Under Obama, the taxpayer will be FORCED TO BUY MARIJUANA for CHILDREN. I’m not kidding or exaggerating. Obama has directed that his federal government not get in the way of California’s “medical” marijuana laws and wants to expand funding for medicaid. Since high schools in California are already forced to allow teenagers with “prescriptions” to smoke pot in school, it’s not a stretch at all for these “prescription drugs” to be covered undered the expanded medicaid funding. What’s next??? Taxpayer funded opium dens… er… ah… “medical clinics”???

what dr manny? no ONDCP derived propaganda on the ills of marijuana use and its lack of medicinal properties despite large and increasing amounts of anecdotal and scientific evidence to the contrary? you disappoint me dr manny.

For the life of me I still don’t understand what the big fuss is all about concerning maijuana. I do believe it has positive medical benefits. Even medical issues aside the taboo of marijauna and grouping of it with the likes of harder addictive drugs is an unnecessary policy. Granted no one can honestly promote smoking of any kind due to obvious health risks I do, however, fail to see any other specific risks higher than those of consumption of alcohol or use of tobacco. Thus I don’t understand the need for the criminaliztion of it’s use. It creates a black market and thus a criminal stronghold on that market. Kind of like alcohol during prohibition. It could be regulated.

Pamela, I hate to tell you but there are already taxpayer funded opium dens. They’re called methadone clinics. And wouldn’t that be a bigger issue with doctor presciptions in general instead of just marijuana? Replace the word marijuana with lortab or oxycontin or xanex in your comment and it still rings just as true. Why not outlaw all prescription drugs that could potentially produce some sort of “intoxication?” The reason we do not is the same reason we should not for marijuana. JMO

Until we start hearing stories of patients complaining that medical marijuana is harming them or not taking care of their prescibed-for ills, you must make the assuption that the prescribing doctor made the right choice for his patient. I have no medical degree, so I must assume that a doctor knows more about what is and what is not medicine than me, just as when I go to repair is computer he can’t tell me what’s wrong with it because he didn’t go to school for it. Barring a patient from their medicine because “someone might get high” is simply unconcienable. The federal govenment has no business rooting through your medicine cabinet or joining you on your doctor’s visit any more that you have the right to go rooting through classified documents.

Dr. Man, you neglect to say that the federal government provides marijuana under a medical need.

http://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/MEDICAL/george.html

The whole argument about legalizing medical marijuana seems slightly ridiculous when you realize the substances that are already legal for medical usage in this country – for example, cocaine can still be used legally under certain circumstances. I do think that CA has been very lax about enforcement, however – if you’re going to legalize marijuana just for medical use, you should have it be classified as a Schedule II drug (like cocaine – makes it legal for only very limited purposes, and doctors must have special certification to be able to prescibe these drugs) and sold within the context of a pharmacy. From the documentaries I’ve seen on marijuana usage in CA, anyone can set up shop as a “medical marijuana” distributor, and their shops bear a striking resemblance to the hash bars in New Amsterdam. That probably wasn’t the intent of the legislation originally proposed, but that’s how it’s being handled in practice.

Personally, I think they should just legalize marijuana entirely. From a medical viewpoint, it’s not healthy for you, but it’s no worse physically than smoking cigarettes, and probably not much more intoxicating than alcohol. Legalize it, then tax it! Take money away from drug cartels and into the hands of legitimate US businessmen – you never hear about tobacco profits fueling Columbian drug lords! And our government could certainly use the extra revenue from the taxes right about now!

The whole argument about legalizing medical marijuana seems silly when you realize the substances that are already legal for medical usage in this country – for example, cocaine can still be used legally under certain circumstances. I do think that CA has been very lax about enforcement, however – if you’re going to legalize marijuana just for medical use, you should have it be classified as a Schedule II drug (like cocaine – makes it legal for only very limited purposes, and doctors must have special certification to be able to prescibe these drugs) and sold within the context of a pharmacy. From the documentaries I’ve seen on marijuana usage in CA, anyone can set up shop as a “medical marijuana” distributor, and their shops bear a striking resemblance to the h,a,s.h bars in New Amsterdam. That probably wasn’t the intent of the legislation originally proposed, but that’s how it’s being handled in practice.

Personally, I think they should just legalize marijuana entirely. From a medical viewpoint, it’s not healthy for you, but it’s no worse physically than smoking cigarettes, and probably not much more intoxicating than alcohol. Legalize it, then tax it. Take money away from d.r.u.g c.a.r.t.e.l.s and into the hands of legitimate US businessmen – you never hear about tobacco profits fueling C.o.l.u.m.b.i.a.n d.r.u.g. l.o.r.d.s. And our government could certainly use the extra revenue from the taxes right about now.

