Tennessee Votes Forum

Hello All...

I chose the "user name"   WeThePeople   for a very good reason... Over the years I've come to realize that I personify a benchmark of the public attitude on the subject of marijuana. Having studied the subject in great detail for several decades, I believe I can present, in this or any other forum, a very good argument why we need to not only allow the very ill access to marijuana for pain management, but a very broad segment of the population, like myself, believes the whole subject of keeping marijuana illegal in general, is the wrong approach to winning Nixon's famous "War on Drugs".

But back to the micro-segment covered by this bill. Marijuana has therapeutic value. This is now an established medical fact. It's generally recognized as safe for suppressing pain, stimulating the appetite, and relieving the severe symptoms associated with chemo-therapy. I believe there are a multitude of other benefits it could provide if only it were available to the medical community the same as other generally classified drugs. The problem is, marijuana provides a response from the brain which is unlike other "narcotics". Indeed, marijuana is NOT a narcotic. It fits into a classification all its own. And this, by definition, creates a dilemma for the medical community. How do you permit "the public" to have access to a medication for which there is no substitute? More over, by giving them access, you provide implicit consent to the consumption of this "drug" from other sources, i.e. they might just "grow their own"! Shock... Horror.... Imagine, a substance which has benefit, over which the government and industry have no control!

Well, I submit the public has access to it whether the government permits it or not. By its own admission, Tennessee, along with many others, recognizes and proclaims marijuana as the largest cash crop grown in the state. It's against the law now, but in the earlier years of this country, hemp (marijuana is only a Mexican word) was a part of the general medical pharmacopeia and caused no alarm whatsoever. It was a part of the contents of the "little black bag" every doctor carried when he made his house calls. It was recognized to have benefit for a multitude of ailments and was generally dispensed upon request. So why is the public so afraid of hemp now? Our very own government has used the power of the media, starting way back in the early days of alcohol prohibition last century, to "define" hemp (marijuana) as a drug with NO value! All the while the medical community has its hands tied by legislation against its use, even for medical reasons. Until recently, physicians were warned that their medical license could be revoked for even discussing medical use with their patients. This is just plain wrong. Legislators have no more business telling doctors how to practice medicine than a butcher has telling your mechanic how to repair your car. Medicine is based in science but in this case we have allowed our government to put politics before science AND health care.

I will refrain from giving you a very complete detailed history on this subject here, (unless someone wishes to debate me here on it) but will close by saying I believe the hemp plant has economic, medical, and indeed political value in these days. After all, it was the government which made hemp illegal, and it is the government which can reverse this disservice to the public, if for no other reason than medical.

In closing, I challenge you to educate yourself on this topic as I did several decades ago. Look around the reputable websites and other easily accessed media and you too may find there's much more sorted (political) history to this subject than is spoken of in the media today.

 Hopefully this legislation can make out of committee.

 Even though I dont think you speek for me as your screen name implies, I do agree with you on this matter.I do not drink, I do not party or carry on  in any manner of the sort, but the good that could come from hemp should outweigh the so called danger. Making it leagal for medical reasons seams simple. You know churchs wont stand for it, saying we would be making it easier for children to get it. Well if that is so all pain killers should be outlawed. You can argue that for years but these churchs should look at as I do, God put this plant on earth to help his people abuser are there already. That will not change. Controll of the growing and selling of this product would cut proffits for the illeagal dealers therfore cut street dealers. Look at good not all bad.

 Hello, Arthur.Ogle;

Thanks for joining the discussion. Well, having read your reply and seeing no real disagreement with my statements, I'd have to say that by default, generally speaking, I do speak for you as well. It's a shame our government has conducted such a long campaign against this plant that most groups of people, particularly the church would be against RE-legalizing it. Yes, it used to be legal... It was used to make the paper (parchment) which the United States Constitution is written upon. The serious wisdom of that day knew that this paper would outlast them, but I dare say even they didn't think it would last until today! A very versatile plant indeed. To make a comparison using the control ethic the church has, (NOT to discount the benefits the church has to our society) in our bygone centuries, the church accused women of crimes against God for pursuing knowledge of the day. For example, the church adopted brewing (alcohol) as a sacrament because in the days before Pasteur it was not known that yeast was the reason for the actions within the fermentation of grapes or grains. When a batch of grapes or grain were mixed and allowed to stand for a few days, wild yeast would make the resulting liquid alcoholic. If it tasted good, it was described as "God is Good!" and thus, the church took credit. If someone other than the church was able to reproduce the effect, especially if it were a woman, her skills were ascribed as having come from the devil and she was promptly called a WITCH! My point is.... Back then the church was given pervue to 'control' the masses 'in proxy' for the ruling class, whomever they happened to be at the time.

