Quote :

"SAN FRANCISCO - A California woman whose doctor says marijuana is the only medicine keeping her alive is not immune from federal prosecution on drug charges, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. The case was brought by Angel Raich, an Oakland mother of two who suffers from scoliosis, a brain tumor, chronic nausea and other ailments. On her doctor's advice, she eats or smokes marijuana every couple of hours to ease her pain and bolster a nonexistent appetite as conventional drugs did not work. The Supreme Court ruled against Raich two years ago, saying that medical marijuana users and their suppliers could be prosecuted for breaching federal drug laws even if they lived in a state such as California where medical pot is legal.Because of that ruling, the issue before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was narrowed to the so-called right to life theory: that marijuana should be allowed if it is the only viable option to keep a patient alive. Raich, 41, began sobbing when she was told of the decision and said she would continue using the drug."I'm sure not going to let them kill me," she said. "Oh my God.""

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070314/ap_on_he_me/medical_marijuana

3/14/2007 3:12:56 PM

What happened to the society of life or compassionate conservatism?

3/14/2007 3:29:38 PM

I believe Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said it best

"The pro-life agenda should not end at birth".

3/14/2007 3:32:35 PM

I love seeing shit like this......It's helping to bolster the reality that the feds have a irrational vendetta against pot.

3/14/2007 3:44:56 PM

I bet a lot of hippie kids also thinking they're dying after t3h g0v nabs their stash.

3/14/2007 3:54:52 PM

only medicine KEEPING her alive? my ass, it might help her deal with pain, but Id like to know what disease she has that marijuana is a cure for.

3/14/2007 4:01:08 PM

^

Quote :

"On her doctor's advice, she eats or smokes marijuana every couple of hours to ease her pain and bolster a nonexistent appetite as conventional drugs did not work."

I suppose she could stay in a hospital on a feeding tube.

3/14/2007 4:26:06 PM

im pretty sure the marijuana is simply to ease the pain and to stimulate the appetite, not to literally fight a virus or anything

3/14/2007 4:27:28 PM

that is an option, but an expensive one as well. However, there are drugs out there to stimulate appetite. There are also meds that simulate marijuana in pill form, and are legal.

i agree with your point tree, but there are other meds that would work. I have a problem with the line "the ONLY thing keeping her alive". That is my main issue.

[Edited on March 14, 2007 at 4:31 PM. Reason : .]

3/14/2007 4:30:02 PM

yeah but the main pill you are probably talking about synthesizes/simulates THC, not marijuana...there are hundreds of different cannabanoids in marijuana, THC is just one of them...I've heard people who take the pill say its not like smoking...ie it might be a different cannabanoid that stimulates the appetite, etc

course she could always get her pain medication in the form of marijuana in a more traditional and illegal way as opposed to going to a doctor...that would seem to at least keep her out of federal court just for some weed

as far as the "ONLY thing keeping her alive" line I agree its misleading...however you obviously have to eat to live...and you need an appetite to eat, so while misleading, I think the statement has some truth

[Edited on March 14, 2007 at 4:32 PM. Reason : .]

3/14/2007 4:32:06 PM

Quote :

"that is an option, but an expensive one as well. However, there are drugs out there to stimulate appetite. There are also meds that simulate marijuana in pill form, and are legal"

Quote :

"she eats or smokes marijuana every couple of hours to ease her pain and bolster a nonexistent appetite as conventional drugs did not work. "

read much?

and the THC pill drives the hypocrisy of the whole situation home even more.

3/14/2007 4:47:37 PM

There are drugs, such as Megace and others, even some forms of birth control that stimulate appetite. There is also evidence that some vitamins increase appetite. So I dont think this is the ONLY thing keeping her alive. She could def. find a LEGAL alternative.

420, how cute, yeah its a dumb idea to try to use the beneficial part of marijuana while taking away some negative effects, ie smoking it, lowered immune response(which works GREAT in a patient with a brain tumor) and make a better drug. very stupid.



Look, potheads will say whatever they can think of to try to get unlimited use of it. Im waiting for the "cures global warming" thread soon. Does it have some positive effects? sure. So does coke

3/14/2007 4:58:51 PM

^The point is that the other drugs do not work on her appetite. Marijuana, not the pill, is the only thing that works for this lady. You think she hasn't tried other things?

(I think blow should be legal, by the way.)

