New Dems Blamed in Defeat of Bill to Prevent Fed Gov't from Interfering in Medical Marijuana

[AtomicKitten]

San Francisco Chronicle
McNerney draws fire from backers of medicinal pot
Freshmen Dems blamed in defeat of plan to stop feds

Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Friday, July 27, 2007

(07-27) 04:00 PDT Washington -- Backers of a proposal that would have blocked federal authorities from interfering in state-approved medicinal marijuana programs, stung by a disappointing defeat in the House, are zeroing in on freshmen Democrats such as Rep. Jerry McNerney of Pleasanton who opposed the proposal.

The proposal, which advocates have introduced for several years, would have barred the Drug Enforcement Administration from stopping the medicinal use of marijuana in the 12 states including California where voters or the legislature have moved to legalize such pot use.

But the House voted 262-165 to defeat the bipartisan amendment offered by Reps. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., and Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach (Orange County).

* snip *

Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project called McNerney's vote "appalling.'' "How can anyone call themselves a progressive, which he regularly does, and then vote to send AIDS and cancer patients to jail after voters in his own state voted to help them instead?'' Mirken asked. "People who support him need to ask him some questions.''

Last year, the Hinchey-Rohrabacher proposal won 163 votes. But medical marijuana backers expected more support in a House now controlled by Democrats, and with a freshman Democratic class of 42 members.

McNerney, who alone among the Bay Area's all-Democratic House delegation voted against the measure, tied marijuana use to other illegal drugs.

* snip *

Hinchey admitted he was disappointed in the latest vote. "I thought we'd break 180 votes. In fact, my goal was 185 votes,'' Hinchey said. "I'm disappointed, but not disappointed enough to stop.''

* snip *

In the end, 150 Democrats voted for the amendment, with 79 opposed. Fifteen Republicans voted yes; 183 opposed it.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/27/MNG6FR7OQG1.DTL&hw=marijuana&sn=002&sc=912

[Mythsaje]

1. Those 79 Dems desperately need to get a clue.

It's just sad that there were 1/5 as many Republicans who supported it as there were Dems that opposed it.

[AtomicKitten]

6. it was rather disappointing to take back the House

and then have the pro initiative vote go from 163 to only 165 ...

[polichick]

2. Oh, for God's sake...

This shouldn't even be an issue ~ we should be on our way to complete decriminalization. What throwbacks!

[OzarkDem]

3. I agree w/ Dr. Howard Dean on this issue

When we have several conclusive clinical trials that provide scientific evidence of benefits w/o harm for use of marijuana to treat medical conditions, I'll support it.

But just like any other medical intervention, use of marijuana has to pass rigorous scientific tests to show it provides benefit to patients without harmful side effects.

Sorry. :shrug:

[AtomicKitten]

5. that 'sorry' should be directed to those that rely on the benefits of MM.

.... and otherwise would suffer the ravages of AIDS, cancer, etc.

This bill backs up states' rights. When the people vote to allow medical marijuana in their state, democracy dictates that their will should prevail.

[Mythsaje]

7. When people are dying

how "harmful" can the side-effects possibly be?

Seriously?

We KNOW pot's not lethal.

[Wiley50]

9. Many such Studies are posted at the norml.org website

Have at it. There are tons of them.

All Ignored.

[Webster Green]

13. Bullshit!

Pot is effective, and everyone knows it. Time to stop demonizing this valuable herb.

The feds have been lying about pot for 70 years.

[Ghost in the Machine]

15. My Neurosurgeon told me that marijuana was THE most potent and effective pain reliever

known to man. He would have prescribed me some if Tennessee had medical marijuana. It does me better than ANY pain pill they tried on me. I've done them all too, from hydrocodone to oxycontin to morphine. The pills didn't even touch my pain, where less than half a joint gives me relief for several hours. I keep enough grown for my own personal use, I don't sell it, and I hardly share it with anyone else. I don't smoke just to get a buzz or use it as a partying device. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than paying doctor bills and prescription costs for someone with no insurance. This is true even for someone who would spend $30 -$40 a week on pot.

[Cha]

16. And I imagine they're no

freakin' side effects with the amount you use medicinally!

[dysfunctional press]

14. then why doesn't the government do the testing...?

oh...that's right- they DID. and nixon didn't like the answers, so he threw it in the trash.

[AtomicKitten]

17. The Fed Gov't actually supplies MM to now 8 individuals while denying its benefits

epic hypocrites that our government is on this issue ...

Medicinal Marijuana: The Politics

For more than 25 years, the medical marijuana battle has been fought graciously by patients with cancer and glaucoma. The war has accelerated recently and has become more vocal. In 1976, following a lawsuit and weeks of tests at UCLA Robert Randall, who was suffering with glaucoma, became the first person to receive marijuana from the federal government. As years passed by, more tests and studies were showing that there was indeed a medical benefit to smoking marijuana. By 1991, the federal government, while still denying its benefit, was shipping marijuana to 12 people suffering from cancer nausea, glaucoma, chronic pain, and muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis. Randall encouraged AIDS patients to apply to use the unproven drug as he had.

It was a program which Jimmy Carter had established after Randall's case went public. The FDA was suddenly swamped with thousands of unproven drug applications and approved about two dozen more patients by late 1991. However, the Public Health Service under George Bush Sr. stopped approving new participants and ended all marijuana research programs. The patients who had been approved but were still awaiting the drug were never to receive them. Today the government provides marijuana to only 8 of the original 12 patients. The other four have died. Bill Clinton has upheld the ban but added a provision that allows research into the medical benefits.

http://arthritis.about.com/cs/medmarijuana/a/marijuanadebate_2.htm

[rodeodance]

18. wonder if you will say that if you watch a loved one in constant pain relieved

only by a joint!

[Wiley50]

4. Can Somebody post the other dems who voted against it?

If it is one of mine I'm gonna let them hear from ne about it

I could kick their ass!

[AtomicKitten]

8. here's the vote breakdown

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll733.xml

[indepat]

10. This nation is so fucked-up

[Wiley50]

11. Thanks!

[rodeodance]

19. Tammy Baldwin-a AYE----of course she would say yes.

[Bluebear]

12. Good thing we took back the House!

:(

[depakid]

20. There is absolutely NOTHING that these types won't sell out

Nothing at all.

Don't expect any help from them WHEN the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.....

[AtomicKitten]

21. DEA raids LA Medical Marijuana Clinics

DEA raids pot clinics in LA County, irking local officials

By ANDREW GLAZER, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

(07-25) 17:48 PDT Los Angeles (AP) --

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided 10 medical marijuana clinics Wednesday just as city leaders backed a measure calling for an end to the federal government's crackdown on the dispensaries.

Federal officials made five arrests and seized large quantities of marijuana and cash after serving clinics in Los Angeles County with search warrants, said DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen. She refused to disclose the clinics' locations and other details.

It was the agency's second-largest raid on pot dispensaries, and came the same day the Los Angeles City Council introduced an interim ordinance calling on federal authorities to stop targeting pot clinics allowed under state law. A final vote on the ordinance was scheduled next week.

Pullen said the timing of Wednesday's bust and the city's action was "purely coincidental."

Federal and local governments have clashed over the dispensaries ever since California voters approved medical marijuana sales in 1996. The drug remains illegal under federal law.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/07/25/state/n174835D78.DTL&type=politics