Battle for the Rally
References: http://www.onmarijuana.com/2007/03/24/marijuana-is-safer-than-aspirin/
and http://www.saferchoice.org/content/view/24/32/
This is a repost with a few edits…
When Bayer introduced aspirin in 1899, cannabis was America’s number one painkiller. Until marijuana prohibition began in 1937, the US Pharmacopoeia listed cannabis as the primary medicine for over 100 diseases. Cannabis was such an effective analgesic that the American Medical Association (AMA) argued against prohibition on behalf of medical progress. Since the herb is extremely potent and essentially non-toxic, the AMA considered it a potential wonder drug.
Instead, the invention of aspirin gave birth to the modern pharmaceutical industry and Americans switched away from cannabis in the name of “progress.” But was it really progress? There can be no doubt that aspirin has a long history as the drug of choice for the self-treatment of migraines, arthritis, and other chronic pain. It is cheap and effective. But is it as safe as cannabis?
History:
Marijuana has been used for over 5,000 years.
No one has ever overdosed on marijuana.
Aspirin has been used for 108 years.
Approximately 500 people die every year by taking aspirin
The Law:
Marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug, meaning the US government believes it is extremely dangerous, highly addictive, and of no medical value.
Aspirin is available for pennies and can be purchased by children at any drug, grocery, or convenience store. Often they are just handed out free by people with no medical education.
Marijuana side effects and dangers:
The dangers of marijuana include possible respiratory problems caused by the deposition of burnt plant material on the lungs. This danger can be eliminated with alternate forms of consumption such as eating or vaporizing the medicine.
For two to four hours, marijuana causes short-term memory loss, a slight reduction in reaction time, and a reduction in cognitive ability. (It makes you stupid for a little while.)These conditions DO NOT persist after the herb wears off.
Hunger
Paranoia
Depression
Laughter
Introspection
Creative Impulse
Euphoria
Tiredness
Forgetfulness
Aspirin side effects and dangers:
When taken with alcohol, aspirin can cause stomach bleeding.
Reye Syndrome in children: fat begins to develop around the liver and other organs of the child, eventually putting severe pressure on the brain. Death is common within a few days.
People with hemophilia can die.
People with hyperthyroidism suffer elevated T4 levels.
Stomach problems include dyspepsia, heartburn, upset stomach, stomach ulcers with gross bleeding, and internal bleeding leading to anemia.
Dizziness, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, vertigo, vision disturbances, and headaches.
Heavy sweating
Irreversible liver damage
Inflamation and gradual destruction of the kidneys
Nausea and vomiting
Abdominal pain
Lethargy
Hyperthermia
Dyspepsia: a gnawing or burning stomach pain accompanied by bloating, heartburn, nausea, vomiting and burping.
Tachypnea: Abnormally fast breathing
Respiratory Alkalosis: a condition where the amount of carbon dioxide found in the blood drops to a level below normal range brought on by abnormally fast breathing.
Cerebral Edema: Water accumulates on the brain. Symptoms include headaches, decreased level of consciousness, loss of eyesight, hallucinations, psychotic behavior, memory loss and coma. If left untreated, it can lead to death.
Hallucinations, confusion, and seizure.
Prolonged bleeding after operations or post-trauma for up to 10 days after last aspirin.
Aspirin can interact with some other drugs, such as diabetes medication. Aspirin changes the way the body handles these drugs and can lead to a drug overdose and death.
If you think that cannabis is actually safer than aspirin, you are not alone. In October 2000, Dr. Leslie Iversen of the Oxford University Department of Pharmacology said the same thing.
In her book, ‘The Science of Marijuana,’ Dr. Iversen presents the scientific evidence that cannabis is, by-and-large, a safe drug. Dr. Iversen found cannabis had “an impressive record” when compared to tobacco, alcohol, or even aspirin.
“Tetrahydrocannabinol is a very safe drug,” she said. “Even such apparently innocuous medicines as aspirin and related steroidal anti-inflammatory compunds are not safe.”