The REAL issue is FEAR.... YES FEAR!!! When people don't know what they are dealing with, they either adopt a fearful position or are easy prey for those who would use fear to persuade them in one manner or another to follow a particular line of thought. This was done with hemp (marijuana) way back in the 1930s for several very good reasons.... but not one of these was for public health or safety. It had everything to do with competition from the emerging plastics, paper, and petrolium industries and those who had the politicians of that day "in their pockets".  Brings back a saying from a not so old song.... "Same as it ever was."

Please research this topic and you'll quickly find what I write here is true.

We need to RE-legalize hemp for ALL it's benefits ... you'll notice I didn't say potential benefits, for those are well known by a small segment of the population, even today.

Who says that, WeThePeople say that....

   I think it's great that you have confidence in your decades of research and experience to write with intelligence on marijuana. I am dissapointed that you didn't say anything on the topic of "Tennessee Medical Marijuana Act 2009". Not specifically. Altho was nice to learn that the declaration of independance was written on parchment made from hemp. John Mc Cain during his recent campaign for presidency talked about William Aires (spelling wrong) and i believe it was on David Letterman he quotes Aires saying, "I wish I had done more." Saying he was talking about bombs.... bombs from 9/11..... becuase William Aires was quoted saying "I wish I had done more." talking about 9/11. Then John Mc Cain says, "What more do you need to know? He said it. What more do you need to know?" Fact was Aires was talking about doing more during his involvement in bombing the pentagon. Suggesting that the government was behind, or somehow involved, with the 9/11 attacks. 

   Now I'm not on point. I am glad that John McCain and Sarah Palin did not get in the White House. They are both screwballs in my opinion.

   So on point of this medical marijuana act 2009 (2007 i think was originally introduced or something; been around for years). I found this forum looking for the full bill, so far I have only read a few summaries. According to Tennessee's website there have been no ammendments to this bill. That strikes me as odd that the bill has been around for a couple of years and no ammendments have been made. I'm curious if any were even suggested? Looking at teh summary there are a few questions, thoughts and ideas I have on the matter.

  Particulary this part of the bill summary I read on the matter of the Medical Marijuana Act 2009 bothered me:

* If there is a decrease in convictions, there would not be a signifigant impact on expenditures related to court proceedings or incarceration due to the legistaltion creating two new criminal offenses which will require resources for prosecution and incarceration.

The 2 new criminal offenses that would need to be enforced they are referring to is for a class B misdemeanor if you counterfeit, or misrepresent, or invalid Medical Identification card, and class A for a second offense. It is ridiculous to even suggest that the bill will not have a signifigant impact the money the court will need to process and house offenders. Why is this even mentioned? If the bill passes it will only be available to the very very very sick who can get a doctor to give them a prescription. A relatively small number of people, who probably were not even smoking cannabis to begin with; therefore not exactly potentiial marijuana convictions. This statement suggests that medical use of marijuana may reduce convictions... we would have to assume marijuana convictions.... then the after suggesting less people would be busted for pot they point out that enacting this bill will create new criminal offenses. Currently noone can be arrested for having a fake Medical Marijuana ID /permit. 

  There are other ways this bill would increase crime. This bill allows the patient to grow their own medicine, or a primary caregiver to grow for the patient. I have to say again I not found more then a few summaries on the internet, not a full documentation of the bill in it's history over the years. I am just now finding out about this bill. (I have to think they aren't tryign to make any waves in the Big Orange Boat) But I have to ask myself have they looked at other states that have similar legislation? I've seen concerns from patients and growers, especially in regards to identification cards. When you give someone a card that says "Medical Marijuana Permit" And put name addreess, or personal information on it, it only makes them a target.

