[cardinal43]

Think of the boost in tourist dollars for Colorado from those who wish to get high in the mountains. A great influx of money for many businesses.

Now you know why John Denver was singing about ...."Rocky Mountain High".

[ddjchemist]

This is a great business oportunity for us in WA. Thanks god I moved to Seattle from Indianapolis a year ago (the best decission in my life). Those deprived of their freedom to smoke god-given green in "freedom loving states" are welcome to visit the great city of Seattle and beautiful state of WA, enjoy breath-taking landscape, and some of the best green on planet earth. I am already having my friends from Indy calling me and asking to visit as soon as the process of legalization goes through.

[ddjchemist]

By the way, my sister lives in Boulder, CO, so we both ended up in the only two states that are poised to legalize pot. What a luck!!

[debmalya]

It's a good start. For a country supposedly so worried about government spending, pot prohibition is just an unnecessary and huge expense, particularly to the states.

Could also reduce some health care costs: one reason it's so opposed is cause the medicinal use can really do the job of a lot of medicine. I'd be pretty interested in trying that out just cause it's indicated for a lot of what ails me, even if I don't actually like it recreationally.

Yeah - especially for the republicans. They can benefit from that stuff during this time of duress.

[Ratmagiclady]

Yeah - especially for the republicans. They can benefit from that stuff during this time of duress.

Duress?

I dunno, there's always someone that gets paranoid when stoned, and I'm inclined to suspect they'd be among the ones.

I suppose you're right, there, Gene. It'd be ironic if they ever legalized it down here. I bet I could grow some half-decent stuff in my yard, and it'd be a lot less potent than the stuff sold illegally out there, at such great expense for all concerned. It's one thing about the prohibition is that people ended up pressured to make more and more potent stuff grown indoors or out of the country and all. There's been recurring things about illegal dealers in the neighborhood, too. I've listened somewhat unsympathetically when they complained how much the raids cost considering the poor dears were making mere thousands a week selling or whatever. (But it did show an awful lot of the utter imbalance and hypocrisy about it all. Yeah, the cops indeed would be going for the big spectacular busts at huge taxpayer expense, and only accomplishing driving more people to meth. )

Anyway, it'd be kind of amusing if I could be growing some for medicinal purposes, maybe making something out of the fiber, both doing something productive with my disability and potentially treating it at the same time. And if any kids bothered to steal some, they'd likely be getting rather weak tea instead of whatever the pushers are selling. That's assuming it fared any better than my tomatoes. But it's supposed to be relatively easy in its wilder forms.

[Just1MoreDave]

Some medical marijuana use is a scam, and some is not. I have family members who could not tolerate chemotherapy as well any other way. Very few would trade a tumor for a toke.

The benefit (at least for another four years) of a medical marijuana law is that the Obama administration operates under an executive order not to enforce the laws against those with a valid medical marijuana license. No such latitude extends to states which do the honest thing and legalize for recreation.

She uses "scam" because for ordinary prescription drugs, the FDA looks at data, decides the drug works for a particular treatment, and approves it. Marijuana can't even be studied like those drugs in the US, because it's classified as impossibly dangerous. The legislature looked at some limited evidence that's nowhere near the amount of data required for typical drug approval, came up with some conditions that might see some benefit, and made it legal. They also created a separate distribution system. Since she is both an MD and a scientist, she feels like this is cheating the system on multiple levels. She holds out the possibility that it might be a useful drug for something.

[magkelly]

At the rate they are going soon the only pain drugs left are going to Tylenol and drugs like Ibuprofen. Yes, people abuse painkillers. It's a major issue but you also have people like me for whom Tylenol and Advil are practically useless and who need something a little stronger once in a while. FYI, I've never abused my meds. I'm very careful not to take enough of anything to get addicted. But I'm suffering my arse off and hoarding the one bottle of Vicodin I still have left because I know that the next time I go to get that refilled I probably won't be able to.

I have 3 f-in discs above and two below that are utterly messed up and no insurance for more surgery. I've already had 2 repaired. When I walk it feels like I'm walking on knives basically. On top of that I have another medical condition that can cause me excruciating body pain sometimes and intense migraines. My stomach can't take the Advil type drugs. My liver doesn't really like Tylenol even at so called normal doses. Vico works, sort of. But Darvocet was far better only now that's not even something you can get. Oxycotin, that was killer great, had that after my surgery, but I very quickly realized that taking that stuff wasn't going to be good for me long term and so I didn't go there.

Darvocet though, that stuff was the difference between hellish pain and bearable pain sometimes and I really do miss that because Vico is a pale substitute and it can make me sick to my stomach besides. I've been thinking about trying marijuana actually, eating it anyhow, probably would have by now if I could get it easily here, but if I go there I could risk being busted.

I really hate this war on drugs thing sometimes. People can drink themselves into a stupor, smoke tobacco like crazy and no one cares unless they get into a car and kill someone. In the meantime you can't light up a joint and not face imprisonment? I mean where is the logic in that? Tobacco and alcohol kill people all the time. When was the last time someone died because of smoking a joint? Yeah, smoke too much and you might go temporarily sterile or get a bit dumb and paranoid, but I've never actually met a marijuana addict. I've met a few people who like their weed a little too much, but a weedaholic? Nope.

So, which is more addictive, pot or alcohol? Alcohol, most definitely but that's the legal substance? Makes a lot of sense that. I'm not advocating rampant drug usage but I really do think the whole hoohah over marijuana usage is way overblown and I don't think that the abuse of certain pills should mean that no one should ever be able to get properly medicated. I think it's kind of mean actually to penalize people who live in real pain for the actions of some addicts. There should be a middle road and there's just not lately.

