State Your Position Clearly

[bobandtorey]

I don't disagree that this site and the MMMA in general need not be focused on legalization. I didn't bring this up on this site.

 

If this site wants to prohibit legalization speak. I will still come and participate. I don't mind separating these two issues if the MMMA thinks not discussing legalization better advances patient needs at this time. I will respect that.

 

Just sayin': Too many patients are going to court and jail.

 

this is why i try and keep are story going ever day

[Croppled1]

"The point is we really need to immediately embrace the entire package for Marijuana Re-Legalization and stop merely focusing on "medical" which was just a strategic ploy anyway"

 

It may of been a ploy for some recreational users wishing to re legalize cannabis but patient suffering and relief is very real even if temporary without other merit . I feel extremists on both sides are " abusing " patients as well as creating a negative environment inhibiting the best possible outcomes from being available . I know there are many good people truly being compassionate . But there are others whom do not see the damage done when someone living in poverty must spend $200 a week or more for cannabis and they don't' have money for rent or health insurance premiums when they come due . This is one issue that motivates the opposition . They have arguments with merit just as current penalties for recreational use are a manufactured crime with overly harsh penalties part of a desperate moral agenda . Medical Cannabis is suppose to be legal now in Michigan with a wide range of leeway on any rules . That is being heavily abused . Greed from both the sides of prohibition the business of bootlegging and the business of enforcement is out of control and has become more powerful then the institutions designed to control corruption . To many resources are being invested with no meaningful help to many Citizens just exploitation

 

. I support full re- legalization and no control scheduling for the cannabis plant for personal use , cultivation and transfer permitted without any registration as long as renumeration is not required . Patients have suffered such discrimination and have no way to overcome it or survive so within reasonable limits by wattage and space per residence I believe they should be able to sell into recreational demand and where they are too sick to do so or even grow they should be provided free cannabis through the system of commercial non patient growers cooperate or otherwise that spring up . Hopefully research that takes place will create beneficial scheduled medications in time which will be covered by insurance .Hopefully tax revenues and reduced enforcement will free up funds and effort to support non stigmatized self paced voluntary treatment ( toxicity ), further research into non understood negative consequences of drug use . as well as develop more opportunities for patients currently stigmatized and injured because of necessary medication use to reduce intolerable suffering . I am amazed how many people just do not accept the reality of it or believe these individuals should just suffer due to our lack of understanding on how to prevent negative side effects of medications that reduce pain and suffering or other debilitating symptoms .

 

.I hate how people are intolerant and forget Doctors practice medicine , making anything mandatory or criminalizing what any individual believes is a substance of medical necessity is wrong. The concept of medical use is definitely not a ploy for patients whom just happen to have empathy for people whom feel the need for what they think is recreational . I know its time to stop the war and start the help and patients whom are in a no win situation for which any side effect risks are justified Do need to be separated out with the benefit of the doubt going to any patient . And no more of this vigilantism like is going on in many areas of the State . The average person has no idea what severe chronic pain and many other hidden ailments are about . You can't leave that pain untreated nor be without care in many cases . No matter what patients comfort should always be the number one consideration . They should especially follow that advice in drug treatment and until they do we are going to have a drug epidemic , deaths and continued exploitation of Americans .

[barkascruff]

In 1996, when the first Medical Marijuana Initiative passed in CA (Prop19) both myself, Jack Herer and many others were skeptical about focusing on medical use only. Yes we did understand the political implications and yes it did allow some headway that would not have otherwise occurred. But here we are 15 years later and what have we got?

 

As Adam Brook pointed out to me last April: it was the Michigan Municipal League that first tried to walk back the law by pushing local zoning ordinances etc. I testified in both Royal Oak and Dearborn Heights in an attempt to thwart this. And Adam who had the balls to stand up in Royal Oak most likely was singled out for doing the same thing. I often wonder if I could have suffered a similar fate had I also lived in Royal Oak.