   In plain english I have to say... Making ANYONE get a fucking Identification Card for using or growing pot (unless you're a farmer or selling in large quantities) is fucking absurd. Cannabis is FAR SAFER than many prescription drugs out there. My father has been on pain medications for as long as I can remember. (I'm 27) He's had prescriptions for MANY pills, I could barely name them. I do not take pills, nothing more then an asprin or ibuprofen anyway.  But he's had a lot of the mainstream meds. He has never, nor anyone else taking pharmacutical drugs (narcotic or non-narcotic), ever had to get an Identification Card. What purpose do these cards serve? They do not protect the patient, if anything it makes them a target. For someone to come take there medication, steal their crops, anything else they can get while they are there; or even punk kids stealing the cards. The only purpose I saw in the bill for the cards was so that officers could call the toll-free number (until computer servers set-up) to confirm the validity of a cardholder, authorizing the use of, and possession of.

   We should not be making new laws without first reforming the existing laws. These cards are a waste of time, money, energy and do nothing more then give the illusion of control. It's down right outrageous that you can carry a bottle of pills in your pocket with a legal prescription that if taken improperly, or used by another person, could result in death or serious injury. While requiring fucking ID cards to carry pot, that you would have to try REALLY fucking hard to die from using. A tiny pill is ok, a herb wrapped in paper BAD, unless it's tobacco. 

   I would like to offer a remedy, I understand it would take a long-time and a lot of language must be reformed. But definatley make cannabis ( I should say first, STOP calling it marijuana; has hundreds of other names call it something else) a health issue for recreational use. Cannabis would definatley offset the tobacco and alcohol industry, along with all the many other applications of hemp. Farming, plastics, paper, fiber and fabric, food, yadda yadda yadda. I would suggest also that EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE, SENATE,....EVERYONE USE CANNABIS and see first-hand why it is so important to relax and come together on common ground where we all grow cannabis. It is safe, it is natural, it is helpful, it should be an everyday household item. And when it is... there will be no crime about it. Noone will have to steal a plentiful plant, worry about selling it, carrying it... it's everywhere. Supply and demand.

   If we all do a little, we can do pot. YES, We Cannabis!

 I do wish that ill patients could have medicinal herb to calm their symptoms and side effects.  But I believe this bill is going to make it more difficult to inform and educate the public that herb is safe, and not at all dangerous once you take the mystery away form it. What I mean by that isn't the usualy bullshit about "Pot's mystique" and being a gateway drug. What I'm saying is when parent tell their teenage kids, "Listen I don't want you to smoke herb, but I REALLY don't want you having sex either. So if you have to do one of the two smoke pot; it's way safer than sex and it's actually a relationship about love." Maybe not exactly like that, but you get the idea.

  I like what WeThePeople said about the church and "God is Good!" about the wine. It is quite strange, I think the church od older days might have tried to take credit or support cannabis as being "God is Good!" ya know, but modern day (American-)Christians would never buy the Genesis argument, "All seed-bearing plants given to you". Not likely to get much support from them at all really, which is quite sad considering how many people use, and like using, cannabis. I'm not Christian, or religious by most means, but I do smoke herb and I have to say from personal experience it can bring a person closer to god. (lower case g not capital G on purpose) It can put a person at ease with living in their own skin, dealing with stress (both distress and eustress) of everyday life. Getting stoned and finding enlightenment should not be a crime. It should never be something anyone has to do. (That was an attack at religous groups; especially the ones waking me up at 1 in the afternoon asking me how I feel about Jesus. I swear next time they come by I'm going to bring them in and talk with them...smoking a joint of course, because that's when I can't shut up and smoking is where I find enlightenment and enhancement.)