The whole argument about legalizing medical marijuana seems silly when you realize the substances that are already legal for medical usage in this country – for example, cocaine can still be used legally under certain circumstances. I do think that CA has been very lax about enforcement, however – if you’re going to legalize marijuana just for medical use, you should have it be classified as a Schedule II drug (like cocaine – makes it legal for only very limited purposes, and doctors must have special certification to be able to prescibe these drugs) and sold within the context of a pharmacy. From the documentaries I’ve seen on marijuana usage in CA, anyone can set up shop as a “medical marijuana” distributor, and their shops bear a striking resemblance to the h,a,s.h bars in New Amsterdam. That probably wasn’t the intent of the legislation originally proposed, but that’s how it’s being handled in practice.

The US goverment supplies medical marijuana already.

If you don’t believe me, GOOGLE for: UNCLE SAM’S POT FARM.

Sorry for the repeat post – it didn’t go through the first time.

It is incorrect to state that the federal government currently allows marijuana for medical purposes. Marijuana is considered a Schedule I drug, which means that it has “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” Check out the DEA website for more info. However, I’m not certain about the restrictions on marijuana possession for scientists – papers are still being published every year about marijuana’s effects, so there must be some legal way to obtain samples.

Response to Comment by John Smyth
February 9th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
“Dr. Man, you neglect to say that the federal government provides marijuana under a medical need. http://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/MEDICAL/george.html“

I found an interesting article in Scientific American that describes the difficulties of performing biomedical research on marijuana in the U.S. The link is given below.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=marijuana-research

Nicole.

DING DONG, YOU ARE WRONG.

The government has been supplying marijuana on a medical need since the 60’s.

Check the link and the article.

Dr. Manny

Quote:
“I read another story that found marijuana use in the Seattle-area increased rates of testicular cancer.”

I read the other article you mentioned earlier today, and here is a direct quote from it:

“This is the first study to look at this question, and by itself is not definitive. And there’s a lot more research that would have to be done in order to be more confident that marijuana use really is important in a man’s risk of developing testicular cancer,” Schwartz said in a telephone interview.

The article you quoted even states that there is no definitive proof that marijuana and testicular cancer are linked, yet you seem to have jumped on the band wagon that says “marijuana is bad for you.” If you really are a licensed doctor, you of all people should know that this particular study isn’t conclusive to anything other than men in the Seattle area have a higher risk of testicular cancer, and that there COULD (key word there) be a risk. Fact of the matter is: “They don’t know, and they admit it.”

If you are unwilling to read the article, or do some research, what can I say?

The US government grows and distributes marijuana under a program started in the 60’s.

That there are only 8 patient/subjects left in the program (they aren’t accepting new applicants) does not cancel out the fact that the marijuana is for medical conditons.

If my memories of the 70’s are correct then marijuana is the female viagra and should be available when prescribed by a doctor and possibly legalized completely.

I am not a marjuannia user. But, recently I was diagnosed with a disablity that may put me in a position to consider it’s use in the future. This certainly has me thinking about the legality of it. It appears that ‘most’ older teens and young adults partake in it’s use on a regular basis…this does include the ‘flower children’ who are now in their 50-60’s that still use canabis on a daily basis. Perhaps the government should be it’s own friend and survey in the census how many people actually do use this and then on the results make a rational decision..asking is it benifical to legalize making it taxable or is it detrimental to society. As well, lots of folks overlook that canabis was a useable substance for making clothes, ropes, and so forth in the past yet was outlawed when it was not ‘profitable’.
The debate goes on…..

I was just wondering how salvia can be legal and medical marijuana isn’t? There are more health benefits of marijuana than salvia. Hopefully it will change soon.

I personally know two people who have been diagnosed with varying degrees of schizophrenia. In both cases, their doctors told them that their use of marijuana may have contributed to their diagnosis. (Both of them used marijuana in their teenage years, and one of them was using excessively until he started hearing voices and seeing people that aren’t there. Neither uses anymore, but the symptoms have not abated.) Apparently some research suggests that users of marijuana have a 600% greater chance of contracting schizophrenia, then those who have never used marijuana.

Dr. Manny, that is reason enough for me that it should remain illegal.

The prohibition of marijuana is both an assault on liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The fear-mongering (including the latest ’study’ that tells me my hoo-haw is going to boil my testicles) is silly. I love that now its my boys that I have to worry about.