So if safety is your concern, cannabis is clearly a much better choice than aspirin. If you eat it or vaporize it, it just might be the safest painkiller the world has ever known.
By Phillip S. Smith, Drug War Chronicle. Posted October 2, 2009.
Canadian “Prince of Pot” Marc Emery turned himself in to Canadian authorities Monday and is in custody in Vancouver pending extradition to the United States. The Canadian Justice Minister is expected to sign extradition papers within a matter of weeks, and then Emery will be driven to the border, handed over to US authorities, shackled, and sent to a federal detention center in the Seattle area. Shortly after that, Emery is set to plead guilty to a single count of marijuana distribution, with an expected sentence of five years in a US federal prison.
Emery and two employees of his cannabis seed selling business, Greg Rainey and Michelle Williams, were arrested in July 2005 by Canadian police honoring a US arrest warrant charging the trio with marijuana distribution and conspiracy for selling seeds to customers in the US. They faced decades or even life in prison under draconian US federal marijuana laws. Earlier this year, Rainey and Williams accepted a plea bargain in which they pleaded guilty to a single count and were sentenced to probation in Canada.
With his employees’ legal situation resolved, Emery then cut his own deal. But that doesn’t mean he’s changed his ways. At a press conference outside the BC Supreme Court in Vancouver Monday just before he turned himself in, Emery was in typical “Prince of Pot” form.
“I’m disappointed in my government, but very proud of my ‘Overgrow the Government’ revolution,” Emery told supporters. “This terrible, insidious prohibition has been propped up by Liberal and Conservative governments for 45 years. It’s a public policy with no public benefit, and it has caused so much misery, heartbreak, and torment for so many Canadians.”
Emery urged supporters to lobby the Canadian Justice Ministry to not sign his extradition order — something that is admittedly unlikely — or, barring that, to make the government pay at the polls in the next election. “And if they do sign they must be punished in the next election,” he said.
In the event that he is imprisoned in the US, Emery is urging supporters to demand that he be returned to Canada to serve his sentence. “I would be out on the streets in a year from now if I am transferred back to Canada as a first-time nonviolent offender in the Canadian system,” he told the crowd.
Emery showed no remorse — in fact, quite the opposite. “I’m proud of everything I’ve done; I only regret that I wasn’t able to do more,” Emery continued. “I did sell those seeds so people would overgrow the government, and I gave away $4 million that kick-started a worldwide movement. I’m the ‘Prince of Pot’ for a good reason. And there is no victim here; there are no dead people in my revolution.”
“Plant the seeds of freedom. Overgrow the government, everyone,” Emery yelled as he was led away by sheriffs.
Beginning in the mid-1990s, Emery carved out a niche for himself as a cannabis entrepreneur and legalization advocate in Vancouver, but his activism extends back to his native Ontario, where, as a libertarian bookseller, he brought cases against Canadian censorship laws that then blocked magazines such as High Times from being sold in the country. After moving to Vancouver, Emery set up the Cannabis Culture shop, Cannabis Culture magazine, and the Marc Emery Seed Company.
A constant gadfly to law enforcement and drug warrior politicians on both sides of the border, Emery’s mouth, his money, and his commitment to the cause enabled him to become one of the most well-known voices worldwide for ending pot prohibition. Emery founded the BC Marijuana Party and crisscrossed Canada to spread the word about “Overgrowing the Government,” and profits from his seed sales help fund drug reform groups and activists in both Canada and the US.
That didn’t win him any friends with the DEA or US federal prosecutors, who indicted him on marijuana distribution charges after busting some American growers who had obtained their seeds from him. Then DEA head Karen Tandy crowed over his arrest, describing it as a blow to the legalization movement, but then quickly backtracked in the face of accusations that his arrest was politically motivated.
While Emery is behind bars awaiting extradition to the US, his friends and supporters are mobilizing. Their immediate objectives are three-fold: to urge the Justice Minister to refuse to sign the extradition papers, to urge the US sentencing judge to give him a short or non-custodial sentence, and, in the event he is sentenced to prison time in the US, to urge the Canadian Public Safety Minister to approve his transfer to a Canadian prison.