  Ok lastly , I do want to also say there is a flip-side to the argument of Cannabis. Please be very careful about legislation, and knowledge concerning other "natural" drugs. Some examples being mushrooms, payotee (however ya spell it; the cactus), salvia and other hallucenagenic flowers and herbs etc etc. Cannabis is a mild psychoactive, some others are not so mild, and certaintly not so safe. If this is approached with health, safety, and agriculture in mind it can be done safely and justly. But if the pot-prohibiton were to end, or re-legalized (WeThePeople pointed out it was legal; in fact it was law in George Washington's time that farmers MUST grow hemp for its fiber and probably for smoke as well.)..if pot is finaly as it should be and not criminal then criminals who profit from pot being outlawed are going to try to make up for lost profits. Assumabley by either selling more of the "harder drugs", making really cheap drugs, or selling other "natural" highs. The hope is tho that having alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and cannabis the American public will have no demand for other illicit drugs like heroin, cocaine, meth, ecstacy, etc etc. Of course the demand will not be eliminated, but hopefully- it will signifigantly decrease.

   I would fully-support a "Grow your own" law for cannabis. If you want to use it, grow your own. Keep it illegal to sell, without a license, and give out your silly ID cards to growers. Who will not have to carry it on them due to cannabis being legal to possess and use in the same manner as alcohol. Including no driving while under the influence of marijuana. A BAC test might not be able to show how high someone is, but if their is reasonable suspicion that somone is driving high then action might be taken. If it is determined that they are endangering public safety by being on the road.

  Less restrictions on marijuana; put the police force to better use. Selling a single pharmacy pill for $50-$120 each on the street or whatever is way more dangerous to the public then an ounce of pot for about the same. I mean think about it.... One pill like $80 last a person maybe 1 day. I'd have to smoke all day from time i get home til time i go to bed non-stop to smoke an ounce of pot in a day.

  So much to say on the subject. I want to just change it to a Health, Agriculture, and Spiritual matter rather than just one or two of those as I said before. If I had a religion it would be smoking pot religously every day. And still being a decent, productive member of society. No one would have to drink any poisoned kool-aid either. Keep the subject alive, talk about it with everyone you know. Get them to talk about it. It relates to just about every subject directly or philosophically.

I have to say,judging by your ramblings,you must have had a little just before you wrote this.However,being a cancer survivor,I think cannabis should be legalized period.I did alot of research and never found ONE case where anyone died from too much pot!Unlike any of the pain meds that I've had to take for the last 6 years(i.e.,Dilauted,Morphine,Oxycontin,Hydrocodone,Demerol,Fentanyl,etc.,etc.).Yes,I had to take them all!I had spinal cord cancer and between the cancer,radiation,and surgery I nearly died twice.The cancer was in such a position where it damaged the nerves affecting the entire left side of my body at my brain stem.I was in extreme pain,suffered sickening headaches,vomiting bouts,couldn't eat and suffered serious weight problems.All of the pain meds they gave me only dulled the pain a little.Then when I became so ill my doctors thought I would die within 6 months,one doctor told me a little cannabis might make me a bit more comfortable.It actually let me eat,reduced my headaches and vomiting,improved my outlook,AND helped my pain along with the meds.I had less than 6 months to live and that was 6 YEARS ago!During my research the only downside I saw from cannabis was the violence caused on the streets from it being classified an illegal drug!Cannabis WAS legal until it was caught up in the prohibition era by being classified along with Heroin,Cocaine,Alchohol,etc..This shouldn't even be a debate.I say let the voters decide just like liquor by the drink.The right wing will never want cannabis legalized simply because the corrections system is big buisness and makes ALOT of revenue!They also have one of the biggest lobbys next to finance and insurance.A person should not be thrown in prison with rapist and murderers for having a little pot.He's probably just going home to smoke,eat,and take a nap!Only the criminalzation of cannabis is creating crimes!Legalize it already! 

Thanks a lot for the information. I read the discussions and information here and I learned a lot from this. I'm looking for this topic so that I can use this for my research. I'll read more posts here for more information.

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Or maybe marijuana legalization overall and not just medical marijuana would be a solution. This way we have better control on the use of this drug. It's a proven fact that an illegal drug is more likely to be binged than a legal drug. I am not a drug use supporter, in fact I am against drugs, I've seen what they can do, I checked this drug rehab centers New York reference for all the information I needed. Marijuana is not the most dangerous drug out there. There is too much debate around it. Legal or illegal, the authorities should solve the problem once and for all.

I agree, the information shared here is great.

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