420 Use and Health

[Crow]

Czech Republic

Czech Health Ministry to legalise medical cannabis

The Czech Health Ministry says it will take steps to change the law to allow medical marijuana on prescription for the first time.

The Czech Ministry of Health has indicated that it will take marijuana off the list of banned substances and allow it to be prescribed by doctors for its medical effects.

“By the end of this year we will submit to parliament an amended law on addictive substances which will move marihuana from the list of banned substances to the list of those which can be prescribed,” Deputy Health Minister Martin Plíšek pledged, as cited Wednesday by the daily Hospodářské noviny.

Article continued at http://www.ceskapozice.cz/en/news/po...ical-marijuana

[snusgetter]

Such a magnanimous gesture!!
The gob'mint actually grows it and produces the cigs!
Wonder what the cost is to US taxpayers for this service?

[Premium Parrots]

300 a month each!?! crap. I must be getting old.


either that or its ditch weed.

[wa3zrm]

Get Pot for FREE!!!!

Americans Get Pot From US Government
http://www.wlky.com/news/29325812/detail.html ^ | 9/28/2011 | WLKY
Posted on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 10:00:09 AM

EUGENE, Ore. -- The U.S. government considers marijuana among the world's most dangerous drugs, classifying it as a highly-addictive substance that has no medical use.
But there's a catch: The government also supplies four people with 300 marijuana cigarettes each month. They are patients in the government's Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program.
The program began when a Washington, D.C., man sued the government in order to get access to marijuana to treat his glaucoma. He won, and the program was born.
The pot is grown in Mississippi as part of the government's research into marijuana. It's then sent to a facility in North Carolina, where it is rolled into cigarettes.
The government distributed more than 100 pounds of high-grade marijuana to patients between 2005 and 2011.

[Crow]

A Pot Pardon Plea: Prisoner Seeks Presidential Pardon For Thirty Year Sentence For First Offense

Below is a request from a NORML member and recently retired prison employee from Illinois seeking a presidential pardon for a man sentenced ten years ago as a teenager to thirty years for a first time marijuana offense.

One of the reasons the walls of Cannabis Prohibition are coming down faster and faster these days is because of citizens like George from Oakford, who can no longer stand idly by and be witness to the waste and cruelty of incarcerating citizens for so-called marijuana-related ‘crimes’.

George’s signature is first, mine is second…will you please join us in asking President Obama to pardon Jason Spyres after he has served 10 years for a ‘crime’, that some day soon will no longer be a crime.

Thanks in advance for caring and sharing,

-Allen St. Pierre
Executive Director
NORML
Washington, D.C.

—— Forwarded Message
From: George A.
Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:50:05 -0500
Subject: Need Help?

Hi: I am a NORML member and wanted to ask you to circulate a White House Petition that only needs 150 signatures(online) to become searchable (under marijuana or cannabis). It is:

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petition...harge/mxbD3tDp

I would appreciate your response or suggestions. It is in regard to an Illinois inmate who got locked up for 30 years, of which he has served about 10 years, for a first time marijuana offense. He was first locked up as a teenager. I worked as a Correctional Officer around this inmate and know that he does not deserve to be locked up for so long. I retired in 09 and can now help this young man fight for his deserved freedom. Please help if you can.

George A.
Oakford, IL

[Crow]

Feds To Legal Medical Marijuana Patients: You Don’t Have Second Amendment Rights. Period.

The federal government, notably under the current administration, continues to paint itself into a corner politically speaking regarding Mr. Obama’s pre-election promises to ‘fix the problem with medical marijuana’.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) issued a memorandum on September 21 to all gun dealers in the United States for the expressed purpose of informing them that they MUST discriminate against lawful medical cannabis patients and DENY them their Second Amendment right to buy and possess a firearm for hunting and/or personal protection.

The feds newest ‘clarifying’ memo regarding medical cannabis (proceeding the 2009 Ogden and 2011 Cole memos) is notable because members of NORML’s Legal Committee recently have been successfully challenging local and state law enforcement officials who’ve chosen to discriminate against lawful medical cannabis patients by denying them permits for a concealed weapon.

