T
The420Guy
Guest
BLITZER: The hot debate over using marijuana in certain medical cases just
got hotter. Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, today, introduced
legislation that would repeal federal restrictions on medical marijuana.
Federal law now prevents states from allowing marijuana to be used to ease
pain in terminally ill patients and other cases. Joining us with their
opposing views on this issue, Kevin Zeese is president of Common Sense For
Drug Policy, and Ken Connor is president of the Family Research Council.
Gentlemen, thanks for joining us. Let me begin with you, Kevin. Why should
this federal law, this proposed bill, be enacted?
KEVIN ZEESE, PRESIDENT, COMMON SENSE FOR DRUG POLICY: Because the federal
government is blocking the voter's decisions in nine states. Overwhelming
numbers of voters have voted for medical marijuana. The research shows
marijuana works as a medicine. Patients need it desperately and the federal
government is wasting precious resources prosecuting seriously ill people.
We're seeing federal prosecutions of nonviolent medical marijuana cases at a
time when we're on terror alert. It's a waste of resources.
BLITZER: Ken, if someone is terminally ill and going through chemo and
suffering and this medical marijuana might ease that pain somewhat, what's
wrong with letting a doctor give that kind of prescription?
KEN CONNOR, PRESIDENT, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: Because there are approved
alternatives, which the Food and Drug Administration, Wolf, has already
passed on. And when you smoke marijuana, you actually ingest about 500 other
compounds besides THC, which is then refined in federally approved form, in
pill form, and will soon be available in the form of suppositories and
inhalers as well. The effect of these other compounds, which are inhaled or
ingested by the patient, can react negatively with other drugs or with other
conditions.
ZEESE: The problem is that research that compares the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pill
with smoked marijuana and they show the same thing. Marijuana is safer and
more effective for the patient. The reality is these approved medicines don't
work for a lot of patients. There was testimony today on Capitol Hill from
patients who have tried the legal drugs. They didn't work. These people are
suffering now. You're talking about coming up with progress within 10
years...
CONNOR: The reality...
ZEESE: There's going to be people suffering while you do it.
CONNOR: Wolf, it's a stalking horse for the drug legalization law because...
BLITZER: It is a slippery slope, is that what you said?
CONNOR: It absolutely is.
ZEESE: Well, I'll tell you...
(CROSSTALK)
CONNOR: These folks want to legalize...
ZEESE: What you're doing is you're putting...
BLITZER: One at a time. One at a time.
CONNOR: They're using the plight and problems of people who are suffering.
They're exploiting them in a way to advance a political agenda. The reality
of it is that there are federally approved alternatives that can provide
palliative relief.
ZEESE: The reality is...
(CROSSTALK)
ZEESE: ... you're the one playing politics with this issue, unfortunately.
Voters are voting for this issue in overwhelming numbers. We've never lost a
vote around the country. People are suffering while you are propping up the
drug war with this fight against medical marijuana.
CONNOR: Science doesn't support...
ZEESE: Seventy-three -- the science does supports it. In fact, the science
supports it very strongly. There's overwhelming evidence in the science on
this. Seventy-three percent of the public, according to a number of polls
recently, support medical marijuana.
Who are you to block -- I mean this is democracy. Get out of the voter's way!
CONNOR: Wolf, The Institute of Medicine said we shouldn't do this. This...
ZEESE: The Institute of Medicine said the opposite.
CONNOR: It's not good for patients.
ZEESE: The Institute of Medicine said, "make marijuana available."
CONNOR: There are alternatively -- there are alternative forms that are
available
that can provide palliative relief. This is just a stalking horse for drug
legalization and Mr. Zeese is in the forefront of that battle.
ZEESE: I'm -- the reality is that people are suffering today and you're
standing in their way. These other medicines don't work for everybody and we
need to make a medicine available that does work. It takes a decade...
BLITZER: But...
ZEESE: It takes a decade for a new medicine to come to the market. And during
that decade, people will suffer.
BLITZER: Kevin, what guarantees would there be that Mr. Connor and his
associates might be reassured with that this would be strictly for medical
purposes, that it is not the beginning of the legalization of marijuana?
ZEESE: The best guarantee is to allow marijuana to be available by
prescription like any other medicine. Cocaine is available by prescription.
Morphine is available by prescription. We're not...
(CROSSTALK)
ZEESE: There's no...
(CROSSTALK)
Well, it's much more dangerous than marijuana.
CONNOR: Look what's happened in Oregon with respect to those who applied for
IDs to use miracle -- medical marijuana. Forty percent of the applicants were
awarded IDs and prescriptions by a 78-year-old physician, most of which came
over the phone, many of which -- including, for...
ZEESE: Do you know why that is?
CONNOR: ... instance a 14-year-old little girl.
BLITZER: What's the answer?
CONNOR: The reality is there is no quality control.
ZEESE: The reason why there is is because the federal government is
threatening doctors. You need a doctor who has not got nothing to fear. A
78-year-old doctor with that many years of experience is not afraid of the
federal government so he has more guts than most of us who are threatened
by...
CONNOR: The reality is people are using it on a pretext because they want to
smoke pot...
ZEESE: Make it available by prescription and you avoid that.
CONNOR: ... instead of using it as medical marijuana.
BLITZER: We have to leave it, unfortunately, right there. We'll see if this
legislation does get enacted. Thank you very much.
ZEESE: Thank you very much.
CONNOR: Thank you.
BLITZER: This debate is obviously going to continue.
--------------
Excerpt of Kevin Zeese / Ken Connors debate
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 09
38 -0700
From: "D. Paul Stanford" <stanford@crrh.org>
Subject: Transcript Zeese on CNN's Wolf Blitzer Reports
got hotter. Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, today, introduced
legislation that would repeal federal restrictions on medical marijuana.
