BREAKING NEWS: Medical Marijuana Outlawed

[george_r_1961]

once again the courts ignore state law. ridiculous ruling

Huh??? Regardless of any state laws allowing weed there is a FEDERAL law making it illegal. Thats what the US Supreme Court ruled on. Federal law suspersedes state law. Period. Know the issues before you post please.

BTW I think medical weed use should be allowed. but as of now it isnt

[drudd1]

rainstorm wrote:
once again the courts ignore state law. ridiculous ruling


Huh??? Regardless of any state laws allowing weed there is a FEDERAL law making it illegal. Thats what the US Supreme Court ruled on. Federal law suspersedes state law. Period. Know the issues before you post please.

BTW I think medical weed use should be allowed. but as of now it isnt

Yowza George, take it easy. By the way, they now make decaf coffee, you might want to try some.

I see nowhere in rainstorm's post where it indicates that the issue wasn't understood, the comment was just made that the states wishes were ignored. Nothing more, nothing less. Where you came up with the notion it was suggested that state law would trump federal law escapes me. Take a big deep breath. and allow others to have an opinon without getting bashed....................

[cswitwer]

I'll admit it-- I'm a medical user (for multiple sclerosis). MJ does things for me that traditional medicine cannot, and as a result I am in better health now than ever before in my life and I live better too. Also, I am one of the completely rare individuals with Multiple Sclerosis who does not take any prescription or over-the-counter medication at all. No steroids or pain medication or interferon at all. I use nutrition, hydration, exercise, rest, relaxation, Feldenkrais (body work, sorta like yoga in a way) herbal remedies, and mj only.

My disappointment is in the fact that medical marijuana is a life-saver for many people, and in 10 states it is currently legal in some form or fashion. I just moved to a state that allows legal medical use 2 weeks ago, so this federal law is quite a blow to me personally.

Anyway, the fact is that in some states, it is legal. The Feds are now saying those states & their residents don't have the authority to make that decision. I thought Republican meant less federal regulation, more states rights??

FYI, the ACLU issued a press release this morning saying that while the current court ruling may make it illegal, another 9th (I think) Circuit Court case last fall deemed it out of the Feds power to actually act/persecute offenders. Should be an interesting battle. If you're interested, I"m sure the ACLU press release is on their website.

Thanks,
chris

P.S. Don't judge me based on my lava lamp icon! I'm a writer, and lave lamps put me in a more creative mental state so I can stop thinking about the bills, etc. Plus the kid in me likes 'em.

[george_r_1961]

Who was bashing?

[alicia-w]

well that's easy to explain. there arent too many lobbyists for medical marijuana as opposed to the huge conglomerates that make pharmaceuticals. it's political. you can bet the farm on it. there's no significant revenue for the feds from medical MJ, so you wont see it legalized at the federal level.

a federal court overturning a state law is preposterous. what's the point in having state laws if the feds can overturn them anyway?

i feel for the folks that were using MJ as a way to alleviate their discomfort.

[cswitwer]

Thanks Alicia.

By the way, I believe Oregon has a 1.1 million dollar medical marijuana program surplus this year. They charge patients something like $50 a year to belong to the medical program, and a monthly charge too. That surplus is now being sought by HHS to help fund other programs like school lunches, standard health care, etc. I hope the federal government realizes that medical marijuana programs can be profitable too, just not at the level that pharmaceuticals are. (I hope not anyway)

[george_r_1961]

well that's easy to explain. there arent too many lobbyists for medical marijuana as opposed to the huge conglomerates that make pharmaceuticals. it's political. you can bet the farm on it. there's no significant revenue for the feds from medical MJ, so you wont see it legalized at the federal level.

a federal court overturning a state law is preposterous. what's the point in having state laws if the feds can overturn them anyway?
i feel for the folks that were using MJ as a way to alleviate their discomfort.

Weed being legal in a state simply means that state and local police wont arrest u for simple possesion. Doesnt mean the DEA or another federal agency wont. No state law was overturned per se; the ruling merely gives the Feds clearance to arrest people of federal drug charges. If that doesnt make sense I understand. But thats just the way it is.

[alicia-w]

i understand the legality of it just fine, but the morality of it is PREPOSTEROUS.

[mf_dolphin]

We would be better off if we legalized MJ and taxed it like everything else. I've seen nothing to should that it's any worse than alcohol except for the legality issue.

