Not sure if this has already been posted but.... http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...f98bb4-b319-11e2-9a98-4be1688d7d84_story.html Another great victory people!
We all hope that each state will be a little less strictly regulated than the last one but this is as close to choking the chicken too death as you can get and still have eggs for breakfast,,I will see if I can find the rant about needing to get a second opinion from your legislature before taking an aspirin for your headache..
Restrictive or not, it is a BIG step in the right direction. We got our foot in the door! Now it is just a matter of fighting to add new conditions, one by one! The hardest part is over for Maryland! Who 's next? At 19 states + DC that gives us over 38%- not that far from 52% when the government will be forced to allow MMJ, at the least! If more states go full legalization, that may speed the issue up even more! Granny
^^^ Yup, could get a constitutional amendment for allowance of medical marijuana or full-blown decriminalization/legalization, 2/3 in senate and 3/4 in the states. Or get a convention, like the unbanning of alcohol. Granted the marijuana ban isn't anywhere in the constitution, I would like to see it on there for the people, an unalienable right. I feel most medical institutions are going to want to participate, to be doing research on a huge industry. that being if the red-tape of bureaucracy aren't too daunting.
It almost seems as if now the states are trying to out-regulate each other In Illinois the proposed bill (which should pass the state senate by the end of the month) is for a 4 year pilot program - limits the use to 20 specific conditions --limits the growing licences to 22 (one for every State police district for easy monitoring ) -- and 60 dispensaries (there are 102 counties in Illinois) and doesn't this bill in Maryland only allow "Academic Centers" to do research and prescribe the MMJ?? Which I believe puts those "Centers" in a real catch 22 - if they participate in this program, do they lose their existing Federal funding??
Illinois will be MMJ state number 20 -- the bill has passed the Illinois house and is now in the Illinois Senate- and the senate has previously passed much more liberal MMJ bills-----we'll know by no later than May 31 .....
At 52% the government will be forced to allow MMJ? We have NH, and possibly NY, and ILL adding to that % soon.
Ya know, really, it isn't. If the laws are totally unworkable for the truly ill, why bother? And too often, they write it into these bills that you have to try pharma drugs before they'll allow raw cannabis. Too often, I read these "medical" bills and wonder if they want people dead before they get a chance to see if cannabis is of benefit to their condition. Most of the recent MMJ laws have been a joke which serve as nothing but compassionate window dressing, if even fully implemented in working fashion as intended. I imagine pharma will be the only source as well very soon. Sativex and other products. The "Affordable Health Care Act" was supposed to be about covering those with pre-existing conditions, and that stop-gap portion of the program is already out of funding and turning people away before the whole program is even implemented. They "did something" with that legislation. I think it is an example where "anything" isn't always a step in the right direction. I'd say most of the medical bills of late fit that description as well.
I disagree. A locked door is hard to enter, a door opened a crack offer many more choices to progress.
Every step beyond prohibition is good because it will always result in more people getting first hand knowledge of the lady and her graces,,one citizen,one city,one state until we get it done,,you want to speed it up,,spread the knowledge and the herb.
And these 3 articles will convince most (sane) people to reconsider cannabis use! An ultra-low dose of tetrahydrocannabinol provides cardioprotection. (abst – 2013) An ultra-low dose of tetrahydrocannabinol ... [Biochem Pharmacol. 2013] - PubMed - NCBI Pot compound seen as tool against cancer (news – 2012) Pot compound seen as tool against cancer - SFGate Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer's (news - 2006) Marijuana May Slow Alzheimer's Cannabis treats heart attack damage, cancer and Alzheimer's! What more could you ask of any medicine? And it makes you feel good! In addition, it is growable and can be used in many ways (smoke, vape, edibles, tinctures, etc). Once the medical facts about cannabis become known, the NEED for legalization becomes OBVIOUS! Granny
If you are someone who actually qualifies under the parameters of these recent MMJ programs, there is generally nothing about them that is particularly helpful. You can use the sick and dying as a stepping stone if you wish, but don't expect them to take kindly to it. They have problems already, and most of these new laws aren't especially helpful to truly sick people they are supposed to be helping. I'd like to see a lot more compassion going on than "progress." The two needn't be mutually exclusive. They shouldn't, in fact.
[quote name='floating_by']If you are someone who actually qualifies under the parameters of these recent MMJ programs, there is generally nothing about them that is particularly helpful. You can use the sick and dying as a stepping stone if you wish, but don't expect them to take kindly to it. They have problems already, and most of these new laws aren't especially helpful to truly sick people they are supposed to be helping. I'd like to see a lot more compassion going on than "progress." The two needn't be mutually exclusive. They shouldn't, in fact.[/Q What we like to "see" and what happens seldom match, a crack in the door allows the journey to begin.
So have ANY of you written a politician recently to tell him/her your views? A flood of letters for an issue can cause a politician to reconsider their stance! (Politicians are vote whores- they will do anything to get re-elected -even change their mind about pot!) You can find their addresses at this site- Maryland State Agency Directory