 

In 2010 Dearborn Heights passed a zoning ordinance that would technically disallow caregivers from growing in their own homes. Because I testified they assured us that caregivers rights would in fact be upheld. Scarce comfort to be found in that from my point of view. But what I found interesting, upon investigating their city budget, Obama gave 230,000 dollars to the City in 2010. To me this is Federal Blackmail, serving international corporate interests. The goal seems rather obvious:

 

Obama has been giving GW Pharmeceuticals preferential access to the market, paving the way for them to grow THEIR Cannabis in order to provide the components for Sativex. At the same time -- as I had long predicted -- he has escalated the war on Cannabis Consumers and Growers (e.g., "caregivers). In an insane exercise in schizophrenia Shuette and the Obama maintain that Marijuana has no "recognized" medical use at the same time they successfully sought a patent on Cannabis based on it's proven medical use.

 

Also interesting was the global reach of the law firm representing the City of Dearborn.

 

Similarly I investigated two Marijuana busts in Dearborn on the block that my parents have resided in since 1963. Never has there been such a bust on their street. My dad was struck by the military style invasion of the two homes: one next to them, one two doors down. When I analyzed the Dearborn budget online (e.g., the CAFR Report) I found that the city made $830,000 in drug arrests and forfeiture in 2009 and you can be assured that most of that was for Cannabis. During discovery the victim on the corner found that they were going through his trash for months and only found a twig and less than a gram of Cannabis residue. For that they broke down his garage door and the two entry doors to the house. In all nearly $3000 in damage and all they found was a glass pipe and less than a gram of Cannabis.

 

So let us stop beating about the shrub here. The reason this arrest and forfeiture continues is because it is a significant revenue stream for every city in the United States. And the Federal Government sees this as a means to prop up failing local governments that have already dug deeply into their pension funds to keep their respective boats from sinking. In other words the cities are more addicted to Marijuana Prohibtion than addicts are addicted to nicotene and heroin. It is ALL about the money.

 

When I worked with a small federation of activists to defeat Prop19 in 2010 we were adamant that we would not allow the government to "tax, regulate and control" the production and distribution of Cannabis. Yet organizations such as NORML, MPP and DPA acted like the regular cheerleaders and gave full support to Prop19. Although it would be insane to take full credit for this I can assure you that our impact on the defeat of Prop19 was very significant. We had some of the most highly regarded activists on our team including Dennis Peron.

 

On a international level we are seeing the slow and sure implementation of Agenda21 which seeks to control our food, our supplements and deny us the right to own a gun. I mention this because I do believe that this is the overarching agenda within which the "corporate control of Cannabis" is but a small but significant facet. This was also reflected in Obama's ATF announcement recently where the "making whoopee donkey rectum in chief" had the audacity to say a Marijuana patient cannot own a gun. Of course he hid behind the ATF but be assured that this is exactly what he wanted to occur in order to placate those that put him in power (the Central Banks, Monsanto etc.).

 

I know a lot of you would just like to forget the legacy of Jack Herer but it might just be worth a short review. What was the real primary point of his book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes?"

 

The primary point was that the REAL reason for Marijuana Prohibition was that it posed a threat to many Multinational Corporate interests including Big Oil, Synthetics, Paper and Pharmaceuticals. In essence he made clear that the real reason for Cannabis Prohibition was that it would have interposed a truly free market in agricultural/industrial hemp that would have reduced or eliminated the need for oil drilling, fracking, cutting down trees for newspaper etc.

 

And what has the Medical Strategy done to create this envisioned "truly free market." Not a darn thing. In fact it has done the opposite as larger entities (e.g, Oaksterdam, THCF, dispensaries in general) have been hard at work on garbage like Prop19(CA), OCTA(OR) etc. in order to monopolize control of the "market" for themselves. And if "Poop Shuette" gets his way I could see the patient/caregiver lists given to local authorities which could result in massive raids as they shoot us like fish in a barrel.

 

I think it is time we got back on track again and prepare for the final battle: where Marijuana is never controlled by any city, state or federal entity. Adults should be able to grow indoors under 2-4 1000W lamps and gift, sell, or consume whatever comes forth without ANY expensive government regulation or control. Let's face it, this is how it has worked since the early 60's -- some 50 years now.

 

It is time to insist on a rejuvenation of our inalienable rights to grow whatever food or herb that we desire. And, yes, this flies directly in the face of Agenda21 which seeks to control us by controlling our access to food, supplements, herbs and guns. It is time for all parties -- government, dispensaries, etc. -- to put the common good first.

