If you’ve ever lived with a person dying from cancer then you know that the end stage is brutal. I sometimes think that it isn’t the cancer that kills people, but the cure, or rather the chemotherapy and surgery. There are plenty of reasons to question what sort of drugs or treatments are effective or not, but in a terminal illness those questions pale besides the one looming issue of dying with dignity. If you’ve never seen a patient unable to swallow a pill, hooked up on IVs and grappling with the pain and discomfort of months of debilitation, then you are fotunate. If a terminal patient wants to take a toke, who are we to say no?
From the Courant:
The House of Representatives was debating legislation today that would legalize the medical use of marijuana for patients with debilitating illnesses.
The debate was expected to last late into the afternoon, with one opponent filing about 50 amendments to the bill. It’s unclear how many may ultimately be voted on.
Connecticut lawmakers have grappled with the issue for the last five years. Backers of the law say it’s needed to legally protect people who try to obtain the illegal drug to help stem the draining effects of diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis.
Opponents say the proposal sends the wrong message about drugs to Connecticut’s children and could exacerbate a patient’s health problems. Some also claimed the bill still has many problems that haven’t yet been addressed.
“How do you get it?” asked House Minority Leader Lawrence J. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, referring to the marijuana seeds needed to grow the maximum four plants allowed under the bill. “You’ve got to buy it. How do you buy it? As Rep. (Michael) Lawlor said, you’ve got to hit the streets folks – nickel bag, dime bag. You gotta make a drug deal, baby.”
The legislation allows a doctor to certify an adult patient’s use of marijuana after determining he or she has a debilitating condition and could potentially benefit from marijuana. Patients and their primary caregivers would then register with the state’s Department of Consumer Protection.
source: The Courant, House Takes Up Medical Marijuana Bill, AP May 23, 2007
Meanwhile, kids can go buy a pack of smokes at the corner store or a six-pack. Of course, those legal drugs don’t have a huge system of attorney- and court-related revenues that are generated from them, like pot busts do.
The House final vote is in 89-58, with 4 not voting, the bill passes. Link to full story
The Norwalk Delegation all voted against the bill.
Saw a name of a representative from outside of Norwalk who didn’t mind hitting the free base pipe in their youth.
Voted no!
I’m sure the Feds will find some way to impose their draconian authority on this State initiative – they’ve done it before.
And what was up with Toni Boucher attempting to add not one, not two, but fifty amendments to this bill?
As for where to get seeds, anyone with the initiative (hey guys, that’s cancer patients) can find out where to get them without making a drug deal, baby. Can you say “mail order?” What a bunch of moralizing morons.
Why make it legal for medical use, when you can force people to buy it on the street and contribute to the tax free underground economy?
If I had a friend or relative suffering from pain, and Pot would give them relief from pain, I would do all I could to help them obtain the Marijuana they needed, and would be proud to have a death certificate indicating the cause of death waas a drug overdose rather then the long time suffering of Cancer or other vile illness – I am convinced Cancer is still here until it is not profitable for the drug companies, doctors and politicians – then it will be cured until another illness steps in to create more profit.