3/14/2007 5:07:36 PM

obviously, none of us have the record, however there is a difference between what she says works and what she WANTS. Ive written a placebo for a suspected drug seeker that worked as well as the codiene he wanted("only thing that works").. There is a difference, but I dont know if that applies in this case. However, I think she is full of shit.

[Edited on March 14, 2007 at 5:12 PM. Reason : .]

3/14/2007 5:11:39 PM

^

Quote :

"The case was brought by Angel Raich, an Oakland mother of two who suffers from scoliosis, a brain tumor, chronic nausea and other ailments."

You're fucking right she's a drug seeker.

3/14/2007 5:15:52 PM

And, to be clear, this isn't about one woman wanting to sit around and smoke pot all day. She doesn't need a doctor's permission to do that.

She's bringing this case to court to draw attention to how ridiculous our drug laws are.

Marijuana is one of the best drugs for nausea and appetite that we know of. People should be allowed to use it so.

And, no amount of blabbering from an eye doctor about synthetic alternatives will make marijuana any less viable a treatment.

[Edited on March 14, 2007 at 5:35 PM. Reason : sss]

3/14/2007 5:23:08 PM

AT LEAST WE LIVE IN A FREE COUNTRY!

3/14/2007 4:49:10 PM

So what is the point of the state of California's law allowing it if the federal government is just going to step in and bring federal charges?

3/14/2007 5:10:02 PM

bridget, while I have no doubt marijuana has some benefits, the only fault I have is this is the ONLY DRUG keeping her alive. That is ridiculous.

She is trying to make an example which people, like you, are getting behind to try to push marijuana for rec. purposes. Whether you, or others will admit that is another issue.

You say its one of the best drugs we have for nausea and appetite. I will simply ask you to prove it. You seem pretty confident that is one of the best, however there is no hard data to prove your point. There is a lack of clinical trials mostly because drug companies cant patent it, or have to give it illegally to test groups, also how do you get a control group? People WILL know the difference.

3/14/2007 5:49:17 PM

Stop acting like you know anything about her case or more than her personal doctor knows.

You don't know shit.

3/14/2007 6:16:14 PM

as ive said before, none of us have her case. I simply doubt the statement this is the ONLY thing keeping her alive. I also think they, obviously, are turning this into a political issue more than it needs to be.

But it appears I dont know shit.

3/14/2007 6:30:30 PM

further proof:

"The Supreme Court ruled against Raich two years ago"

ah, but now she has a NEW arguement: Because of that ruling, the issue before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was narrowed to the so-called right to life theory: that marijuana should be allowed if it is the only viable option to keep a patient alive.


No naturally, this is the ONLY thing keeping her alive.

3/14/2007 6:58:59 PM

Key Question:

Does this woman own her own body or does the gov't?

If she owns it, she can put whatever she wants into it as long as she deals with the consequences.

3/14/2007 8:38:12 PM

Quote :

"So what is the point of the state of California's law allowing it if the federal government is just going to step in and bring federal charges?"

Politics. It also encourages other states to do the same. It puts pressure on the federal government, too.

Quote :

"I simply doubt the statement this is the ONLY thing keeping her alive."

If it is the only thing controlling her nausea, then, yes, it's the only thing keeping her alive.

3/14/2007 10:18:56 PM

^^ libertarian ftw

also whats up with eyedrb's hatred for pot

3/14/2007 10:39:54 PM

I feel for the women, but honestly in her case:

buy pot (obviously she has been buying it/obtaining it somehow)
smoke it/don't make a big deal about it
don't get busted
feel better

this made a pretty funny curb your enthuisam episode

[Edited on March 15, 2007 at 2:13 AM. Reason : .]

3/15/2007 2:08:32 AM

anyone who prosecutes a chronically ill patient near death should be prosecuted themselves

3/15/2007 2:19:52 AM

so because they are chronically ill, they are above the law?

3/15/2007 7:50:15 AM

if she's taking measures to ease her pain without killing virgins and draining their blood?

yes

3/15/2007 7:56:15 AM

no, the law is just asinine. I guess it takes a chronically ill person to really show how unreasonable the gov is on this particular subject.

3/15/2007 7:56:38 AM

^^thats not what he said.

[Edited on March 15, 2007 at 7:58 AM. Reason : d]

3/15/2007 7:57:43 AM

dental, not a hate for pot, just dont like a BS story like this. Pot isnt keeping her alive. Does it help her? sure. I also think there are other drugs which she could take legally. She has obviously tried it before, and lost in the courts. Now she has a NEW arguement that suddenly this is the ONLY thing keeping her alive. Its a BS political move, nothing else. But, there is a big difference between what she WANTS and what is keeping her alive.. that is a huge statement, and the only reason she is now claiming this is to take another run at the courts.