 

Frankly I would recommend no limits on NON_GMO Industrial hemp biomass production much like they are currently doing in countries like Scandanavia. Stigliz had recently assessed that the cost of dominating energy resources (e.g., Lithium, Oil, Natural Gas) in Iraq and Afganistan have cost us nearly 7 TRILLION dollars. And many of the energy industries, especially nuclear energy, would not be profitable were it not for government subsidies (e.g., you tax money). To whatever extent that we can produce our own energy proportionately reduces our need for military interventions as well as the likelihood of the next World War.

 

Well, I've "blathered on" long enough here. The point is we really need to immediately embrace the entire package for Marijuana Re-Legalization and stop merely focusing on "medical" which was just a strategic ploy anyway. Since the Spring of 2009 a majority of Americans now embrace what I would call "true legalization" where we get beyond this puritanical moo poo that we don't enjoy getting a buzz on once in awhile. And we won't tolerate anything more than a drivers license, showing that we are over 18, in order to grow or consume Cannabis.

 

I mean really how many more millions are going to have to get arrested or shot before we get beyond our own personal economic interests surrounding our relationship with this plant?

 

One thing that WE could be doing is insisting that the agri/industrial/medical/recreational uses of Cannabis becomes Plank#1 of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. This will be a great challenge to scum like Soros who is already attempting to co-opt this movement just as he co-oped the Re-Legalization Movement. Any takers? LOL.

 

Yours in Peace and Freedom,

 

Bruce W. Cain

 

Quoted for posterity.

 

[peanutbutter]

You came to my third meeting and fillibustered OVER what the guest attorney was trying to tell us because you didn't like his conservative opinion to keep patients safe. You and Bud Habit both disrupted that meeting with miss information while we had one of the best cannabis attorneys there trying to help patients stay out of harms way. Maybe that refreshes your memory a bit.

 

Leading to your fillibuster of anything and everything I've had to say since ..

 

got it.

[hofner67]

Thanks for your support

 

No, thank you Bob. You are a rock.

[lawyercaregiver]

Very nice question:

 

I believe hemp should be grown for rope, fuel and textiles, that marijuana buds should be enormous and fragrant, and that these gigantic, beautiful, plants should line our roads and suburbs. I wish that we lived in a free nation where the government did not claim the authority to tell you how to live your life and tell you what to take, what not to take, and what to buy.

 

That all said I believe cannabis should only be available for medical, research, or recreational use.

[CedarSpringsCG]

First I think Hemp should be legal, there is no reason it is not. You can't get high from it. Why is there a prohibition on a plant that can't be used as a drug? So on Hemp, full legalization, no regulation at all.

 

Now onto Cannabis Sativa/Indica. I would support full legalization, exempted from the CSA just like alcohol and tobacco is. Sure regulate it, put in laws that no one under 18 can have or use it, but it is not nearly as harmful as Tobacco and Alcohol.

 

For now I am appeased with medical use for now, however the feds need to get on board and reschedule it. Reschedule or exempt it. There is no reason it is set with LSD. Heck even Cocaine is Schedule 2... Meth is schedule 2... you can get a perscription for it.

[Kevin]

Who says a person can't support Medical Cannabis and Legalization of Cannabis simultaneously? That's absurd. I don't know any medical cannabis patient who wouldn't support a full legalization initiative when it comes. Cannabis and hemp both.

 

More than 60,000 products can be made from hemp too, and an acre of hemp can sustain 30 humans, so it's not just the medical cannabis facet and we all know the medical benefits of cannabis or we wouldn't be here. We all agree it's time the madness stops. No more lives and families ruined over a beneficial plant.

 

Should a person be denied the benefits of cannabis just because they may not meet the current state requirements for a qualified condition? We all know the answer to that. So what if a guy smokes a jib to unwind after work instead of going to the bar. His business.

 

Cannabis will one day be available to any person of legal age for their personal use whether medical or recreational. It shouldn't matter the reason.

 

I'll continue to fight for both, but what do I know.

[Timmahh]

after cannabis, it will be potatoes rice and beans...

time to Rise up and be the starch the binds us together.