Michael Phelps should not have apologized for his bong hit. He should have maintained that he was merely acting like a majority of people his age. He should have noted that he was joining a club that includes Barack Obama, the lying Bill Clinton, Clarence Thomas, Newt Gingrich, probably good ol’ W., John Lennon, and Bob Marley.

It’s time for America to have a sane discussion about the plant that it is terrified of.

Marijuana has been around forever. One of the best uses is for nausea after various treatments. If someone wanted to smoke weed instead of taking oxy, more power to them. There are way too many people using percription drugs for the high, nothing else. Making it legal would probably bring back the economy fast. Just think of all of the taxes Uncle Sam is missing out on right now. However, no way do I want this to be more accessible for kids. It’s bad enough already. I do think if done right, it might be harder for the kids to get, and that would be a good thing.

Hey, Obama is so smart, let’s just let him make the decision……………or not……………..he does appear to have a problem making a decision. Could that be from all the marijuana he smoked? Maybe it was the cocaine.

I smoke weed and it helps me with my anxiety and pain. I’d much rather smoke a joint than pop percocet and zanax.

Pamela-you are so full of crap its comin out your ears. I live in Cali and have researched the Med-Pot issue extensively for personal use. I tried it and unfortunatley it did not work for my condition so I quite. If your against it thats fine but dont come on here and spew a bunch of lies, that is why you Reeefer Madnees freaks are losing because you wont stop lying and have an intelligent discussion.

I think marijuana being illegal is absolutely ridiculous. I am College graduate, A veteran, and an occasional user of Marijuana. It is better then alcohol, you cannot OD on it, it has never tempted me to try another drug, its something i do in my privacy. TAX ME US Government, I would gladly pay you if you gave me the chance. Regulate me as you did when prohibition ended. Crime will fall ,and more federal money will be available.

Wow. Drugs must be ther answer. Since no one talks about pot smoke causing cancer (2nd hand or otherwise) I guess it is not harmful at all! Does that mean all the state and local laws against smoking will not apply to pot? Even in the swimmer’s locker room? Will I be allowed to light up on planes if I have a Rx? If pot becomes legal will drug dealers be eligible for uneployment? Who will the gangs in Mexico kill if it becomes legal? What’s next, meth? If so, that’s when Obama will give all the meth addicts free dental.

I support medicle marijuana programs.

the hell with medical marijuana..
lets just legalize it for personal use
that way we can grow our own
and i wont have to drive drunk anymore lol!!!!!

Roy,

What have YOU been drinking? You’re nuts!

Check this article:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004329027_webhanford04.html?syndication=rss

Maybe the marijuana was radioactive.

Also:

If 8000 men in the US out of 150 Million ( 0.00000053% ) get the disease (testicular cancer), how can you measure with any accuracy on a sample size of 979? If you happen to get only 1 person in your sample, then you are statistically 1900% more likely!!! (not 70%)

Why!? Oh Why??!! Do we ALWAYS have to hear the same TIRED arguments..
Hasn’t ANYone watched the History Channel special on how it CAME to be illegal?? We were using it to make rope forever!! The word canvas COMES from cannabis… Queen Victoria used pot-laced candies to help with her menstrual cramps! We ONLY criminalized it once we wanted to target the Mexican farm hands who were helping us across the border.
Someone please TRY to find an article where someone/anyone has DIED from smoking pot, and please share that… Phelps hits a bong and the news media is going stupid about it, but yet kids are DYING DAILY from taking mom and dads oxycontin, xanax and other assorted pain meds… But those stories go mainly unnoticed. Why? Hmm, maybe because there isn’t a Pfizer label on the leaf anywhere to be found.
College freshmen die every year from alcohol related poisoning and driving under the influence yet we still celebrate the BUD Bowl during the Super Bowl…
How come we don’t talk about the obvious?? The incredible hypocrisy in the system we live in to demonize users who would otherwise happily pay tax for the priviledge and who are otherwise law abiding citizens… Lets TAX IT! REGULATE IT! AND USE THE MONEY FOR SCHOOLS AND REHAB CENTERS to get to the root of the problem… and stop building prisons, we need to change minds not encarcerate bodies.

My wife has cancer and I vaporize mj for her. It works. It works alot better than anything the doctors have and they encourage the use of mj. I live in CA and the DEA still F___s with people. A frend is looking at 5 years for having a dispensary that was welcomed by Morro Bay city fathers. I am 61. Tasted the herb in ‘67. All the scare stuff is the same. In the old days the powers that be said that mj will give men big brests or that it will kill your sperm. Big money dosen’t want to lose power. Be gratefull that you don’t need it for medicine. Yes, we have learned nothing from prohibition. Taxing and regulation are the way to go