3/15/2007 8:32:27 AM

Quote :

"Its a BS political move, nothing else."

If the feds can pull it, then why not her/california?

3/15/2007 8:33:38 AM

^^ so why are the drugs she could be taken legal when pot is illegal.

she could smoke herself to oblivion and still be alive but if she takes a handful of her pills she will die.

if you cant understand why the laws are retarded then I cant help you.

3/15/2007 8:37:50 AM

oh jesus, when is this stupid "war on drugs" gonna come to an end

3/15/2007 8:54:47 AM

dental, the same reasons cocaine is illegal, but codeine is with a rx.

3/15/2007 8:57:38 AM

I didn't think you'd be all up on this crusade eyedrb


the war on drugs is pointless

3/15/2007 9:00:06 AM

coke is highly synthesized, weed comes directly from the ground. weed can't kill you, while coke can.....many, many differences.

^i wouldn't say poinless, just misguided

[Edited on March 15, 2007 at 9:04 AM. Reason : ^]

3/15/2007 9:03:37 AM

I have more of an issue with them using medicine and slanting that for a political purpose. Like ive said, the problem I have is the BS that this is the only thing keeping her alive. That is clearly because she is changing her arguement and using medicine as her excuse.

I am confused if a doc has written for it, why the feds get involved. I do have a problem with that.

3/15/2007 9:18:33 AM

the real issue is the feds taking away state's rights. It could loosely be considered interstate commerce, but only because of its illegality. Pretty soon all states will have the right to do is tax its residents.

3/15/2007 9:25:16 AM

vote for Ron Paul

3/15/2007 9:47:09 AM

Quote :

"So what is the point of the state of California's law allowing it if the federal government is just going to step in and bring federal charges?"

Its kind of pointless in hindsight, at least so far

3/15/2007 10:41:53 AM

Well, if enough states legalized it, it would send the signal to the feds that America, as a whole, thinks the federal policy is ridiculous.

Does anybody else find it hilarious that you can be prescribed MORPHINE but not pot? I mean, for fuck's sake...

3/15/2007 11:13:21 AM

^there are many aspects of it that are bass ackwards.

3/15/2007 11:17:54 AM

It's stories like this that galvanize people against marijuana more than they have any business being. There is no way whatsoever that marijuana is the only thing standing between this woman and death. For one thing a lack of appetite does not render eating impossible, and I have a sneaking suspicion that that's the issue other drugs "haven't been able to fix." Aside from that, there are feeding tubes, which you don't need to stay in a hospital to take advantage of.

She's definitely better off just shutting her trap and being careful about it, because there's no way people are going to throw themselves behind a measure to allow a legal exception on an issue they're already ambivalent about for a person who under the best of circumstances can offer effectively no contribution to society at this point.

3/15/2007 11:47:37 AM

Quote :

"Aside from that, there are feeding tubes, which you don't need to stay in a hospital to take advantage of. "

oh yeah, i would much rather have a tube in my stomach than smoke a joint and eat a pizza.


can't see the forest for the trees.

3/15/2007 12:03:46 PM

Don't be dense. Obviously the one is preferable to the other; my point was marijuana is not the one and only thing standing between this woman and death.

I would rather smoke a bowl to deal with stress than take an anti-anxiety drug (or, god forbid, suck it up and deal), but that doesn't mean I start calling my dealer friends every time I have a rough day. Because at the end of the day, the other options -- just like the feeding tube -- are preferable to prison.

3/15/2007 12:07:57 PM

Quote :

"just like the feeding tube -- are preferable to prison. "

don't be dense....the whole point is even having prison as an option in this case is asinine.

I'm not here to judge if she needs it to stay alive or not, but if the gov can lie (and just be overall shady) about the issue to get their way, then they set the precedent for this woman to do what is necessary.

3/15/2007 12:11:59 PM

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

3/15/2007 12:55:58 PM

there is another issue here that was touched on briefly...basically state vs federal govt powers/laws

But one of the lessons to be learned by "responsible" marijuana users is that just because the state you live in happens to pass a piece of medicinal marijuana legislation, that doesn't mean you should put all your information out there because you trust that the state will be able to protect you from the feds

3/15/2007 1:00:29 PM