I am a conservative, and I don't lean "libertarian" often, but when the government tries to forbid folks with MEDICAL reasons to partake of a relatively benign drug, then I resent its intrusion! States across the nation are passing "medical marijuana" laws that the federal government refuses to recognise. This is an unreasonable extention of federal drug laws - almost as far off mark as using RICO laws against lawful abortion protesters!
To quote the New York Times:
On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found that while they sympathized with Ms. Raich’s plight and had seen “uncontroverted evidence” that she needed marijuana to survive, she lacked the legal grounds to exempt herself from federal law.
The court “recognizes the use of marijuana for medical purposes is gaining traction,” the decision read. “But that legal recognition has not yet reached the point where a conclusion can be drawn that the right to use medical marijuana is ‘fundamental.’"In spite of the evidence and new laws, federal judges continue to hold fast to antiquated decisions going back decades. This is not justice as it should be. Justice must be tempered with compassion and common sense!
And for any family and friends who might read this - I have NEVER touched marijuana, and only know its smell because of a demonstration (burning some confiscated weed) at a police station when I was in high school (Civic Youth Day, I had been "elected" Mayor). In this one incident, at least, I agree with the ACLU. Does that make me a bad person? :-(
1 comment:
Marijuana is not the benign drug that you say it is. When I first started teaching (1983) the students in my school were just about the biggest drinkers I had ever seen, and that's saying something! I noticed that, in school, most of them functioned very well and, although I didn't condone their underage drinking, I didn't see many ill effects in the classroom.
That all changed as marijuana began to take hold in the school. First, it was just the "hoods" ("freaks" is what they were called back then) that smoked dope. Then some of the popular kids started doing it. By the late 80's, most of the students in my school were getting high. I noticed a big change in their behavior. Motivation and enthusiasm for anything related to school absolutely disappeared. Many of the students developed kind of an empty, "souless" look in their eyes that never went away. Many of the students just stopped doing homework or studying for tests. Discipline problems skyrocketed out of control. One of our seniors, along with his little sister and a family friend, were brutally, grusomely murdered in a drug deal gone bad. None of that stuff ever happened when they were "just" drinking.
As to the other point, I have never bought the argument that someone "needs" marijuana to survive. It might make them happier, but I have never seen a case where it was the marijuana that was keeping the person alive. It is a drug that has a whole host of horrible side effects.
Oh, and NO, it doesn't make you a bad person, although agreeing with the ACLU too many times is almost as hazardous as smoking dope. Hey, when I filled out my NCAA bracket (I like UCLA over Georgetown in the finals) I did it with a $5 entry fee in a pool. I'm not a degenerate gambler any more than you are a member of the ACLU. Good luck with your picks!
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