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veggie

Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,501
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80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana
#13334695 - 10/14/10 07:09 AM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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80 percent of Pennsylvanians support legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, survey shows October 14, 2010 - pennlive.com
He’s in his 30s now, a man with serious health issues, never figuring he’d be in the position he is now: a regular marijuana user. Back in his high school days, he remembers, he used to scorn the pot smokers. He was an athlete, and saw drug use as inconsistent with sports. “I would make fun of those kids, call them potheads” said the Lehigh Valley man, who did not want his name published because he’s breaking Pennsylvania law nearly every day. “Now I guess I am.” He is a big supporter of a bill pending in the state Legislature that would legalize the use of marijuana for medical reasons. The bill was introduced by Rep. Mark Cohen, D-Philadelphia, who concedes that he does not yet have the votes to pass it. He’s sure the time will come. The bill has set off a spirited debate between those who see marijuana as a helpful medical substance, and those who see the bill as merely a precursor in an attempt to legalize marijuana generally, and also fear it is a gateway to other drug abuse. Cohen’s proposal is under discussion as a survey showing that some 80 percent of Pennsylvanians are in favor of making marijuana legal for medical purposes. The survey, by two Franklin & Marshall College staff members, also showed that only 33 percent of the state’s voters favor the outright legalization of marijuana, a development that is one of the root fears of those who oppose the medical marijuana bill. “Even though there is broad popular support for legalizing medical marijuana in the state, prospects for its legalization seems slim,” wrote the two college surveyors, G. Terry Madonna, director of the center for politics and public affairs and Berwood Yost, director of the center for public research. That kind of public policy debate is interesting to the Lehigh Valley man who now smokes pot daily in order to ease the pain of his treatments for lymphoma. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2008, after having served in the Army in Iraq. He began chemo therapy at a hospital near his Lehigh Valley home, and with it, he began a regimen of drugs designed to ease the nausea and pain that came with the treatments and the disease. One drug alone cost him, out of pocket, $400, for pills to fight nausea. He was also taking two different pain medications. The result, he said, was that he slept all the time, or sometimes not at all, wasn’t eating, was losing weight, and couldn’t work. “I was a zombie for 20 hours a day,” he said. He told an old Army pal what was going on, and the friend told him about marijuana. “You’re not going to believe it,” the friend told him. He stopped taking most of the pain medications, and instead, now gets about a half-ounce of marijuana each week, and uses a vaporizer to inhale it every night after work. He said vaporizing it somehow doesn’t make him high, but it does ease the pain, and has really re-made his life. He feels relaxed for the first time since his diagnosis; he has gained 22 pounds, and is now once again working regularly. Moreover, a sense of anger that he had been carrying around since his diagnosis disappeared, and he no longer feels hung over from the drugs. The marijuana costs him about $50 per month, he said, far less than the prescription drugs he had been taking. Situations like his are at the center of the debate about medical marijuana. Leading the opposition to the bill is Rep. Matthew Baker, R-Tioga County, who fears that a medical marijuana bill is actually a “Trojan horse to legalize the use of pot throughout the nation.” He quotes a 2006 Federal Drug Administration report that says, “no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States…” He believes many Republicans and Democrats are opposed to medical marijuana. Asked what then might be motivating Cohen, he offers the view that Cohen, of Philadelphia, represents a far more liberal constituency than some other legislators, including himself. That is one of the few points on which Cohen and Baker agree – that his constituency is more liberal that Baker’s. Madonna and Yost, in their survey report, address the demographic issue this way: “Support for legalizing marijuana declines with age, among self-described conservatives, and with born-again Christians,” the report said. But, they went on to say, “Just about every demographic group supports the use of medical marijuana, but the likelihood of supporting it is higher among women than men, among liberals and moderates than conservatives, and among those who do not consider themselves born-ahead Christians.” How many people actually use marijuana? The National Institute on Drug Abuse said a 2007 survey showed that 14.4 million Americans over the age of 12 had used marijuana at least once in the month before being surveyed. The marijuana advocacy group called the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) says pot has been used by some 100 million Americans overall, and that it ranks just behind alcohol and tobacco in popularity among recreational drugs. In Pennsylvania, the figure for pot users is based on guesswork. Chris Goldstein, a Philadelphia NORML chapter board member, said there are 40,000 arrests in the state for possession each year, and that’s not nearly enough to put a dent in traffic. He guesstimaed that one in three Pennsylvania adults use marijuana. Many believe there is a link between that kind of pot use and the “graduation” to harder drugs. One of those people is Sharon Smith, of Mechanicsburg, who Baker suggested as an interview subject. Smith’s daughter Angela, then 18, died of a heroin overdose in 1998, her body discovered in a creek. She said her daughter began smoking pot at the age of 14, but then graduated to harder drugs until finally she ended up a heroin user. Smith is vehemently opposed to drugs, and has been crusading against them ever since. She operates a web site called www.momstell.org. Cohen, who is the chairman of the House Health Committee, where Democrats hold the majority, dismisses the complaints of critics in the other camp that say that pot can be addictive and lead to harder drug use. “It may be as addictive as chocolate,” he said in an interview. That is at some odds with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which says that “long term marijuana abuse” can lead to addiction.”Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety and drug craving, all of which make it difficult to quit,” the institute said. Cohen argues that marijuana is widely available now. “People who want marijuana know how to get it,” he said. He compared the legalization of marijuana to the change in gambling laws. Years ago, he noted, the illegal numbers racket in most American cities made money off of gambling. Then the state decided to get into the lottery business, and the money – rather than going to illegal gamblers – goes to help senior citizens. But he knows he doesn’t have the support to move the bill for a vote now. “I think people are used to striking an anti-drug pose,” he said.
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smaerd


