumption to make. In other words, you're setting up a false dichotomy.
I also don't think it's disingenuous. Don't confuse political expediency with dishonesty. Currently, the legal and regulatory framework does not recognize non-medical recreational use as legitimate. Currently, there are only two recognized uses of a drug: medicinal and abusive. I think that's wrong, and I would like to see that framework completely overhauled, but I can understand the desire to try to legalize a drug within the current regulatory framework rather than try to challenge the framework itself.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
What about caffeine?
Also, couldn't we bill pot as a viable treatment for pot addiction?
What about it?
Technically, the DEA and FDA could at any time decide that caffeine should be illegal (without a prescription, since there are legitimate medical uses) without an act of Congress and there would be nothing you could do about it.
That they've chosen not to do so doesn't mean they recognize recreational drug use as legitimate in any institutional capacity. They simply don't exercise their power over it.
The easiest analogy is like a cop that doesn't give a shit about speeding. Just because he's not busting you for speeding doesn't mean the law recognizes a legal right or privilege to speed.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
No, it is not chemically addictive. It's only addictive in the sense that anything can become an addiction.
You do not want to attempt to throw down with Feral on this subject. Dude doesn't need to show yet another internet medical expert the error of his ways and - in the end - you'll still be wrong.
"Chemically addictive" is a meaningless phrase. I've had this discussion many, many times on these boards.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
There are a large number of narcotics users that are self-medicating. I don't see how the improper use of narcotics in an imprecise and nonspecific manner to alleviate symptoms poorly understood by the patient is that relevant. Often these acts of self-medication are not beneficial and can be as detrimental as drinking to gross intoxication would be.
And its the stated motivations that are disingenuous. Relatively few people care whether marijuana can be legitimately prescribed for the relatively narrow set of ailments and symptoms there are fairly tentative scientific links to at the current date. Yet this is the tact taken in order to allow this medical usage. That's the dishonesty that annoys me.
My position is very similar to the President's in that while I don't believe it should be a priority, I also don't think the narrow medical advantage provided by legalizing marijuana over the recommendation of the medical community and FDA regulatory agencies would outweigh the (not overly large) health problems due to the expected increase in use and the damage it would do to the role of law/science in government where a drug can be given a pass on a politicians say-so instead of scientific facts. Given the previous administrations abuses regarding religion and contraception for instance, this is not a road I think the US needs to go down when most of the advantages can be gained by deprioritizing pot arrests/prosecutions.
QEDMF xbl: PantsB G+
Recognized by whom?
The AMA does not recognize any medicinal substance in cannabis.
Yet there are studies that show that other cannabinoids (and non-cannabinoid botanical substances) in marijuana have therapeutic properties. Here's one, for example.
You need to define what you mean by "recognize" in this context.
You don't think it's relevant that there are populations of people out there who are suffering from various ailments and saying, "The best thing that works for me is pot?" Would you look a cancer or multiple sclerosis or migraine victim in the face and say, "Sorry, your concerns are irrelevant?"
"Relatively few people" - 45% of people pollled is "relatively few?"
"Relatively narrow set of ailments" - Marijuana has been seriously and successfully studied for therapeutic effects in cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, migraines, AIDS, anxiety, epilepsy, chronic pain, and insomnia. And those are just the ones that come immediately to memory, I'm sure I could find more if I dug for about 5 minutes.
The damage has been done already. The motivations behind the banning of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and LSD were entirely political. "Scientific facts" do not justify the scheduling criteria in the controlled substances act.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
edit; scratch the AMA even though data published by them support my opinions on it go figure huh?
The FDA and DEA do not thus it is illegal.
Also as far as the Physically vs Psychologically addictive. Absolutely anything is psychologically addictive because any thing you do conscious or subconscious changes your brain chemistry. The point you make by calling pot addictive is moot because you can call everything but it's very damaging to the reputation of pot because when the layman hears addiction he assumes heroin and the choosing of your words should not be based on semantic jargon but on what the intent you want to convey is.
Also pot is a plant that's evolved in tandem with the human culture so integral has it been throughout history. The few harmful bits in it are at such a minor concentration that nothing bad could come out of smoking it or ingesting it in plausible (re:possible) quantities. The studies which found it was a carcinogen involved giving animals near lethal amounts of THC (by itself) for months on end. Further the studies themselves admit that after a couple of weeks any trace of the THC in the system was gone leaving no observable long term effects.
Over 50% of Americans support full legalization in recent polling.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/06/majority-of-americans-wan_n_198196.html
Over 70% support decriminalizing for medicinal use.
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewadditionalresource.asp?resourceID=000193
Coming out in favor of medicinal marijuana or at the very least saying "let the states decide" is not political suicide.
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
Their official position is along the lines of:
1) Wow, there's a lot of evidence out there.
2) We still need more anyway.
3) We don't like it when people smoke. Can we start looking into alternate delivery methods?
I understand the motivation behind (3): they have spent the last few decades treating tobacco smoking like the devil, I understand why they don't want to back a different kind of smoking.
The incongruity between (1) and (2) is rather puzzling to me, but I suspect it's mostly a matter of CYA.
Hence the Catch-22.
The AMA says "we won't support medical marijuana until there's more research."
The DEA says "we won't let you grow marijuana for research purposes because it's illegal."
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
You say that as if politics and reality have anything more than a passing familiarity with each other.
I suspect that it's going to have to be a conservative to finally legalize pot.
A liberal would just be seen as supporting stoned hippies. A bona fide conservative could spin it on a platform of less government interference in peoples' private lives.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I look forward to your vote in 2012.
You're a single issue voter, and that singular issue is marijuana?
Well, he could pressure somebody to write up a document advocating that caffeine should be banned because it's more addictive than pot, let somebody leak it, and then publicly denounce it.
It's not marijuana.
Besides that, 37 percent are against it. Depending who those people are, it could cause some problems in states that Obama might not win next time.
538 has an article on it:
Most polls still show a majority against legalization: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/02/americans-growing-kinder-to-bud.html
If there were a conservative candidate who supported legalization of pot and also didn't threaten to undermine the other issues I'm passionate about (health care, gay rights, education funding, economic regulation, not getting involved in a land war in Asia) I'd consider jumping the aisle.
The chances of that happening are roughly equivalent to me getting a pet unicorn for Christmas.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Yeah I hate the associations that aren't reviewed. Anslinger's own research project to prove to congress pot was bad proved the opposite.
And *cough* *cough* RON PAUL.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Ironically I think a conservative will be the first to fundamentally change how health care works in this country as well.
When a democrat does it the GOP votes in lockstep "no" and the moderate/conservative democrats run away from it because it's too "socialist".
If a conservative did it (UHC through mandated insurance and/or MSA's and/or tax credits etc..) it would be far more palatable to both the GOP and certainly tolerable to dems since they couldn't possibly vote against a bill that resulted in more coverage.