Why is it OK and does it make any sense at all for lawful medical patients who are prescribed powerful painkillers and sedatives to be able to enjoy their Second Amendment rights and responsibilities, but medical cannabis patients who want to hunt or have self-protection in their homes are overtly discriminated against by our own federal government?

This new ATF memo will provide an interesting test to see if the National Rifle Association really does support citizens’ rights to bear arms.

[Mdisch]

You're kidding me right? You equate legal/illegal, with good/bad? Jumping off of a bridge is not illegal. Does this not send amessage ot kids that its ok? And why do you need to depend on the law to let your kids know whats right and wrong, or good or bad, or ok or not ok. Thats not the law's job, its yours, as a parent. If you do your job as a parent, it won't matter if drugs are legal or not, because you will have parented them and instilled your morals and values upon them.

I hate when I hear people pass of the responsibility of parenting by putting it in the laws hands.

And if you really believe what you typed, man, you really got some learning to do.

I hear you! It's the parents responsibility to keep their kids off drugs - well to some extend at least!
Personally I do not consider Marijuana to be a drug more than Nicotine and Alcohol are drugs - and I expect that we all here use nicotine products(I mean, why else would we be here?).
Alcohol is very much more likely to cause severe addiction and brain damage that marijuana. And nicotine is probably the most addicting product I can think of, and we sure as hell love that! I find that TheJanitor's post is a bit hypocritical in this sense. It's like parents saying "don't drink!" and then pop open a cold one. You, as a parent, should set the limits for your kids and be responsible for their actions until a certain age. I understand your concern TheJanitor, but to be frank I find it to be completely over the top. Do not worry that it is legal, be pleased that it is not sold by bikers and chain-gangs!

(I take no responsibility for anything I just wrote, since I am very much under the influence of alcohol myself... - see how dangerous it can be?)

[BadAxe]

Legalizing drugs is stupid as hell. Weed included. I have kids, and legalization would send the message that drugs are OK. Medicinal use huh? Cocaine and Heroin have medicinal properties as well. Should it all just be sitting on the counter at Walgreens? More availability=more addicts. More addicts equals more crime, poverty and ruined lives. Genius.....

You're kidding me right? You equate legal/illegal, with good/bad? Jumping off of a bridge is not illegal. Does this not send amessage ot kids that its ok? And why do you need to depend on the law to let your kids know whats right and wrong, or good or bad, or ok or not ok. Thats not the law's job, its yours, as a parent. If you do your job as a parent, it won't matter if drugs are legal or not, because you will have parented them and instilled your morals and values upon them.

I hate when I hear people pass of the responsibility of parenting by putting it in the laws hands.

And if you really believe what you typed, man, you really got some learning to do. Why would you think drugs being legal means buying them over the counter at a Walgreens? Why would you think legality of drugs would equal more drug addicts? People that are going to try drugs do not try them or not try them based on the legality of them. They are so easy to get, that those that will be drug addicts will be. It has absolutely nothing to do with them being legal or not. Its closed minds like this that stop is from finally wasting so much damn money (and raising it for the gov't) on the stupid ass war on drugs.

[Crow]

4 Americans get pot from US government

Irvin Rosenfeld (one of four remaining federal cannabis patients) spoke out in favor of medical cannabis before a Michigan congressional committee back in 2006. Two years later, voters passed an initiative making Michigan the 13th medical cannabis state in the union:

[BadAxe]

That's a shame.

Putting all the 'pot talk' aside: What you just said is a prime example of what's wrong with American society today; people only looking out for themselves.

You couldn't be more wrong about me. If you knew how many people i relieve of pain for no money whatsoever. What I meant by the statement is that MJ being legal will not end up being the way people think it will. The reason there are states with it legal for medical purposes have nothing to do with it being the right thing to do, its only about money, which is why its so unregulated, and why no one takes medical MJ that seriously. It was just a compromise by those states to make millions. If they ever made it completely recreationally legal, like alcohol, I do not think those that like MJ, for recreation or for medical purposes will like how it all shakes out. In the end, I really feel that we have it better now, the way it is, then if the gov't ever made it legal, because the conditions of its legality would make it a much worse state of affairs then it is today. So for those reasons, I do not care if its ever legal, because I have it better now then i will then. And my patients thank me for it.

