Medical pot a political ploy, Bush drug czar says

[Nambe]

PORTLAND, Or (AP)

Drug czar John Walters said Thursday that medical marijuana is being used as a political ploy to support efforts to legalize marijuana in a state where it already poses the most serious drug abuse problem for teenagers.

Walters said about 25 percent of teens in the metro area who report drug abuse problems say they are dependent on marijuana, compared with 15 percent who report alcohol abuse. (NOTE" Most of the teens in rehab are there by court ordered diversion.) ---

"The effort to legalize marijuana for medical purposes in the state of Oregon has not involved pursuit of wholesale legalization," said foundation spokesman Duane Raley. "I would say that John Walters is uninformed, or he's promoting his own message, contrary to the facts."

Oregon is one of nine states -- including Washington and California -- that allow limited use of marijuana for medical purposes under the direction of a doctor. ---

Banish bush From Texas Too

[pnb]

1. Dependent on marijuana?!?

That's one of the funniest things I've heard this week!!

No such thing.

[LibInternationalist]

3. this is ridiculous on so many levels

here's two, for starters

1) The level of alcohol abuse must be drastically underreported -- 15% of people WHO ADMIT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM

2) The issue here is MEDICAL -- plenty of people abuse prescription drugs, but that does not mean that when they are properly prescribed and used that they are not beneficial

And, in unrelated news, AREN'T THERE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO BE WORRIED ABOUT?

[Hegemony Cricket]

4. Too true...

...I've been watching this guy go from city to city, and into Canada spouting drivel that was discredited by Nixon's committee.

Sad...

[treepig]

5. some (perhaps relevant) numbers

Relative Addictiveness of Common Drugs
(100 = most addictive; 0 = least addictive)

Drug Rating
Nicotine 99
Alcohol 81
Heroin 80
Cocaine (nasal) 71
Caffeine 70
Marijuana 22
Health officials were asked to put aside social as well as economic pressures such as drug availability or acceptability and to evaluate the inherent addictive potential of the above six drugs.

from

http://www.offrampfilms.com/useyourhead/weed.html

[psychopomp]

7. Psychologically dependant, yes

To be honest, pot can be very psychologically addictive. Physically, the addictiveness is nil, but how many dope smokers can relate to: a) scraping their bong or pipe until you're smoking metal flakes with the resin just to get a head change; b) searching your carpet for minute pieces of hash that may have been overlooked; c) smoking any number of substitutes (banana peels, salvia divinorum, etc.) when it is really dry; and so on. In the words of the Freak Brothers, "Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope."

Dependent is too strong a word but it can become a major preoccupation. Joe Cool would walk a mile for a Camel but many have gone much further for a schwaggy dime.

Still, believe it or not, I come down for legalization. We just need to be comfortable with the truth, that's all.

[Walt Starr]

13. DU is psychologically addictive

So is religion, social interaction, movies, television.

Tell me something that *isn't* psychologically addictive?

[reprobate]

17. The word I've heard used is "habituated".

No physical addiction, it just feels good so you do it. Personally, I can quit any time I want. I just don't want.

[depakid]

2. Anyone else notice the conspicuous lack of public officials

surrounding "Drug Czar" John Walters?

To say he had a cold reception in Portland would be an understatement. He's about as welcome here as John Ashcroft.

[kimchi]

6. Farkin idiots.

The poor kids say whatever they are told to say. No one is physically dependent on marijuana. Mentally, well that is quite another story. Everyone knows kids are far more into alcohol, somehow it is socially acceptable to get drunk-but they are just following our example.

[Lurking Dem]

8. Fuck you, John Walters.

I am in tears I am in so much pain. Fuck you. Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you.

[MiltonLeBerle]

15. What's your condition?

Pot definitely has anti-inflammatory properties that have helped me immeasurably.

[Lurking Dem]

18. Diabetic neuropathy

both peripheral and autonomic. Had MRI this morning to see if there are lesions on nerve endings in c-spine or compression - horrible pain in right arm and can no longer hold a pen.

The neuropathy pain in my legs is so bad they give me morphine, darvocet, MS drugs, muscle relaxers, etc. THAT is legal yet pot which has studies showing efficacy is not.

I don't think I've had a full night's sleep in 14 years.

[Terwilliger]

9. Walters is almost as bad as Barry McCaffery...you know, Clinton's "czar"

McCaffery might as well have pointed a gun to the head of every medical marijuana user in the country, all with the tacit approval of every Democrat in the country. Thanks Bill! :nuke:

[Ganja Ninja]

10. And then this at the end.

Walters was joined by some of the top law enforcement leaders in the city, including U.S. Attorney Michael Mosman, police Chief Mark Kroeker and Multnomah County Sheriff Bernie Giusto.

All people afraid of loosing their jobs in the bush economy.

[Love Bug]

16. May they or anyone they love never get cancer. Or AIDS. Or glaucoma.

Or any other of the number of conditions helped by medical marijuana. Fucking idiots.

[sandnsea]

11. oh, big mistake, Big, HUGE

DO NOT come after pot in Oregon. Warning! Warning! Warning!

I know too many people of ALL ages and ALL walks of life who smoke it. It is almost as common as drinking and this could be just the thing to put people right over the edge.

The teen problem in Oregon is no runaway law AT ALL. I don't exactly know what the solution is, but leaving teens to roam the streets because they have the 'right' doesn't seem to really be helping them. If they are still minors in need of guidance, then we have a legal obligation to help them make something of their lives, which isn't going to happen when they're on the streets.

[Fovea]

12. In a free country the headline would be

Bush official repudiates medical neccesity defense, a legal principal from the days of the Magna Carta.

[0rganism]

14. Criminal pot a political ploy, 0rganism says

Anyone who's studied the hows, whys, and wherefores of how marijuana became illegal knows the action was fueled by

* racism
* corporate profiteering
* pure leveraged fear

While the War On Some Drugs is a failure by design, it does allow for a convenient means of perpetuating both a minority low-wage underclass with weak family structure and a convenient black market to leak and launder large amounts of money.

[SoCalDem]

19. Kinda like "faith based" help is a political ploy too, eh??

and the anti choice push is political
and the vouchers issue is political..


Hey./... when you get right down to it, MOST things are "political",, If we cannot all agree, there is a natural push-pull effect and somebody's not gonna be happy with the end result :eyes: