Know anyone with a disease? Read this

[Bob in Mich]

NY state is starting to expand its medical cannabis program. As I have mentioned, qualifying for medical cannabis in many states is difficult, nothing like the ease Californians find.

 

Also, intentionally or not, NY has put control of their medical cannabis program under federal DEA control. This was a critical mistake, imo. As we have seen with their recent failure to reschedule, the DEA has an incentive to continue to treat cannabis as an illegal drug rather than as a medicine.

 

In NY, a patient cannot use both medical cannabis and opiate pain medicines UNLESS the same doctor prescribes/recommends both. (Regular urine testing of patients ensures compliance.) Why would anyone need both? For pain for example, opiates are better for breakthrough pain but cannabis may be more appropriate for everyday pain levels. Or, someone on opiates may want to try reducing their opiate dosages by substituting cannabis when that would work for them.

 

Many doctors fear running afoul of the DEA's wishes because the DEA controls their ability to prescribe controlled substances. Consider the future career prospects for a pain management doctor that, due to the DEA imposed restrictions, is no longer able to prescribe pain medicine. Their future as a pain doctor would be over.

 

I believe this federal DEA control is the reason why many NY state doctors do not wish to be involved with the state's medical cannabis program

 

https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/new-york-looks-expand-medical-marijuana-program/

 

"Unlike most other states, New York’s program prohibits smokeable marijuana, instead requiring dispensing the drug capsules or oils or tinctures that can be vaporized or used with an inhaler. Doctors must complete an online training course before authorizing the drug. Patients may not know which doctors have agreed to participate, making it difficult to access the program."

[Bob in Mich]

There isn't any because it's a schedule 1 drug and to be able to do research on how it works or can help (if it can) can't even be studied. Rand Paul, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand have a bill introduced March 10, 2015 to change it to schedule 2 and some other thing SO it can be studied but it's stuck in committee for $ome unknown reason.

 

http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2015/03/senators-cory-booker-d-nj-rand-paul-r-ky-and-kirsten-gillibrand-d-ny-introduce-historic

 

It would also allow the VA to prescribe it to veterans as it does help some with PTSD.

 

I know all this because I watched a program on Vice, a new channel I found on DirectTV. On the show Weediquette they had an episode called "Stoned Vets". It also chronicles a doctor who wants to study it and all the hoops she has to go through to be able to test it. Still hasnt been able to yet. Watch it if you get the chance.

 

 

A new episode of Weediquette was on Viceland channel the other day. Check it out if you get a chance. This episode centers on Eugene Monroe and his efforts to get the NFL to consider cannabis as possibly helpful in treating brain trauma.

 

Here is a short clip from the show

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aergmYHWR-k&list=PLZ_hwG6UuEJaANlOTgYY86uHBjNdkSlhU&index=5

[Chef Jim]

I was with a friend from Denver and he he said there have been 200 OD's from heroin a week there. He said some are blaming the rise in heroin use to the legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use in the US. I said that a long time ago here.

[Bob in Mich]

I was with a friend from Denver and he he said there have been 200 OD's from heroin a week there. He said some are blaming the rise in heroin use to the legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use in the US. I said that a long time ago here.

 

So why are there record numbers of heroin overdoses in states that don't allow cannabis? The overdose epidemic exists nationwide. If you want to look for a connection to a gateway substance, look no further than the availability of opiate pain medicine.

 

I will point out a connection to marijuana but not the one you were promoting. The connection is with our drug education programs. Telling kids that all drugs are equally dangerous has contributed to the heroin epidemic, imo.

 

Young people will experiment with drugs. When they learn that they were fed a line of crap with respect to the dangers of marijuana, they become skeptical of the warnings they've heard on other drugs. "Just Say No', is fine for 6 year olds but using scare tactics on teenagers should be reserved for the really scary drugs....like heroin.

[Bob in Mich]

Sorry Jim, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch agrees that prescription pain medicine, and not cannabis, is the actual gateway to the heroin epidemic.

 

http://www.wlwt.com/article/heroin-epidemic-brings-us-attorney-general-to-kentucky/3615248

 

From the article - Lynch says (not mentioned in the video at the site)

 

"When we talk about heroin addiction we usually, as we've mentioned, are talking about individuals who start out with a prescription drug problem, and then because they need more and more, they turn to heroin," Lynch said. "It isn't so much that marijuana is the ... step right before using prescription drugs or opioids. I mean, it's true if you experiment with a lot of things in life, you may be more inclined to experiment with drugs as well. But it's not like we're seeing (that) marijuana is a specific gateway."

[Chef Jim]

Let me explain. IMO the rise in heroin use is because by legalizing marijuana (whether medical or recreational) and the rise in domestic production has put a big hurt on the cartels pocketbook. Many said that legalizing marijuana will put the cartels out of business. My response was "what are they going to do? Retire? Sell Avon? No they'll likely get into other areas such as cocaine." Well it looks like I was wrong on the cocaine and it appears to be heroin. So I'm not saying pot is the gateway to heroin. It's the supply chain changing their inventory.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/losing-marijuana-business-mexican-cartels-push-heroin-and-meth/2015/01/11/91fe44ce-8532-11e4-abcf-5a3d7b3b20b8_story.html

[B-Man]

Chelsea Clinton Suggests Marijuana Is Killing People

High Times ^ Sept. 27, 2016 Mike Adams

Edited September 28, 2016 by B-Man

[Maury Ballstein]

Let me explain. IMO the rise in heroin use is because by legalizing marijuana (whether medical or recreational) and the rise in domestic production has put a big hurt on the cartels pocketbook. Many said that legalizing marijuana will put the cartels out of business. My response was "what are they going to do? Retire? Sell Avon? No they'll likely get into other areas such as cocaine." Well it looks like I was wrong on the cocaine and it appears to be heroin. So I'm not saying pot is the gateway to heroin. It's the supply chain changing their inventory.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/losing-marijuana-business-mexican-cartels-push-heroin-and-meth/2015/01/11/91fe44ce-8532-11e4-abcf-5a3d7b3b20b8_story.html

Don't do heroin dumbasses. Smoke a J and order a cheesesteak, it's much safer.

[DC Tom]

Don't do heroin dumbasses. Smoke a J and order a cheesesteak, it's much safer.

 

Yeah, because cheesesteaks don't kill people.

[IDBillzFan]

 

Yeah, because cheesesteaks don't kill people.

 

Exactly. People with cheesesteaks kill people.

[Chef Jim]

 

Yeah, because cheesesteaks don't kill people.

 

Cheesesteak......the gateway munchy.

[Nanker]

 

Cheesesteak......the gateway munchy.

It starts with cheesesteak and ends with prime rib. The country is going to hell in a hand basket.

[DC Tom]

 

Exactly. People with cheesesteaks kill people.

 

Not in your state. The Prop 65 warning clearly blames the cheesesteak.

[Nanker]

Not in your state. The Prop 65 warning clearly blames the cheesesteak.

"Warning, the contents of this sandwich contains ingredients that are known to cause cancer in the state of California."

 

My advice? Eat your cheesesteaks outside of California.

Edited September 29, 2016 by Nanker

[B-Man]

21ST CENTURY HEADLINES: Colorado gives marijuana candy a new look to avoid confusion.

 

A requirement that edible marijuana products come with a diamond-shaped stamp and the letters T-H-C — not just on the packaging but on the brownies, candies and other edibles themselves — takes effect Saturday.

 

The rule referencing marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient was added after complaints that the treats look too much their non-intoxicating counterparts. It is the first such requirement in any legal weed state.

 

Colorado’s new “universal symbol” for foods that contain marijuana is designed to give the treats a distinct look even after they’re out of the packaging. In other words, a pot cookie being passed around a high school cafeteria no longer will look so innocent, giving parents a way to identify marijuana edibles without smelling or tasting them.

 

 

 

 

That seems like a prudent regulation.

[bbb]

That would ruin a lot of sitcom plots from the 80s.

[Deranged Rhino]

Cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory

 

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/cannabis-pdq

[DC Tom]

Cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory

 

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/cannabis-pdq

 

So do hydrofluoric acid and butane torches. Doesn't make them treatments.

[B-Man]

HIGH TIMES: Lawmakers want to defund the DEA’s marijuana eradication program.

 

The DEA’s $14 million marijuana eradication program has been the subject of a fair amount of criticism in recent years.

Twelve members of Congress have pushed to eliminate the program and use the money instead to fund domestic-violence prevention and deficit-reduction programs.

Its purpose is to “halt the spread of cannabis cultivation in the United States,” a mission that has become complicated as more states have legalized medical or recreational marijuana programs. Several more states have similar measures on the ballot this year.

 

 

 

 

The story doesn’t list the lawmakers involved, which is a shame because it would be interesting to know whether this was a bipartisan effort.

[Chef Jim]

HIGH TIMES: Lawmakers want to defund the DEA’s marijuana eradication program.

 

The DEA’s $14 million marijuana eradication program has been the subject of a fair amount of criticism in recent years.

Twelve members of Congress have pushed to eliminate the program and use the money instead to fund domestic-violence prevention and deficit-reduction programs.

Its purpose is to “halt the spread of cannabis cultivation in the United States,” a mission that has become complicated as more states have legalized medical or recreational marijuana programs. Several more states have similar measures on the ballot this year.

 

 

 

 

The story doesn’t list the lawmakers involved, which is a shame because it would be interesting to know whether this was a bipartisan effort.

 

I think they're too quick to pull the plug on that. While it still continues to be illegal in many states a lot of of the marijuana grows are run by the cartels in Mexico. Funny how the story of the Ohio family killed that was growing marijuana was dropped. At least I've not seen anything regarding who may have murdered them and why.