Registered: 03/11/08
Posts: 2,058
Last seen: 12 years, 6 months
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: veggie]
#13335022 - 10/14/10 09:25 AM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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This is amazing news. Thanks veggie!
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Green_T


Registered: 10/02/08
Posts: 4,042
Loc: UK
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: smaerd]
#13335056 - 10/14/10 09:41 AM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Many believe there is a link between that kind of pot use and the “graduation” to harder drugs. One of those people is Sharon Smith, of Mechanicsburg, who Baker suggested as an interview subject. Smith’s daughter Angela, then 18, died of a heroin overdose in 1998, her body discovered in a creek. She said her daughter began smoking pot at the age of 14, but then graduated to harder drugs until finally she ended up a heroin user.
I would bet she has also had tobacco, caffeine, sex, and alcohol. Why say that marijuana made her "graduate"?
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"I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man" - Thomas Jefferson Legalize Meth | Drug War Victims
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Issius
Stranger



Registered: 06/29/10
Posts: 510
Loc: Pennsylvania
Last seen: 9 years, 7 months
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: Green_T]
#13335564 - 10/14/10 12:11 PM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Green_T said:
Quote:
Many believe there is a link between that kind of pot use and the “graduation” to harder drugs. One of those people is Sharon Smith, of Mechanicsburg, who Baker suggested as an interview subject. Smith’s daughter Angela, then 18, died of a heroin overdose in 1998, her body discovered in a creek. She said her daughter began smoking pot at the age of 14, but then graduated to harder drugs until finally she ended up a heroin user.
I would bet she has also had tobacco, caffeine, sex, and alcohol. Why say that marijuana made her "graduate"?
I hate when people automatically discredit the gateway drug affect. Marijuana is clearly a gateway drug, but its mainly because its illegal. Sure, you don't magically start doing heroin just because you smoke week, but you are FAR more likely to meet people who do harder drugs, or have access to harder drugs if you smoke weed.
It's illegal, you need to find a dealer because of that. The dealer probably can get other drugs or may know someone who can. This gives you access so if you get curious, you are able to give in and try it and get addicted. Alternatively, you probably smoke with a group of people or multiple groups of people and those people are more likely to do harder drugs because lets be honest...if you do acid or do coke, you are likely accepting of marijuana and probably smoke it or hang around those who do.
People are always quick to cut the gateway effect down, but it really does exist. Do I think people are responsible for their own actions? Of course I do, you shouldn't make weed out to be bad just because coke users smoke weed, but you can't ignore that smoking weed in the current environment can lead people who would otherwise stay away from harder drugs to give them a try and get addicted.
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Green_T


Registered: 10/02/08
Posts: 4,042
Loc: UK
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: Issius]
#13335595 - 10/14/10 12:18 PM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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You do have a point there; pursuing an illegal substance will often put you in contact with the underground.
However, the way this person is putting it suggests marijuana somehow makes you want to try stronger drugs which eventually ends up in a heroin overdose, which is absolute bull.
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SuperD
Cacti junky


Registered: 10/05/03
Posts: 6,648
Loc: The bridgesii bridge
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: Green_T]
#13335634 - 10/14/10 12:28 PM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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Caffeine was my "gateway drug". After caffeine came alcohol, then marijuana.
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   D Manoa said: I need to stop spending all my money on plants and take up a cheaper hobby, like heroin. Looking for Rauhocereus riosaniensis seeds or live specimen(s), me if you have any for trade
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Trichodermatologst
Trusted Contaminator


Registered: 10/06/10
Posts: 37
Loc: in your jars
Last seen: 10 years, 10 months
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: SuperD]
#13336122 - 10/14/10 02:17 PM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
The marijuana costs him about $50 per month
daaaaammm! at half-oz a week that must be some cheap a$$ $hit!!!
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joshisstoned
Motorcycle Enthusiast


