Tim Pawlenty doesn't believe in medical marijuana - thinks users should be arrested

[MotF Bane]

I think the providers of the Medical MJ and the government officials should all be put in jail, along with the Governor and the people that voted for it in the state legislature. What the Feds should do is arrest the Governor for signing it into law and throw that person in jail to start their big sweep. The private users are just the pawns in all of this. If the state does not enforce the federal law, then the state is to blame for the problems.

Shall we also ban tobacco and alcohol?

 

[Linflas]

I think the providers of the Medical MJ and the government officials should all be put in jail, along with the Governor and the people that voted for it in the state legislature. What the Feds should do is arrest the Governor for signing it into law and throw that person in jail to start their big sweep. The private users are just the pawns in all of this. If the state does not enforce the federal law, then the state is to blame for the problems.

I agree with you and hope the Fed does this ASAP. Nothing would be more likely to end the "war on drugs" more quickly than the Federal government locking up entire state legislatures and governors in the name of the war on drugs.

 

[TechBoyJK]

How are illegal drugs a non-violent offense? Ask the innocent children that are shot down in the crossfire in gang turf wars?

I assume you are being sarcastic, but I'll bite.

A responsible person, once in the possession of their drug, won't commit an act of violence. The problem is the distribution of the drugs. Illegal drugs have hugely inflated values, because they are illegal. Gang's are fighting over the distribution of these valuable commodities, not over the ability to use the drugs themselves.

So, the 'illegal drugs' wouldn't associated to any kind of gang violence if they were legal. On both a scientific and moral plane, alcohol is worse than crack/coke/pot, etc. But you don't see the bloods and crips fighting over booze, do you? It's because it's legal and regulated, and the values of the product aren't inflated. There's no incentive to push it on the underground market when you can go up to the corner store and buy it cheaper.

 

[brandonb]

Gang's are fighting over the distribution of these valuable commodities, not over the ability to use the drugs themselves.

That is 100% correct. Most gangs prohibit their gang members from using any sort of drugs. If they are caught using drugs, they are immediately expelled from the gang.

It's all about sales and the dollars selling brings in. Has nothing to do with using them.

 

[Zebo]

How are illegal drugs a non-violent offense? Ask the innocent children that are shot down in the crossfire in gang turf wars?

You're right making them illegal has set up a multiple billion dollar enterprise where people are willing to kill over profits/turf. So obvious.


Seriously, you can't be serious? Everyone is responsible for their own violence. Not the skirt she was wearing, the thing someone said about their religion, the drugs they bought.

 

[xj0hnx]

Bullshit. One of my internet friends was in some detox place to deal with drug addiction and he said it cost his family something insane like $20,000. That's not within reach of most people. If you're an average person and you're addicted to smack, you are totally fucked and there's no way out. You can't tell anyone you have a problem because they'll take your kids away, you might be kicked out of your apartment, you'll lose your job, and you might get a criminal record for drug possession. Notice how NONE of that happens when you try to stop smoking, which is just as difficult. My internet buddy was lucky enough to be a rich kid with rich parents. He had no kids to take care of, no bills to pay, and could afford to stay in rehab for a couple months.

 

[ayabe]

No, law enforcement almost universally opposes medical marijuana, or any softening of marijuana prohibition. It's probably true in almost every municipality in the USA. It's in their economic interests. I'm sure Pawlenty was telling the truth about law enforcement's opposition to it. The laws prohibiting drugs are also essentially the Full Employment For Police Act.

Many former law enforcement officials have come out in favor of legalization, once they are immune from the consequences of speaking the truth.

The privatized prison industry has more to do with continued prohibition than anything, that's where the real money is.

 

[wirednuts]

Bullshit. One of my internet friends was in some detox place to deal with drug addiction and he said it cost his family something insane like $20,000. That's not within reach of most people. If you're an average person and you're addicted to smack, you are totally fucked and there's no way out. You can't tell anyone you have a problem because they'll take your kids away, you might be kicked out of your apartment, you'll lose your job, and you might get a criminal record for drug possession. Notice how NONE of that happens when you try to stop smoking, which is just as difficult. My internet buddy was lucky enough to be a rich kid with rich parents. He had no kids to take care of, no bills to pay, and could afford to stay in rehab for a couple months.