To that end, supporters have set up a web site, No Extradition, with instructions on how to contact the relevant authorities. They are also planning vigils at Emery’s current BC jail digs and a demonstration in Seattle when he arrives there for sentencing.
“We’re planning it right this second,” Seattle Hempfest executive director Vivian McPeak said Thursday. “It’s kind of difficult without having a date certain, but we’re trying to get it so we’re ready to go when it happens. There will probably be a rally at the federal courthouse,” he added, noting that protest information would be posted on the Hempfest web site after tomorrow.
“This is terrible,” said Jeremiah Vandemeer, an editor at Emery’s Cannabis Culture magazine, which recently switched from print to an all online format. “It is an affront to Canadian sovereignty that Marc will be handed over to the US government and its prison system. If he committed any crime, he should have been prosecuted here in Canada.”
In fact, Emery has been prosecuted in Canada for his seed sales, back in 1998. In that case, he was fined $2,000, with not a day of jail time. Since then, the Canadian government had been happy to ignore his seed sales and accept his tax payments from his seed business.
“It’s terrible to see my friend and boss put behind bars for something in which there are no victims,” said Vandemeer. “It’s difficult, but we’re getting through it, and we all have that extra resolve to work that much harder to get him back home.”
Emery’s young wife, Jodie, will be playing a key role, both in keeping Cannabis Culture and the Cannabis Culture Shop going and in waging the campaign to win his release. “Our campaign is about Free Marc Emery, but this is really about freeing everybody in prison for cannabis,” she said Wednesday.
“There is a lot of pressure up here, and different political actors are starting to voice their support,” she said. “There is all sorts of activism, and it’s just starting. We will start holding vigils outside his prison beginning Saturday and going on every day after that. We’re having postcards made today that people can send to flood the ministers with mail. I’m hearing that the Minister of Justice’s office is being flooded with phone calls, and people are pledging that they will call every day.”
But while Jodie Emery the cannabis activist is planning the campaign, Jodie Emery the figuratively widowed wife is feeling the pain. “It’s horribly rough,” she said. “During the day, I can keep busy. It’s only when I get home and I’m alone and I realize that he’s gone that it really hits me. I cry a lot,” she confessed. “Even if you think Marc is a loudmouth or got what was coming to him, think of what it does to the people who love him.”
Sensitized by her experiences, Jodie Emery is broadening her activism. “This has motivated me to start speaking up for the families of prisoners,” she said. “There are hundreds of thousands of nonviolent drug offenders in prison right now, nameless and faceless except to their loved ones. I want to speak up for all the drug war widows. We want to put faces and names to the people suffering endlessly year after year.”
The historical record will show that Marc and Jodie Emery know how to wage a campaign of agitation. Now, the question is whether they can use those skills to raise awareness not just of the injustice done to Emery, but to all the rest of the drug war incarcerated.
Jon Gettman is a long time contributor to HIGH TIMES. A former National Director of NORML, Jon has a Ph.D. in public policy and regional economic development and consults with attorneys, advocates, and non-profits on cannabis related research and public policy issues. On October 8, 2002, along with a coalition of organizations, he filed a new petition to have cannabis rescheduled under federal law. This column will track that petition’s progress.
The Top Ten Obstacles to Marijuana Law Reform
A lot of people think that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most powerful opponents to marijuana’s legalization. They don’t realize that these companies stand to make billions of dollars off of the chemical compounds contained in marijuana in a legal regulatory climate. The reality is that the current restrictions on marijuana make scientific research on marijuana-related pharmaceuticals too expensive to pursue, and the restrictive regulatory climate concerning anything related to marijuana creates too much uncertainty about future sales and profits to justify developing marijuana related drugs. Even if marijuana were legal and widely available, there would still be a valuable market for a marijuana-based painkiller that was 50 to 100 times more powerful than the herb itself.
Many others think the alcohol industry is another potential opponent to marijuana’s legalization. However, they realize that the popularity of alcohol has withstood the test of time, not to mention marijuana’s immense popularity over the last several decades. Legal marijuana is not a threat to their profits, and if it were, they would just enter the business themselves.
