Reefer Madness Against Medical Marijuana in State Legislatures

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I presume I’m preaching to the choir, but I will be preaching anyhow. The New York Times, my favorite source of subject material, is a gold mine of really weird stuff. On Tuesday Oct 11 2011 they published "States Adding Drug Tests Hurdles for Welfare".

This is a most nefarious evil action I can think of and reminds me of the Nazi euthanasia programs during WWII, during which time they killed many sick and disabled people. Several states including Missouri, Arizona, Indiana and Florida but possibly about 30 states are “planning” to require “drug testing” for people on welfare, unemployment insurance, job training, food stamps and public housing, etc.

This is obviously directed at medical marijuana users because these patients cannot afford to go to a doctor or pay the prohibitively high prices for medicine that are not as effective or as safe as marijuana which they can grow for themselves at practically no cost to themselves or the welfare program.

The reefer madness-afflicted legislators should know, but probably do not, that marijuana as medicine is the safest, most universally effective medicine ever found despite the unfortunate fact that some few people abuse it for the euphoria or high that they can get. These are not medical users!

The US government estimates that around 50-70 million people use it occasionally. And 10-15 million use it daily. This latter group are mostly under the radar and are rarely apprehended. However, about 1 million of this 70 million are arrested every year.

I have signed about 5,000 patients for medical marijuana permits and they are the sickest, most disabled and medically destitute patients I have ever seen. The clinic where I was the first doctor now has about 150,000 patients in 9 states and the experience in all clinics is about the same as my own. These patients cannot afford doctor visits and costly medicines that do not work.

The most common drugs of abuse are legal prescription drugs, paid for by the people who have the money or the medical insurance programs.

To clarify my last points, I will quote my computer after I searched “addiction to prescription drugs”: marijuana is listed as the first and most used and abused drug, legal or otherwise.

It is followed secondly by prescription drugs such as sedatives Oxycontin, Vicodin, Valium, Xanex, Dexedrine, Adderol, Ritalin and tranquilizers. In third place are cocaine, heroin and meth. The same article (dated in 2000) says 20% of Americans abuse drugs and at least 500,000 are admitted to emergency for overdoses.

In other words, these anti-drug legislatures are barking up the wrong tree. People with money and lots of it are the drug users and abusers. Poor people in general cannot afford to be drug users and drug abusers. If the welfare folks are cut off from any prescription drugs or any other kind of drug they will overflow the emergency rooms costing somebody enormous amounts of money. Already, poor people’s use of cannabis for medical purposes is saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

This new kind of law is just another socio-logical insult to the 15 million people who have lost their jobs, houses and medical insurance.

More information on the history of Dr. Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of WWII about his own experiences "from a foxhole". Order the book by mail by following this link: DOGFACE SOLDIER OF WWII If you are a World War II history buff, you don't want to miss it.

Salem-News.com Marijuana Coverage

Where and How to Smoke Legal Marijuana without Fear of Arrest in the U.S.

Eulogy of a Great Warrior: Hoss Plourde

The Ripple Effect How Marijuana Laws Are Impacting Society

Audit the Audit

Welcome Home, Tom

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

October 14, 2011 8:07 am (Pacific time)

Nah, I don't want to pay for drug tests on anyone, we just can't afford it as a country right now. Maybe if we "put our financial house in order first." To quote some D-bag Republican. Too much wasted money and oversight.-Not to mention the invasion of privacy issues.

drifter October 14, 2011 3:10 am (Pacific time)

California's taxable $1.5 billion medical marijuana industry ends in 45 days.

[Return to Top]