Videos > Pot Wars: Battlefield California: Cheryl Shuman

IN RESPONSE TO THE ARTICLE ON REUTERS ENTITLED:   Medical Marijuana: 'Be Careful,' Ex-White House Drug Spokesman Bob Weiner Tells DOJ About 'New Lax Enforcement' Policy; 'Use May Explode for Healthy People'

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS121250+21-Oct-2009+PRN20091021

The statement by former drug policy Spokesman Bob Weiner is incorrect, and an attempt to continue the reefer madness hysteria started in 1937, and continued with propaganda to this day.  There are combining forces who make a living that depends on keeping a plant illegal and inaccessible. 

First, there is the obvious, the pharmaceutical companies.  They earn billions of dollars of profits each year from a wide variety of pharmaceuticals designed for common ailments. Pharmaceutical companies also donate millions of dollars in campaign contributions and it is a surprise to suddenly have a president who does not appear to be on their payroll.

Secondly, the justice system has every incentive to fight the legalization of marijuana, and to continue to abuse and undermine the medical marijuana laws that the people, the voters in each state are passing through grassroots efforts.  Half of all arrests are for marijuana, which means that police could potentially be laid off if they no longer needed to arrest people.  District attorneys, judges, and prison guards all have job security in this war against not only medical marijuana, but in the entire drug war in general.  Weiner states that law enforcement feels that 90% of people at medical marijuana clinics are "individuals who are not really sick".  To this day I have never met a police officer who was also a licensed medical doctor, qualified to diagnose strangers.  Even a qualified Medical Doctor would not claim such a diagnosis without a complete physical exam.

There are some simple statistics and truths that need to start being brought to public attention. The first is that marijuana is a plant, and herb, and would need no FDA regulation.  Marijuana is a safe alternative to pharmaceutical drugs. It is a viable alternative for simple things such as insomnia, which is a multibillion dollar pharmaceutical enterprise.  Anxiety is also met with a wide variety of pharmaceutical drugs, such as valium, xanax, and other antidepressants, all of which have undesirable side effects.  The fact that people have doctor recommendations for these so called minor ailments is actually a testimony to the beneficial effects of marijuana to treat minor, as well as more serious medical conditions.  Weiner is clearly biased, and medical books dating back as early as 3,500 bc describe the pain relieving and antispasmodic effects of the cannabis plant (marijuana), as well as a variety of other ailments.  Until 1937, when marijuana was made illegal, it was the drug of choice for migraine headaches, preferable over aspirin.

Weiner further mistakes the facts, when he advocates the pharmaceutical attempts to copy the beneficial effects of marijuana.  If the therapeutic effect of marijuana is not real, pharmaceutical companies would not be attempting to isolate it's components.  To date, the pharmaceutical companies have been ineffective, because there are many more pain relieving and anti-inflammatory components than just thc.  Secondly, the federal government patented marijuana in 2003 (patent #6630507) as an antioxidant and neuroprotectant.  The feds are positioning themselves to have the power over marketing if marijuana does become legalized.  They would not be doing this if they did not know full well the proven healing qualities in marijuana.

Weiner than goes on to compare marijuana with the pharmaceutical drug oxycontin, which has caused hundreds of overdose deaths and is comparable to a synthetic morphine, and as addictive as heroin.  More reefer madness.  Marijuana has never had a recorded overdose death in the history of worldwide usage.  Marijuana is non-toxic.  Marijuana is safer than tylenol, and many over the counter medications.  To compare marijuana with a synthetic morphine is another attempt at shallow propaganda.

Finally, is clearly part of the group of people whose financial livelihood depends on the continued propaganda from decades of misinformation.

Sincerely,

Donna Lambert

Don't go gettin all excited, like the president actually cares, or is doing anything but running his mouth. If the president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent .. then why are they still? Operation Green RX phases one two and three, (ongoing, pay attention!) all use fed resources to prosecute these caregiver/victims (Eddy, Charles, Joe, Donna, Eugene, Jovan, James, et al). Which feds? DEA, ATF, NCIS, and more, probably. Check out what his administration has done so far, and what its been saying to date, re medical cannabis. Be cautious, and make him do what he says, in representing all the people, not just Big tobacco, big medicine, big pharma, et al.  

Click on the Obama Said What selection, (which has some of the story of what he's done since taking office) and please read the following about this weeks important RALLY FOR PEACE IN CANNABIS. 

We can't believe the title of this UT story: Medical pot dispensaries have done a terrible job San Diego Union Tribune    

like the city/county/state has done such a great job......  by the way, who appointed Scott Chipman as ayatollah of PB? Is he just a fool?

Speaking Up to Rattling Sabers

Protesters gather at CNOA luncheon

More than one hundred medical cannabis supporters raised their voices, and more than a few eyebrows, at a lively and visible protest in front of the Montebello County Club on Wednesday morning. Americans for Safe Access (ASA) called for the demonstration after we learned that Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich were headlining a luncheon training entitled "Eradicating Medical Cannabis Dispensaries in the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County."