[snusgetter]

4 Americans get pot from US government

"The U.S. government considers marijuana among the world's
most dangerous drugs, classifying it as a highly-addictive
substance that has no medical use.

But there's a catch: The government also supplies four people
with 300 marijuana cigarettes each month.

..."


Such a magnanimous gesture!!
The gob'mint actually grows it and produces the cigs!
Wonder what the cost is to US taxpayers for this service?

[Mdisch]

A'ight - Apology accepted.
I guess you are welcome, even though I do still believe that this is not quite the forum to discuss this.
I guess I cannot truly put myself in your place, since I am not a resident of the United States, nor am I a patient in need of medicinal Marijuana.
Truly that you only post in this thread is not a direct concern of mine, but more so is it that this sudden discussion of I-502 has eliminated the previous discussions we've had regarding the, well , not-so-important use of Marijuana.
Also looking at your name has raised a question ; are you one person, or several people?

[Crow]

Washington (US)

King County Bar Association: International Trends in Drug Policy

The report found that “the continued arrest, prosecution and incarceration of persons violating the drug laws has failed to reduce the chronic societal problem of drug abuse and its attendant public and economic costs." Further, the Task Force found that toughening drug-related penalties has not resulted in enhanced public safety nor has it deterred drug-related crime nor reduced recidivism by removing drug offenders from the community.

http://www.kcba.org/druglaw/pdf/report_it.pdf

[Crow]

New York (US)

New York City: Police Commissioner Calls On Officers To Curb Marijuana Arrests

[Editor's note: This post is excerpted from this week's forthcoming NORML weekly media advisory. To have NORML's media alerts and legislative advisories delivered straight to your in-box, sign up here. To watch NORML's weekly video summary of the week's top stories, click here.]

New York City police officers are to cease making misdemeanor marijuana arrests in cases where the contraband was not displayed in public view, according to an internal order issued late last week by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and reported by the New York Post.

Although simple marijuana possession is a noncriminal violation in New York State, if the marijuana is ‘open to public view’ police can charge a suspect with a criminal misdemeanor.

In 2010, city police made 50,383 lowest level marijuana possession arrests [NY State Penal Law 221.10] involving cases where marijuana was either used or possessed in public. The total was the second highest in the city’s history and was an increase of over 5,000 percent from 1990, when police reported fewer than 1,000 low-level pot arrests. Over 85 percent of those charged typically are either African American or Latino.

However, an investigation in April by New York City public radio station WNYC questioned the legality of many of those arrested. It concluded that police routinely conduct warrantless ‘stop-and-frisk’ searches of civilians, find marijuana hidden on their persons, and then falsely charge them with possessing pot ‘open to public view.’

The Commissioner’s new order stipulates that marijuana discovered during a police search is a violation punishable by a ticket only. The memo states that if the contraband ‘was disclosed to public view at an officer’s direction’ then it is not sufficient evidence that a suspect is in violation of state Penal Law 221.10.

Queens College sociologist Harry Levine, who has documented the racial disparity in arrest rates in New York City and elsewhere, stated: “[I’m] pleased that the NYPD agrees that these marijuana arrests have not been proper and will begin to curtail them. We are always encouraged when the police decide to obey the law.” He added: “New York City’s routine policing practices, especially for drug possession, require major reform. This is only the first step.”

Bipartisan legislation that seeks to reduce penalties for those in violation of Penal Law 221.10 to a non-criminal violation remains pending in the state assembly.

An online analysis of marijuana arrest in New York and other major cities nationwide is now available online by the Marijuana Arrests Research Project at: http://www.marijuana-arrests.com.

[Crow]

You're fine by me Patients Against I-502. I think I speak for a lot of the rest of the members when I say: if you want to join our forum to discuss only one topic in only one thread, I don't give a shit! Welcome.

My sentiments exactly. Welcome!

Since you're posting on a snus forum, I feel I should ask you this: Do you use tobacco? If so, have you tried snus?