CORRECT. i had a friend who had a herion addiction. very smart, very nice guy. very hard worker too. but he did the stuff since 15, and it gave him diabetus when he was was 22. that was pretty much it for him, the disease devastated him, and he lost all will to even try getting off the opiates.

one day he gets caught up and volunteers for rehab, as he thought it was the right thing to do. he was there for a month or two, i cant remember, but they ended up sticking him with a $7K bill. that forced him to leave the treatment program, and subsequently drove him back to herion even deeper. he was so fucked up at that point i cant imagine hes even still alive... and like i said he used to be a good union electrician... it was so sad to see.

the fact that in america, if you dont have kids or a recognized disability you are pretty much screwed. this system will bleed any single man dry of everything he has. its done it to me... i make TWICE what my roomate does, but he "attempted suicide" years ago so he gets free food (over $250 a month). he eats better then i do, and i work more hours at a high profile job doing far more dangerous work.

the kicker is that i do have a disability too- chron's disease. but i cant get food stamps for that (even though i must eat healthy fresh foods), and the new medicine the gastro guy wants me on costs $700 a shot. my insurance covers $3500 a month in needles, and its 80/20 on top of that. best part? the first month i need 6 shots, so thats $4200. which means ill have to pay out of pocket about $1800 to get started, then about $300 a month out of my pocket just to be on this medicine that only has a 40% success rate anyway.

so, in a nutshell, im fucked. even though i have a union electrical job, and i work full time, with insurance, i dont have the means to be treated. i have to stick to the $20 a month anti-inflammatory pills and mediocre diet with a giant "GOOD LUCK" on my way out. it makes me think constantly of suicide, because i just dont see how i could possibly live an exciting life the way things are. basically, ill have to work full time just to stay alive, and ill never have money to go do things. thats not life. im only 28 by the way....

ps- bringing this back to topic, i was full undisclosed with my doctor about all the drugs i use (tobacco and marijuana, nothing else), and he highly stressed that i quit the cigs, but he would never bring up the weed. they did a lot of blood work too, and i have smoked every day for over a decade so i know they know the levels i do it... but he never once told me to stop. he didnt even want to talk about it, obviously because the laws dont allow him to.

which is what this is all about. doctors cant be doctors. there is no question that if he was allowed to prescribe me whatever he wanted, i would be holding an Rx bottle of joints right now with my legal identification on it. but until then, ill just have to take my "every few years" visit to the county jail and pay the $2k+ fines when i get caught up. its so stupid i cant even really explain it right...

 

[Zebo]

That sux man. I have lactose intolerance really bad so I sorta empathize but nothing like chrons...Move to Canada maybe?


Whole medical system here is a joke. Once they found out I had insurance it cost 20K just to find out what my problem was. Milked Every test known to man including barium enemas.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Another tragedy brought to you by the WoD.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/25/jose-guerena-arizona-_n_867020.html

As the SWAT team forced its way into his home, Guerena, a former Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq, armed himself with his AR-15 rifle and told his wife and son to hide in a closet. As the officers entered, Guerena confronted them from the far end of a long, dark hallway. The police opened fire, releasing more than 70 rounds in about 7 seconds, at least 60 of which struck Guerena. He was pronounced dead a little over an hour later.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department initially claimed (PDF) Guerena fired his weapon at the SWAT team. They now acknowledge that not only did he not fire, the safety on his gun was still activated when he was killed. Guerena had no prior criminal record, and the police found nothing illegal in his home. After ushering out his wife and son, the police refused to allow paramedics to access Guerena for more than hour, leaving the young father to bleed to death, alone, in his own home.

