Rethinking Medical Marijuana

[Spliff Twister]

Steve Comstock, a 23-year-old Thousand Oaks resident, says he's dying from Hodgkin's lymphoma and is in dire need of medical marijuana to relieve the painful condition. Loren Green, a 58-year-old man who works in Agoura Hills, says he uses marijuana to ease his symptoms of depression, anxiety and arthritis. But the condition of neither person failed to prevent the Agoura Hills City Council from enacting a recent moratorium barring medical marijuana cooperatives from the city.

The council was correct to approve the moratorium. The action came in response to the closing of the Conejo Wellness Center, a cannabis distributor on Agoura Road that was said to be operating under the guise of a copier business.

While few doubt the medical advantages of marijuana use-the California Compassionate Use Act of 1996 allows pot prescriptions to be filled for medicinal purposes-too many of the dispensaries operate on the fringes of the law.

Many doctors and dispensary operators are extremely careful in how much marijuana they dispense to patients, but others have interpreted the law in much broader terms and prescribe the weed liberally. Worse, young people are said to be obtaining illegal prescriptions and using the drug for recreational purposes. The system is fraught with loopholes and cities such as Agoura Hills have exercised their right to throw the businesses out of town.

The intent of the medical marijuana law was to help quash the black market and ensure safe and affordable access for legitimately qualified individuals, but too many of these cannabis centers have become storefront dope houses.

We think marijuana holds a rightful place in the medical drug inventory-its benefits are indisputable-but like other prescription drugs, it will always be abused.

Medical marijuana has a future-if better controls can be put into place.

Newshawk: Spliff Twister - www.420Times.com
Source: The Acorn
Pubdate: October 11, 2006
Copyright: Copyright© 2000 - 2006J.Bee Publications
Website: The Acorn

 

[Wilbur]

I have long felt that the medical marijuana community needs to do some serious self-policing. Marijuana as medicine is more important than any other marijuana related issue, closely followed by hemp. Last on the list would be legalization for recreation. Before you jump on me, let me say that I am for the complete legalization of marijuana, but suffering people should come first. Smokers should not get their supply from medical suppliers or patients. Anyone caught ripping off patients plants or medical supply should be shunned by the marijuana community. All this bullshit just harms the cause of medical marijuana and gives ammunition to the opponents of the movement. It sorta bugs me when I see posts in the medical section of this forum with haha funny, gettin stoned graphics. It sends a mixed message. Sure, patients and stoners understand, but thats just singing to the choir. We need to be aware that perhaps people questioning and searching out answers come here, look around and judge the movement by what they see.

 

[bahnzo]

From reading various forums throughout the net (WT anyone?) it's obvious some self-policing as you say user is needed. But the real problem is greed. $75 1/8's and doctors willing to write rec's to virtually anyone with $200 and 10minutes are hurting the validity of medical marijuana. I remember one post from a patient describing his first visit to a dispensary, and not knowing what he wanted to get, he allowed the next person in line to go ahead. The kid whips out a list and orders 2oz's of this, 2oz's of that, etc.

If medical MJ is going to work, first the dispensaries need to operate as they were intended, non-profit. This doesn't mean they can't make a profit, and pay thier workers, provide benefits, etc. They also need to limit most sales to some reasonable amount. I'm not sure what this would be, what about the person who has to drive hours to the dispensary vs the person who is local? I would suspect common sense should be used. I also read plenty about patients going to dispensaries and the workers there being high. These dispensaries need to get themselves in line and provide a professional atmosphere to do thier business.