Bush escalates marijuana war Supreme Court asked to sanction doctors

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/07/11/POT.TMP

The Bush administration, pressing its campaign against state medical marijuana laws, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let federal authorities punish California doctors who recommend pot to their patients.

The administration would revoke the federal prescription licenses of doctors who tell their patients marijuana would help them, a prerequisite for obtaining the drug under the state's voter-approved medical marijuana law.

Justice Department lawyers this week asked the high court to take up the issue in its next term, which begins in October. The department is appealing a ruling by an appellate court in San Francisco that said the proposed penalties would violate the freedom of speech of both doctors and patients.

If the justices agree to review the case, it would be their first look at medical marijuana since May 2001, when the court upheld the federal government's authority to close down a pot dispensary in Oakland and others in the state.

[lcordero]

1. always look at the money angle

medical marijuana cuts into pharmaceutical company profits.

[grytpype]

5. I hear this a lot...

I hear this a lot, but what prescription drugs does pot replace? Now, the alcohol and tobacco industries, that's another story altogether.

[Chicagonian]

9. anti-inflammatories, and pain relievers for one thing.

In my own case, (BTW- I live in a NON-medical MJ state, so this is all hypothetical ;) ) I have a spinal condition (AS) that has no real cure, and which can require massive amounts of anti-inflammatory meds (NSAIDS), which can be hard on the digestive system & the liver and kidneys, especially over time. It's also possible to develop insomnia and tinitus(?), among other things with long-term usage.
My personal condition went mis/un-diagnosed for many years before flaring up into a very debilitating illness, and during those earlier years, I "self-medicated" with pot- I didn't know what I had, and I didn't know why the pot made me feel so much better physically(and apart from the 'high'), but it did.
Now that I know what ails me, I've been able to network with others who are similarly afflicted, many of them have had the same type of relief via pot...and in fact the founder of the Orange County Cannabis Buyer's Club(who was thrown in jail) was/is an AS sufferer

[MotorCityMan]

2. Damn them to hell, anyways

Can't have anything that will actually HELP anyone. Can't cut into corporate and prison profits.

:evilfrown:

[grytpype]

6. Oh, and the prison industry, true. n/t

.

[LifeDuringWartime]

3. fuck

dont these people understand ANYTHING besides money........

[MaryBear]

4. This may lose him votes.

Conservative physicians may or may not oppose marijuana, but they certainly oppose being told what they can and cannot say to patients.

[Imalittleteapot]

7. My now dead buddy

got through the last months of his life with marijuana. F@@k
bush. What's next? Down comforters?
:smoke:

[havocmom]

8. more Compassionate Conservative action

Can't let those in horrible pain and facing death have any comfort.

There are no words for this sort of hatefulness.

[Old and In the Way]

10. Don't you just like these "conservatives"

I remember a time when conservatives would be asking what the f**k business is it of government to tell you what you can and can't smoke, eat, drink, or snort.

These guys practice the worst type of government instrusive "liberalism" on people's right to pursue their own happiness.

Why the complete and utter hypocrisy on this issue?

But, then when the selected pResident is the most unprincipled person ever to shame the office he stole, why should I be surprised?

[leesa]

11. Anything for the drug companies

Bush would do ANYTHING for a buck. He's the ultimate whore!