 

[Darwin333]

How are illegal drugs a non-violent offense? Ask the innocent children that are shot down in the crossfire in gang turf wars?

Psst, the reason the "gang turf wars" exist in the first place is because of prohibition. Kinda like the violence that was involved in the alcohol trade when it was illegal.

Basically you are making a valid point for the complete opposite side of the argument.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

So what do you guys think of my proposed new term, which I hope catches on:

Big Government-in-the-Bedroom Republican

I think we should start describing certain politicians that way.

 

[Darwin333]

Another tragedy brought to you by the WoD.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/25/jose-guerena-arizona-_n_867020.html

Wanna guess what happened to all parties involved on the LEO side, including the judge that signed the warrant?

That is the really fucked up part of the entire deal, LEO ain't on your side anymore. They are on theirs and theirs alone because there is a profit motivator and one thing we are really damned good at in this country is capitalism. If there is a legal way to exploit something and make money off of it then someone will take advantage of it and make money.

Most of the rest of us don't really care until it happens to "us" or someone close to us. Until enough people get fucked we get to deal with literally highway robbery by armed thugs who just happen to be wearing a badge. God bless the USA.

 

[xj0hnx]

So what do you guys think of my proposed new term, which I hope catches on:

Big Government-in-the-Bedroom Politician

I think we should start describing certain politicians that way.

FTFY

 

[crownjules]

FTFY

It works for Republicans better because they're supposed to be the party of fiscal conservatism and small government. The Ds don't pretend to adhere to those ideals.

 

[wirednuts]

That sux man. I have lactose intolerance really bad so I sorta empathize but nothing like chrons...Move to Canada maybe?


Whole medical system here is a joke. Once they found out I had insurance it cost 20K just to find out what my problem was. Milked Every test known to man including barium enemas.

thank you. i normally dont even talk about it because nobody can even come close to understanding what it might be like to feel sick and in pain for months on end.

same thing happened to me. they didnt know what was wrong, so they ran every test imaginable. $11K later, they said "you got chrons, good luck". i lost my insurance soon after and struggled heavily for the next 8 years.

then, i finally got insurance going again so i decided to go back to the specialist this spring. basically, even though i told them everything that had been going on, and having all the test from 8 years ago, they throw all the old stuff to the side and redo all the damn tests AGAIN. again, ALL the results were the same. all levels are normal, except that my whiteblood cell count is high. and this time i have a lot more inflammation and multiple ulcers lining my intestines (explains the severe stomach pain that never ends). all that costs another $9k, which is nearly $1100 in co-pays for me. which i cant afford, so my credit is about to go to hell. and then, like i said above, the new shots they want me on now arent even plausible for me to do.

but all that aside, the worst part of this (and im sure the same with most people that have chronic illnesses that doctors refuse to dull), is the mental mind games it plays on you. depression is a natural part of my life now, and it pretty much turns into bi-polar disorder because when you feel bad, you dont want to do anything- and those days you feel good, you fly around wanting to get everything done at once. that type of stress of course leads to the inflammation starting back up, which brings me back to the couch days.

its hell. plain and simple. and its the sole reason i still smoke weed. i dont need to be high all the time, id rather not be. but the relief is god-like, if only for a night or a couple hours. it works as good as vicodin without any overdose concerns or long term problems. and it doesnt just releive the pain, it allows me to eat. people with chrons lose their appetite as the first sign of trouble. and especially when it gets bad, i almost have to force food down my throat or else i would die from malnutrition. that is another reason i smoke, because within minutes i go from feeling like shit and not wanting even a bite, to feeling really good and wanting to eat at a buffet line. this type of change of course also destroys the depression that sets in, so on multiple accounts there is just nothing like marijuana to ease my symptoms. its literally kept me alive these last 10 years.

i feel bad for your lactose problems though. at least i can eat pretty much anything.. i just have to watch the ways i eat (not too much or too fast at once, and eat at regular intervals at the same times every day, and absolutely no alcohol, ever.) i hope you stay relatively healthy.. life isnt worth it if youre sick all the time.

