Recently, I went into the doctor with a sprained shoulder. After a quick x-ray, which showed no fractures, etc., he (without me asking) quickly wrote me a prescription for 30 Vicodin.

Thinking about it later, I realized that I could’ve been faking (I really wasn’t though) and would’ve walked out with 30 Class III narcotic pills. My uncle who has severe migraines, however, had to provide copies of his many MRIs and extensive medical records documenting his disease before a doctor would prescribe him medical marijuana.

The irony is that eating the whole bottle of Vicodin would’ve surely killed me, but eating an entire crop of marijuana wouldn’t have. (Still, I wouldn’t recommend it.)

That said, I’m much more concerned about the dangers of prescription drug abuse than I am about the abuse of marijuana, but I’d never argue that we should curtail the prescribing of narcotic painkillers out of fears of abuse. After all, it’s not the pain patients’ problem, but rather the individual addict making the bad choices.

While it is true that many clubs get their pot from dealers, many do not. We grow what we can by law, we keep what we can by law, we give away for FREE the remainder to the collective who in turn give that to people who can legally use the plant. That’s the way it’s supposed to work, read the 215 and 420 documentation.

Crack down on the offenders and leave the “grow and give it away to the sick FOR FREE” and the “following the letter of the law” people alone.

Compassionate Care means free, at least at this point in time.

Further, if you see and or smell people using their “medicine” at a park, call the cops, if you see things going on at the local pot store near your home, call the cops. This type of behaviour is not in concert with the letter of the law.

And yes, vaporizers and eating the plant is the way to go.

People, follow the Compassionate Care credo and you will not get hassled, by anyone.

http://www.meetup.com/Fallbrook-FREE-medical-Marijuana-CO-OPs-formation-group/

The law should be changed alright, but to full-on LEGALIZATION of cannabis.

It is non-lethal, and less addictive than alcohol or cigarettes. I’m tired of paying for our nanny-state to put non-violent drug users in jail, and pay for their food and meals.

LET THEM do all the drugs they like! They will eventually either die, or realize they can’t live like that.

In the meantime, 26 MILLION Americans used pot in the last year, we only have 3 million (already occupied) prison beds. HOW can we win the ‘War on Drugs’ if we don’t have the prison space to house 10 PERCENT of our population?!

Prohibition, a fools errand, an utter failure so far.

How many black markets card your kid before they buy drugs?

Check out the documentary – In Pot We Trust

Dear [Congressperson's Name]:
I’m writing to ask that you consider becoming a co-sponsor of HR 2835, the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act. HR 2835 provides a high-profile opportunity for you to be a powerful voice for the good of the American people. This is an important area for champions of both personal liberty and States’ rights to acknowledge that medical decision making belongs to doctors and patients, not law enforcement agencies and criminal prosecutors.

Sometimes the discussion about the medical use of marijuana gets mixed together with concerns about generalized legalization of marijuana. I know that as a physician you’re already aware that marijuana in various forms, not necessarily smoked, has been used therapeutically for centuries in many parts of the world. Marijuana appears to provide relief from pain, nausea, and other symptoms, with fewer ill effects and a greater margin of safety than many other classes of drugs. In particular, marijuana appears to be far safer than the narcotic drugs commonly administered for pain, and safer even than the non-narcotic drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and related compounds that are responsible for a few hundred fatal poisonings each year (http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/15sep97/nsaid.htm).

In 2008, the American College of Physicians stated: “Evidence not only supports the use of medical marijuana in certain conditions but also suggests numerous indications for cannabinoids. Additional research is needed to further clarify the therapeutic value of cannabinoids and determine optimal routes of administration. The science on medical marijuana should not be obscured or hindered by the debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana for general use.” (http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/other_issues/medmarijuana.pdf)

Thank you for taking the time to consider HR 2835; I would be really pleased to hear that you have signed on as a co-sponsor of this important legislation for well being of so many Americans.