The Pot Smokers Who the Government Says Don't Exist

[marmar]

from HuffPost, via AlterNet:


The Pot Smokers Who the Government Says Don't Exist

By David Borden and Paul Armentano, HuffingtonPost.com. Posted September 10, 2007.


How does the federal government reconcile its propaganda on the dangers of pot with the huge number of people who rely on marijuana's medicinal powers? Pretend they don't exist.


According to the federal government, 53-year-old Deborah Palmer (not her real name) doesn't exist. A grandmother and former California corrections officer, Ms. Palmer suffers from chronic spinal pain (the result of a pair of botched back surgeries) and fibromyalgia. Because her body is allergic to opioid medications, she recently began using medical marijuana to obtain relief from her daily suffering. That is until federal and state law enforcement officials raided the California dispensary that provided her medicine.

"What am I going to do?" she lamented in one of our recent conversations. "If I have to live in this amount of pain 365 days a year without access to my medicine, then I'm not going to stay on this Earth very long."

Having worked in drug-law reform for decades, we personally know hundreds of patients like Deborah Palmer. Unfortunately, those in the federal government who oppose the therapeutic use of medical marijuana appear to be unaware of even one.

Speaking last month to the Associated Press, Tom Riley -- spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy -- launched into an all too common ad hominem attack against medical marijuana and those who advocate for its regulation. "There is a charade going on here," he charged. "

eople who are interested in drug legalization using genuinely sick people as pawns to get sympathy to get their agenda through."

This critique bemuses us. After all, we actually know medical marijuana patients -- yes, real live medical marijuana patients. We interact with them at conferences. We help them organize protests. Some of us lobby with them in Congress or the state houses. Others help coordinate their legal defenses when they've been arrested. Many of them are our friends and colleagues too. Sure, we also want legalization, not just for medical use. But while the drug war continues to rage, we desire to have the sick and dying taken off the battlefield. Who wouldn't? ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/62054/

[Tesla]

1. legalize it

and put real criminals in jail!!!

[niceypoo]

2. Pot: the only drug that makes smart people dumber and stupid people smarter

Gotta love it.