 

[xj0hnx]

thank you. i normally dont even talk about it because nobody can even come close to understanding what it might be like to feel sick and in pain for months on end.

same thing happened to me. they didnt know what was wrong, so they ran every test imaginable. $11K later, they said "you got chrons, good luck". i lost my insurance soon after and struggled heavily for the next 8 years.

then, i finally got insurance going again so i decided to go back to the specialist this spring. basically, even though i told them everything that had been going on, and having all the test from 8 years ago, they throw all the old stuff to the side and redo all the damn tests AGAIN. again, ALL the results were the same. all levels are normal, except that my whiteblood cell count is high. and this time i have a lot more inflammation and multiple ulcers lining my intestines (explains the severe stomach pain that never ends). all that costs another $9k, which is nearly $1100 in co-pays for me. which i cant afford, so my credit is about to go to hell. and then, like i said above, the new shots they want me on now arent even plausible for me to do.

but all that aside, the worst part of this (and im sure the same with most people that have chronic illnesses that doctors refuse to dull), is the mental mind games it plays on you. depression is a natural part of my life now, and it pretty much turns into bi-polar disorder because when you feel bad, you dont want to do anything- and those days you feel good, you fly around wanting to get everything done at once. that type of stress of course leads to the inflammation starting back up, which brings me back to the couch days.

its hell. plain and simple. and its the sole reason i still smoke weed. i dont need to be high all the time, id rather not be. but the relief is god-like, if only for a night or a couple hours. it works as good as vicodin without any overdose concerns or long term problems. and it doesnt just releive the pain, it allows me to eat. people with chrons lose their appetite as the first sign of trouble. and especially when it gets bad, i almost have to force food down my throat or else i would die from malnutrition. that is another reason i smoke, because within minutes i go from feeling like shit and not wanting even a bite, to feeling really good and wanting to eat at a buffet line. this type of change of course also destroys the depression that sets in, so on multiple accounts there is just nothing like marijuana to ease my symptoms. its literally kept me alive these last 10 years.

You account sounds all too familiar. I had to take an anti-clotting medicine that was retarded expensive, but it was all covered by workers comp. Though I do understand them wanting to do all the same test again, 8 years a LONG time, and no sane doctor is going to treat you based on test that old. It's mind boggling the amount of people that have moved to self medicate versus dealing with the insanity that is long term care, and dealing with doctors, and their ever increasing cost and increasing unwillingness to actually treat chronic patients.

 

[wirednuts]

It's mind boggling the amount of people that have moved to self medicate versus dealing with the insanity that is long term care, and dealing with doctors, and their ever increasing cost and increasing unwillingness to actually treat chronic patients.

i know. when my doctor asks why i havent gone through with the new treatment, ill just tell him i would rather die.

because these shots supposedly only work 40% of the time, and they "acutely" increase your risk of severe infection, including tuberculosis. basically he told me that while im on these shots, ill get sick a lot from infections. best part? the first month i cant afford the shots, my body will build a defense to the shots and they will not ever work for me again.

so, taking all that into account, i think what im going through now is better then all that shit. its really sad, and to top it all off i cant even talk to my doctor about my self-medication because he wants to keep his license.

and i understand what you mean about the re-testing, but in my eyes they made a diagnosis 8 years ago, and it was the right one. my symptoms havent changed, and if they wanted another run of tests so they could document the findings, then they should pay for that research. same with these shots. theyre not much more then experimental drugs, and they want me to be the pig, and pay for all of it. fuck that.

 

[waggy]

You account sounds all too familiar. I had to take an anti-clotting medicine that was retarded expensive, but it was all covered by workers comp. Though I do understand them wanting to do all the same test again, 8 years a LONG time, and no sane doctor is going to treat you based on test that old. It's mind boggling the amount of people that have moved to self medicate versus dealing with the insanity that is long term care, and dealing with doctors, and their ever increasing cost and increasing unwillingness to actually treat chronic patients.

add in the fact the government is trying to limit the amount of pain killers people get (to a point they are useless) and arresting doctors who priscripe to many (even if needed) its fucking insane.

its sad that to just have a pain free day/hour people have to fucking break the law.