But if not the pharmaceutical and alcohol industries, what are the greatest obstacles to marijuana’s legalization? Here’s a list of the top ten obstacles. They can all be overcome, but they all represent formidable opponents to marijuana reform.
#10 – Conservative opposition to the Obama Administration. A cautionary note – there are many conservatives in favor of legalizing marijuana, and not just dedicated libertarians. For example, Rich Lowry, editor of the National Review, wrote a superb article in favor of marijuana reform in 2001. But there aren’t many conservatives who support the Obama Administration. For example, also turn to the National Review, particularly their popular blog, The Corner, for a good sampling of conservative criticism of the President, his agenda and his policies.
Conservatives are looking for issues to both rally their base and reassemble their successful coalitions of years past. Tough anti-drug policies were a staple of the Reagan era, and a return to the policies of this period are advocated by some conservatives as the key to a conservative comeback in American electoral politics. Regardless of the conservative agenda, many Democrats will resist marijuana’s legalization out of concern that it will provide conservatives an easy target to exploit. On the other hand, support for legalization could be a part of a successful strategy by conservatives to appeal to younger voters. There is an ongoing debate in conservative circles about how to rally support to their cause and oppose Obama’s policies. The complexities of this debate, and its effect on their liberal opponents, represent a potential obstacle to marijuana’s legalization.
#9 – Anti-drug crusaders. Drug abuse is a serious issue, and efforts to prevent, reduce, and treat drug abuse attract many serious, sincere, and dedicated individuals whose valuable work is worthy of respect and support. Many people in the prevention profession have mixed feelings about marijuana; while in favor of discouraging its use, especially by teenagers, they also recognize that our current laws often have counter-productive effects, such as making marijuana readily available to all age groups. Nonetheless, there are many individuals and organizations in the anti-drug abuse movement who believe that opposing marijuana’s legalization is integral to their efforts. The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) is a prominent example. Arguments against marijuana’s legalization are a prominent part of their public policy materials, and, for example, they argue that “Medical marijuana [is] being used as wedge issue to legalize drugs by a few wealthy individuals who have otherwise been unable to advance their personal political agendas.”
#8 – Drug War funding benefactors. The federal Office of National Drug Control Policy recently published a summary of the FY 2010 budget for the programs that implement federal drug policy. The entire budget request is for $15.1 billion, an increase of 1.5% over the budget for FY2009. The budget includes $238.6 million for the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) National Programs, $90 million for Drug-Free Communities programs and $70 million for the ongoing national Media Campaign. The budget delivers $3.4 billion in funds for domestic law enforcement, which includes many avenues for providing assistance to local law enforcement, such as the ONDCP’s program for providing $220 million for law enforcement activities in High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas. These funds are used for all anti-drug programs, not just those focused on marijuana. These funding streams, though, create constituencies that provide political support to preserve and maintain this flow of federal money. CADCA, for example, encouraged its members and supporters to support funding for the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program. Many of those individuals and groups that receive federal anti-drug funding oppose marijuana’s legalization. In addition to their policy positions, they believe their work is important and deserves continued financial support from the federal government.
#7 – State prosecutors. In 2007 there were 97,582 arrests in the United States for marijuana sales, 5.3% of all drug abuse arrests. The sale of marijuana is a felony under state law. Career prosecutors gain professional advancement by accumulating felony convictions. There is nothing sinister about this; it’s their job to convict people arrested by police for felony crimes. From their perspective, anyone arrested with more than a few ounces of marijuana possesses more marijuana than should be allowed for personal possession and should be prosecuted for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute it. Under many circumstances these defendants represent potentially easy convictions for career prosecutors. Prosecutors have a limited view of marijuana use; they come into contact with people charged with serious crimes and they associate marijuana use with criminal behavior – they have little contact with most marijuana users, most of whom do not commit crimes (other than possessing marijuana.)