Seattle is actually on my radar as someplace I'd like to live someday. Not just because it looks like a lovely town, and has tons of cool photography people and related things, but because I could actually get medical marijuana there. Can't go now though. I could probably convince both my aunt and step mom to move with me and likely will when the time comes but my Dad? Not in a million years unfortunately. He just doesn't do hippie states or colder weather than 75 degrees. Colorado would be out though. Nice place for a visit but no ocean means no sale for me. I need the ocean within a quick train or car ride or I'd go nuts. Can't live in the middle of the country away from a major ocean. I actually prefer the Pacific but the Atlantic has it's charms too...

---

Last edited by magkelly; 11-07-2012 at 09:24 PM.

[Jasvox]

Federal law does more than frown upon it. Possession of any amount is punishable by a $1,000 fine and/or jail time for the first offense. The second offense has mandatory jail. As a practical matter, the feds haven't gone after possession cases, which are often petty misdemeanors under state laws. Selling any amount is punishable by 5 years and/or $250,000 in fines.

Matter of speech, but thank you for the details. I guess we wil see how Federal laws and local laws clash here in these two states. In my opinion, the Feds should stay out of it and let the peoples will be done. Tax it, sell it for less than the street cost and see what happens.

Jason

[Medium FormatPro]

And every state in america has enough problems with the existing legal items now such as alcohol related laws. In most states a dui or even a dwi on't mean much any more beyond fines. What we have here is millions of americans every week of the year that drive dwi - thereby risking a vehicle of "about" one ton being operated like Russian roulette.

It's unfortunate that the entire legal and justice sytem in america are far beyond the need for revision

[GeneV]

She uses "scam" because for ordinary prescription drugs, the FDA looks at data, decides the drug works for a particular treatment, and approves it.....

I am familiar with how the FDA works in approving drugs. Marijuana derivatives have been approved by the FDA for the use to which I was referring, and it has been studied quite a bit. Marijuana

It is an entirely new can of worms, but it raises the question of to what extent the FDA approval system is a "scam." Not everything with a valid "medical" use (as I would use that term) common around the world is or ever will be FDA approved. There have probably been more test subjects for marijuana than most approved drugs. Most people don't use a placebo with it, but I don't think it would have been a big seller for a century if it didn't have some effects which are pretty consistent with the "medical" use claimed.

That being said, there are many scams with all kinds of measures which have medical and recreational uses.

[GeneV]

Matter of speech, but thank you for the details. I guess we wil see how Federal laws and local laws clash here in these two states. In my opinion, the Feds should stay out of it and let the peoples will be done. Tax it, sell it for less than the street cost and see what happens.
Jason

I am already dealing quite a bit with this clash in my practice advising owners of rental property who have tenants obtaining a medical marijuana license. Under federal law, the controlled substance is still illegal, but there is a Justice Dept. directive that it won't be enforced against a licensee. Other federal agencies say it won't be protected under federal laws pertaining to disabilities, and a tenant may still be kicked out of subsidized housing for it. Nevertheless, it may still be protected by state and local laws on accommodation of persons with disabilities. And the knot gets more and more complex.

[seacapt]

You Tube

You Tube

[normhead]

What's pathetic is that what these folks are doing is described as "criminal activity" even if they aren't hurting anyone except possibly themselves. I've always failed to see the point in smoking up because it makes you temporarily stupid... and why would you pay to get stupid? but criminal? please, what a farce. The reason these guys are like this is because by any standard of morality, they aren't doing anything wrong. For any normal person, the evils of weed are not readily apparent. Funny how the same people who want smaller government etc. want bigger government, when it comes to deciding what people smoke.

[Winder]

She uses "scam" because for ordinary prescription drugs, the FDA looks at data, decides the drug works for a particular treatment, and approves it. Marijuana can't even be studied like those drugs in the US, because it's classified as impossibly dangerous. The legislature looked at some limited evidence that's nowhere near the amount of data required for typical drug approval, came up with some conditions that might see some benefit, and made it legal. They also created a separate distribution system. Since she is both an MD and a scientist, she feels like this is cheating the system on multiple levels. She holds out the possibility that it might be a useful drug for something.

I wouldn't put too much stock in what the FDA says. The FDA gets money if they hit their performance goals. Who provides the money? PhRMA. Who sets the goal? PhRMA. Who determines if the FDA gets this money? PhRMA. Who wrote the legislation for Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA)? PhRMA.

There is no money for drug companies in marijuana. If there is no money in it for the drug companies, then there is no money in it for the FDA. Drug companies paid around $500,000,000.00 to the FDA to review their drugs in 2010. Nobody is going to pay for the FDA to review marijuana because nobody can patent it.

There are plenty of studies on marijuana and the University of Mississippi has several acres of it growing on campus as part of a research project. The marijuana there is sent to several research facilities around the country, but I have no idea how much of it is used for medical research. There was a government approved research program that ran from 1978 to 1991 for medical marijuana, but I don't know what findings were or if it was ever published for public review.

The government just needs to decriminalize it and let it go. Financially the war on drugs has been a failure, and the damage it has done far exceed the benefits. I'm sure people in Mexico would be really happy (and much safer) if we would stop financing the Mexican drug cartels.

[Medium FormatPro]

Plus through the many, many loopholes in government lack of regulation; companies such as GNC sell items that are worse than most illegal drugs.

I always wondered why so called (labeled) professional athletes sometimes managed to test positive for steroid use. Aren't they paid enough to get legal versions through places such as GNC?