 

[xj0hnx]

add in the fact the government is trying to limit the amount of pain killers people get (to a point they are useless) and arresting doctors who priscripe to many (even if needed) its fucking insane.

its sad that to just have a pain free day/hour people have to fucking break the law.

Yip, it probably worse than you actually think, even if you think it's really, really bad. The cost to see the doctor, get the meds, buy the meds, dealing with insurance, pharamacies, and scared doctors, all on top of not being able to walk, some days even get out of bed, it's really no wonder that people turn to the illicit drug market.

 

[bfdd]

I had to medicate this morning as the pain has been pretty gnarly. Might have to work from home as I have been up for two hours and have used the toilet 3 times and the forth is coming

 

[waggy]

Yip, it probably worse than you actually think, even if you think it's really, really bad. The cost to see the doctor, get the meds, buy the meds, dealing with insurance, pharamacies, and scared doctors, all on top of not being able to walk, some days even get out of bed, it's really no wonder that people turn to the illicit drug market.

lol i know it far to well. i have Rhemutoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, mild Cerbal palsy. i need both hips replaced but for some reason my doctor is more worried about how the quality of my life will be at 60 when/if they need redone then NOW.

i hate takeing pain pills as it is. My sister got hooked on them and it didn't help her life out at all. but when i do need them i don't want to have fight a doctor to get them or worry i will be arrested if i take them on vacation.

 

[xj0hnx]

lol i know it far to well. i have Rhemutoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, mild Cerbal palsy. i need both hips replaced but for some reason my doctor is more worried about how the quality of my life will be at 60 when/if they need redone then NOW.

Ouch, good luck with that. I'll need a new hip someday, mine was destroyed in a fall, I was given the option to either get it re-broken, and reset, and maybe it would heal right with not walking for six months, or let it heal as is, wait it out until it became unbearable. Having to work and support a family pretty much made that choice for me.

i hate takeing pain pills as it is. My sister got hooked on them and it didn't help her life out at all. but when i do need them i don't want to have fight a doctor to get them or worry i will be arrested if i take them on vacation.

It's really a quality of life issue. When I was on a lot stronger meds than nowadays my quality of life was greatly improved, working, and playing with my kid weren't a problem, having the choice made for me to get off the only thing that really helped has deteriorated that to some good days surrounded by a lot not so good. I find it kind of weird that someone that needs say insulin to live is viewed as a victim of a disease, but someone that needs say pain killers is viewed as a scumbag. It seems to me that if a medication improves your life, than it improves your life.

 

[wirednuts]

I find it kind of weird that someone that needs say insulin to live is viewed as a victim of a disease, but someone that needs say pain killers is viewed as a scumbag. It seems to me that if a medication improves your life, than it improves your life.

spot on. especially worse when you cant get the meds you need and you have to go to the criminals to get it. ive been caught with marijuana 3 times now, and the last time was after i was diagnosed with chrons. you think they let me go because of that? nope, but you could tell the Sargent wasnt really sure if he did the right thing.

which is just stupid because cops shouldnt be guessing their laws they enforce, you would think the laws would be specific enough to easily tell when someone is doing right or wrong.

 

[bfdd]

spot on. especially worse when you cant get the meds you need and you have to go to the criminals to get it. ive been caught with marijuana 3 times now, and the last time was after i was diagnosed with chrons. you think they let me go because of that? nope, but you could tell the Sargent wasnt really sure if he did the right thing.

which is just stupid because cops shouldnt be guessing their laws they enforce, you would think the laws would be specific enough to easily tell when someone is doing right or wrong.

grow your own. look up diy stealth grows and start one. fuck other assholes who tell us we cannot medicate how we so choose. i am not trying to force them to do my drugs, they shouldn't force me not to.