#6 – The Urine Testing Industry. Do a Google search with the term ‘Urine Testing for Drug Abuse,’ and you’ll get close to 1 million hits. That’s a pretty reliable indicator that there is a lot of information in circulation about urine tests for drugs, whether it concerns companies selling tests, policies about testing at work or in the criminal justice system, or targeted at people just trying to beat the tests. Take a look at the ads on the right hand side of the page. Urine testing for drugs is big business, and marijuana is the most commonly use illegal drug. In 1991 the drug testing industry had estimated revenues of $340 million. Now it brings in nearly $2 billion annually. The Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association (DATIA) has over 1,300 members, represents more than 1 million companies in the industry, and their members perform more than 60 million drug and alcohol tests per year. Legalization will significantly reduce the revenue for this industry by reducing the justification for marijuana-related urine testing.
#5 – Foreign drug cartels. In late December 2008, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard indicated he would be willing to consider the legalization of marijuana as a way of defunding foreign drug cartels. Goddard spoke at a press conference announcing the breakup of a Mexican drug ring responsible for bringing 400,000 lbs of marijuana into Arizona every year since 2003. According to Goddard, marijuana, was responsible for 75% of the money Mexican cartels use for other operations. While currently opposed to marijuana’s legalization, Goddard believes that all options should be on the table. Despite massive and growing domestic cannabis production capabilities, a large amount of the marijuana consumed in the United States is imported. Legalization will cost foreign operations considerable profits; they aren’t about to give this up without a fight.
#4 – Progressive political priorities. Marijuana’s legalization has never been a priority for political progressives. While many liberals and progressives are sympathetic to drug policy reform in general and supportive of marijuana’s legalization in particular, other goals have usually been more important. Issues such as ending US military involvement Iraq, reducing global warming, reforming the US health care system, equal rights for gays and lesbians, and continued opposition to conservative political priorities have been progressive political objectives over the last decade. Legalization will require political support from legislators and political leaders, and they must be encouraged to support legalization from a wide spectrum of activists and organizations. One of the greatest obstacles to marijuana’s legalization is the low priority it represents for many liberal and progressive activists.
#3 – Ignorance. Scientific research has refuted all of the hysterical claims about marijuana that were circulated during the 20th century, however many people don’t know this. Marijuana use does not lead to addiction to more dangerous drugs, it does not cause an amotivational syndrome that makes people lazy and unproductive, and it does not cause birth defects. Most Americans are fairly ambivalent about adult marijuana use, but for some reason they are still concerned that if marijuana were legal it would be easier for teenagers to acquire it. Data on teenage marijuana use disputes this point. Most teenagers find marijuana is fairly easy to acquire, indeed marijuana is so expensive these days that it is profitable for teens to sell it their friends, making it even easier to get. Ignorance is one of the greatest obstacles to marijuana’s legalization, but it is also one of the easiest to overcome.
#2 – Apathy. Over 25 million Americans use marijuana on annual basis, and there are 14.4 million monthly users. Public support for legalization is at an all time high. And yet many marijuana users are not politically active. Support for reform groups such as the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) and NORML has been stronger over the last few years than ever, however both have a long way to go before their membership numbers reach hundreds of thousands or millions of members. Many marijuana users are young and politically inexperienced; many others still believe that marijuana will never be legalized and political activity is not worth their time, money, or interest. And yet their involvement is all it will take to overcome the obstacles to legalization listed above. None of these obstacles can prevent legalization once it has earned widespread support from a majority of the American public. Increasing political activism by marijuana users, such as through the activities of MPP, NORML, and The HIGH TIMES 420 Campaign, is a sure way to achieve the legalization of marijuana.
#1 – Overconfidence. Almost as bad as apathy, overconfidence is the single most significant obstacle to marijuana’s legalization. While many marijuana uses think legalization will never occur, it seems that just as many are so convinced it is inevitable they don’t bother to take part in activities to bring it about. These are good times for marijuana reform, but there are no guarantees. This is not a time for over-confidence; it’s a time for action. This is not a time to sit and watch other people get the job done, it’s a good time to get involved. It is crucial for marijuana users to understand that the battle for marijuana’s legalization is now underway. Now is the time to overcome the obstacles to legalization and make history.
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