[Stephanie]

We would be better off if we legalized MJ and taxed it like everything else. I've seen nothing to should that it's any worse than alcohol except for the legality issue.

Absolutely.

Chris - thanks for sharing your story with us. I do hope that this does not affect you. BTW - I love lava lamps!

[Aslkahuna]

The 9th Circuit Court's ruling is superceded by the Supreme Court ruling-that's why it is referred to as such.

Steve

[Derek Ortt]

the problem here is that this is a straight forward ruling based upon federalism.

The states <b>CANNOT</b> have their laws trump federal laws. Federal laws supercede all state laws; thus, this was the only correct ruling under the law, regardless as to what a meaningless state law says.

[rainstorm]

The vote was 6-3. The three who dissented were (supported medical MJ Laws in the States) were O'Connor, Rehnquist and Thomas-hardly Justices with a professed Liberal political bias.

Steve

state legislatures should decide these matters, not law making courts. the will of the people in 11 states was just trashed

"Diane Monson and Angel Raich use marijuana that has never been bought or sold, that has never crossed state lines, and that has had no demonstrable effect on the national market for marijuana. If Congress can regulate this under the Commerce Clause, then it can regulate virtually anything - and the federal government is no longer one of limited and enumerated powers."

-Justice Clarence Thomas, dissenting.


i agree, the fed govt is growing much too powerful

[kevin]

I feel that Thomas is right. This isn't interstate commerce and won't effect interstate commerce!

[Aslkahuna]

The Supreme Court in a 1942 decision decided that in state commerce was also covered under the definition of Interstate Commerce-another example of people in Washington rewritting the Dictionary.

Steve

[kevin]

For the reason that it effects prices in other states? Thats the only guess I could make and it is still absurd.

[gtalum]

once again the courts ignore state law. ridiculous ruling

Huh??? Regardless of any state laws allowing weed there is a FEDERAL law making it illegal. Thats what the US Supreme Court ruled on. Federal law suspersedes state law. Period. Know the issues before you post please.

BTW I think medical weed use should be allowed. but as of now it isnt

And what part of the US Constitution gives the federal government the power to have such a law in the first place. To make it easier on you, I'll give you a hint: it's not in there. The feds have absolutely no constitutional power to regulate drug use in individual states.

[rainstorm]

i am totally against the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes because i think its a huge loophole for abuse. but, i also believe its up to people in states to deicde, not a few omnipotent judges.
judge stevens in his ruling said he used "stories" that the law was being used to allow illegal use as part of the reason he ruled against it. since when has "rumors" and unsubstantiated claims been allowed as evidence? just another reason why judges are no smarter or better than anyone

the people in 11 states decided and the court had no reason to write new law

[Aslkahuna]

Justice Stevens has a bad habit of using non applicable factors (such as rumors and International laws and treaties not recognized by the US) to sway his opinions which suggests that he is incapable of independent thought.

Steve

[drudd1]

i am totally against the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes because i think its a huge loophole for abuse.

I hear this a lot and was just curious. Are you also against prescription drugs such as morphine? Also what is your view on alcohol? Both kill daily because of abuse. Lord knows I'm not picking on you, I am just curious why there is such a negative connotation associated with marijuana, but not far worse substances. If it is because it's against the law, so was alcohol during prohibition, but prohibition was repealed because it couldn't be enforced successfully. Also, no doubt, it was posing a problem for the polititions, hiding those afternoon snorts of whiskey.

I have no doubt the taxes collected from alcohol sales would ensure, should 3 out of 5 Americans become alcoholics, it would still be sold and blessed by the government to collect those dollars.

Maybe the answer is to legalize it, tax it, and put all the agents currently hunting for the marijuana smugglers and users to work hunting rapists and murderers.

For the record, I drink on occasion and enjoy it, and don't get the stigma attached to marijuana. While I have personally seen a person kill themselves from drinking, I have yet to see anyone die from marijuana. For that matter, I have never met anyone who has seen this. It has been 25 years since I smoked marijuana, and it didn't lead to abuse of stronger substances, etc. All my close friends also smoked it, and with the exception of one, are leading very successful professional lives, and have been wonderful parents. The one exception became an alcoholic and eventually drank himself to death. Hence my failure to understand this whole thing, i.e. alcohol is fine, but heaven forbid anyone smoke a joint, and for medicinal purposes to boot.