Registered: 05/24/09
Posts: 3,544
Loc: Ohio
Last seen: 9 years, 5 months
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: Trichodermatologst]
#13336546 - 10/14/10 04:12 PM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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big up pennsylvania! i guess once all the states around ohio pass it, ohio MAY do it. I hate the conservative attitude that ohio floats in. I smoke weed and i'm a fucking upstanding individual... if i may say so myself.
so i guess thats my response... Smoking weed will make you funny, interesting, and happy. But it won't fix ugly. so smoke weed if your ugly, or if our not.
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Stonehenge
Alt Center

Registered: 06/20/04
Posts: 14,850
Loc: S.E.
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: joshisstoned]
#13336581 - 10/14/10 04:23 PM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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Why is it that the politicians will not do what the public wants? What the hell is going on? From the jackass obama to idiots in state govt, and law enforcement in general, they all buy into the lies and propaganda. Our elected leaders quit serving the public long ago, if they ever did. All they do now is line their pockets and take orders from the big money people. Their secret policy is 'the public be damned'
I say throw all the bums out, all demos and repubs alike. Of course you are fighting the media too which long ago quit serving the public. Who is against prop 19 in cali? The big politicians and the media. Coincidence?
-------------------- “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.” (attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville political philosopher Circa 1835) Trade list http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/18047755
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xswaveyx
SwaveY



Registered: 08/22/08
Posts: 1,077
Loc: East
Last seen: 2 years, 11 months
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: Trichodermatologst]
#13336824 - 10/14/10 05:41 PM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Trichodermatologst said:
Quote:
The marijuana costs him about $50 per month
daaaaammm! at half-oz a week that must be some cheap a$$ $hit!!!
Thats what i was thinkin? This guy says he smokes half oz a week but pays $50 a month.Dudes hooked up.
Glad my state is stepping up. I hope things change
-------------------- Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol - or THC, the active chemical in weed - is in the same family of organic molecules as anandamide, a chemical found in the human brain that is associated with feelings of bliss such as those released during sex. So on a molecular level, getting laid and getting stoned aren't too different. My Growlog with Redboy,Amazon,and Brazilian
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Shroomerette
Stranger
Registered: 10/12/10
Posts: 1,342
Loc:
Last seen: 10 years, 29 days
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Re: 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support medical marijuana [Re: Issius]
#13337274 - 10/14/10 07:42 PM (13 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Issius said:
Quote:
Green_T said:
Quote:
Many believe there is a link between that kind of pot use and the “graduation” to harder drugs. One of those people is Sharon Smith, of Mechanicsburg, who Baker suggested as an interview subject. Smith’s daughter Angela, then 18, died of a heroin overdose in 1998, her body discovered in a creek. She said her daughter began smoking pot at the age of 14, but then graduated to harder drugs until finally she ended up a heroin user.
I would bet she has also had tobacco, caffeine, sex, and alcohol. Why say that marijuana made her "graduate"?
I hate when people automatically discredit the gateway drug affect. Marijuana is clearly a gateway drug, but its mainly because its illegal. Sure, you don't magically start doing heroin just because you smoke week, but you are FAR more likely to meet people who do harder drugs, or have access to harder drugs if you smoke weed.
It's illegal, you need to find a dealer because of that. The dealer probably can get other drugs or may know someone who can. This gives you access so if you get curious, you are able to give in and try it and get addicted. Alternatively, you probably smoke with a group of people or multiple groups of people and those people are more likely to do harder drugs because lets be honest...if you do acid or do coke, you are likely accepting of marijuana and probably smoke it or hang around those who do.
People are always quick to cut the gateway effect down, but it really does exist. Do I think people are responsible for their own actions? Of course I do, you shouldn't make weed out to be bad just because coke users smoke weed, but you can't ignore that smoking weed in the current environment can lead people who would otherwise stay away from harder drugs to give them a try and get addicted.
This is absolutely true. Marijuana was the first drug I tried and I was in high school at the time. Yes, it did lead to me trying other harder drugs. I never did try heroin or coke, but I can see how some people could do so and could get addicted if they were not aware of the dangers of that happening in the first place.
The problem (at least where I live) is that marijuana is just as illegal as many other drugs with higher chances of addiction (real, physical addiction). Therefore, when I tried marijuana for the first time and enjoyed it so much without any negative side effects (at least in my opinion), it made me wonder what else I was missing out on by following the laws about illegal substances. If it were legal, or at least decriminalized, I believe that my thought process would have been quite different. If marijuana were legal, it would not be a "gateway drug" at all. There would be reason to believe that other drugs were illegal because they were honestly bad for you. Nobody ever talks about alcohol being a gateway drug, even though it does alter your mental state.
Since I live in South Carolina, I really have no hope of marijuana being legalized/decriminalized unless there are some huge changes in federal policy regarding it, or every other state does so first and pressure on SC government to do so rises to extreme levels.
:'(
-------------------- Leaving the shroomery forever
Edited by Shroomerette (10/14/10 07:45 PM)
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