Federal law now prevents states from allowing marijuana to be used to ease
pain in terminally ill patients and other cases. Joining us with their
opposing views on this issue, Kevin Zeese is president of Common Sense For
Drug Policy, and Ken Connor is president of the Family Research Council.
Gentlemen, thanks for joining us. Let me begin with you, Kevin. Why should
this federal law, this proposed bill, be enacted?
KEVIN ZEESE, PRESIDENT, COMMON SENSE FOR DRUG POLICY: Because the federal
government is blocking the voter's decisions in nine states. Overwhelming
numbers of voters have voted for medical marijuana. The research shows
marijuana works as a medicine. Patients need it desperately and the federal
government is wasting precious resources prosecuting seriously ill people.
We're seeing federal prosecutions of nonviolent medical marijuana cases at a
time when we're on terror alert. It's a waste of resources.
BLITZER: Ken, if someone is terminally ill and going through chemo and
suffering and this medical marijuana might ease that pain somewhat, what's
wrong with letting a doctor give that kind of prescription?
KEN CONNOR, PRESIDENT, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: Because there are approved
alternatives, which the Food and Drug Administration, Wolf, has already
passed on. And when you smoke marijuana, you actually ingest about 500 other
compounds besides THC, which is then refined in federally approved form, in
pill form, and will soon be available in the form of suppositories and
inhalers as well. The effect of these other compounds, which are inhaled or
ingested by the patient, can react negatively with other drugs or with other
conditions.
ZEESE: The problem is that research that compares the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pill
with smoked marijuana and they show the same thing. Marijuana is safer and
more effective for the patient. The reality is these approved medicines don't
work for a lot of patients. There was testimony today on Capitol Hill from
patients who have tried the legal drugs. They didn't work. These people are
suffering now. You're talking about coming up with progress within 10
years...
CONNOR: The reality...
ZEESE: There's going to be people suffering while you do it.
CONNOR: Wolf, it's a stalking horse for the drug legalization law because...
BLITZER: It is a slippery slope, is that what you said?
CONNOR: It absolutely is.
ZEESE: Well, I'll tell you...
(CROSSTALK)
CONNOR: These folks want to legalize...
ZEESE: What you're doing is you're putting...
BLITZER: One at a time. One at a time.
CONNOR: They're using the plight and problems of people who are suffering.
They're exploiting them in a way to advance a political agenda. The reality
of it is that there are federally approved alternatives that can provide
palliative relief.
ZEESE: The reality is...
(CROSSTALK)
ZEESE: ... you're the one playing politics with this issue, unfortunately.
Voters are voting for this issue in overwhelming numbers. We've never lost a
vote around the country. People are suffering while you are propping up the
drug war with this fight against medical marijuana.
CONNOR: Science doesn't support...
ZEESE: Seventy-three -- the science does supports it. In fact, the science
supports it very strongly. There's overwhelming evidence in the science on
this. Seventy-three percent of the public, according to a number of polls
recently, support medical marijuana.
Who are you to block -- I mean this is democracy. Get out of the voter's way!
CONNOR: Wolf, The Institute of Medicine said we shouldn't do this. This...
ZEESE: The Institute of Medicine said the opposite.
CONNOR: It's not good for patients.
ZEESE: The Institute of Medicine said, "make marijuana available."
CONNOR: There are alternatively -- there are alternative forms that are
available
that can provide palliative relief. This is just a stalking horse for drug
legalization and Mr. Zeese is in the forefront of that battle.
ZEESE: I'm -- the reality is that people are suffering today and you're
standing in their way. These other medicines don't work for everybody and we
need to make a medicine available that does work. It takes a decade...
BLITZER: But...
ZEESE: It takes a decade for a new medicine to come to the market. And during
that decade, people will suffer.
BLITZER: Kevin, what guarantees would there be that Mr. Connor and his
associates might be reassured with that this would be strictly for medical
purposes, that it is not the beginning of the legalization of marijuana?
ZEESE: The best guarantee is to allow marijuana to be available by
prescription like any other medicine. Cocaine is available by prescription.
Morphine is available by prescription. We're not...
(CROSSTALK)
ZEESE: There's no...
(CROSSTALK)
Well, it's much more dangerous than marijuana.
CONNOR: Look what's happened in Oregon with respect to those who applied for
IDs to use miracle -- medical marijuana. Forty percent of the applicants were
awarded IDs and prescriptions by a 78-year-old physician, most of which came
over the phone, many of which -- including, for...
ZEESE: Do you know why that is?
CONNOR: ... instance a 14-year-old little girl.
BLITZER: What's the answer?
CONNOR: The reality is there is no quality control.
ZEESE: The reason why there is is because the federal government is
threatening doctors. You need a doctor who has not got nothing to fear. A
78-year-old doctor with that many years of experience is not afraid of the
federal government so he has more guts than most of us who are threatened
by...
CONNOR: The reality is people are using it on a pretext because they want to
smoke pot...
ZEESE: Make it available by prescription and you avoid that.
CONNOR: ... instead of using it as medical marijuana.
BLITZER: We have to leave it, unfortunately, right there. We'll see if this
legislation does get enacted. Thank you very much.
ZEESE: Thank you very much.
CONNOR: Thank you.
BLITZER: This debate is obviously going to continue.
--------------
Excerpt of Kevin Zeese / Ken Connors debate
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 09
38 -0700From: "D. Paul Stanford" <stanford@crrh.org>
Subject: Transcript Zeese on CNN's Wolf Blitzer Reports
