Pennsylvania has lagged behind many New England States in regard to cannabis law reform, but that may be changing soon. While States such as Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have moved forward to offer patients access to medicinal marijuana, PA has only recently begun pushing through legislation for medicinal marijuana.
In the wake of Washington and Colorado legalizing the use of cannabis for any reason among adults, a PA State Senator named Daylin Leach has introduced SB 528, the "Regulate Marijuana Act" for Pennsylvanians.
Though PA has lagged even behind New Jersey in terms of medical access to marijuana, it stands to be the first East Coast State to legalize marijuana for all reasons among adult users. Philadelphia has been a hub of major support for legalization.
Recently in the past year, events such as Smokedown Prohibition, hosted by Philly NORML and a comedy troop called The Panic Hour have shown consistently growing turnout and speakers including the NJ Weedman, Hempland Security representatives and Kevin Clough, Executive Director of Philly NORML. There have been patients who beat cancer using cannabis and advocates for justice through Jury Nullification that fight unjust criminal convictions.
There is currently a petition on Change.org available here that will be sent at the end of May, 2013 to the Law and Justice Department of the Pennsylvania Senate, (this is the committee to which SB 528 has been assigned for review). Take the time to e-sign and send a loud message to the PA Senate - we want cannabis legal in Pennsylvania not only for its amazing medical benefits but also because it is a non-lethal substance with less intoxicating effects than alcohol!
Just think of it as a new revelation and figure a slant on it that know one else has been able to pursue to the right degree and presto Marijuana, THC is good for you> Hmm feed someones money machine and yes of course marijuana is good for you, no, I just know it is just let me use the medicine that has been good for people for centuries, Marijuana! Don't worry I will pay for my own, no government funding needed for my medicine, and then why not go ahead pay for my medicine, na, I'll get it, thanks. michael lr
ReplyDeleteI will totally grant you the fact that money motivates politics and that there naturally is an industry that will benefit, (as is there one or several that will decline) as a result of marijuana legalization.
DeleteNotwithstanding, it is an outrage that we cannot take advantage of known and proven medical benefits that this plant yields in lieu of US governmental control. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 is going on 50 years old, and it is beyond obvious that the definition of cannabis is outdated.
Whether insurance companies allow medicinal marijuana as an accepted treatment into their programs or not, whether or not the government provides access to medicinal marijuana - all of that is secondary to getting the laws straight first so that we can more effectively research and integrate cannabis treatments into our society.
As a recreational activity, marijuana has never killed anyone in form of overdose: this is something that caffeine, tobacco nor alcohol can claim. It has been proven that the gateway theory is a farce and it has been proven that the detriments that long stood about marijuana have been largely fabricated or tainted research due to the participation of tobacco smokers in the study group.
When I was in DARE, I was told a baldfaced lie that a single marijuana cigarette contained 400 times the carcinogens as a tobacco cigarette. That smoking ONE joint was the equivalent of smoking an entire pack of cigarettes in terms of tar and nasty chemicals.
Recent studies have proven that not only does cannabis NOT cause lung cancer, but in fact, it has been shown (in cases of high use of marijuana as a recreational drug) to LOWER the risk of lung cancer in the study groups that used it!
We need to pull our government watchdog back to the doghouse and scold it for barking all through the night, even when no threat is around. We need to be PRO full legalization of marijuana.
A friend of mine is going to group counseling for a DUI.(as required by the state) In this group they are saying the same bullshit. That marijuana cause more brain damage and lung damage than heroin and meth. I laughed my ass off.
ReplyDeleteWell, the State is stuck on its obviously incorrect programming for now, however, if we keep pushing against it and informing people about the facts that SCIENCE has brought us, we will win.
DeleteIt's a shame that he got a DUI - if he was simply caught with weed on him, ALWAYS promote Jury Nullification. It definitely takes some cahoneys and some research, but if you represent yourself and can convince at least a few people out of twelve that smoking or having weed is ABSOLUTELY NOT deserving of the punishment that the Prosecutor is going to try to slag you with, you can win through Jury Nullification pretty reliably.
Good public speaking can really help you in this case. It also PISSES OFF Judges and Prosecutors more than anything when all of their fancy "educations" and "experiences" don't amount to dick squat compared with popular opinion.
Go ahead. Throw some feces. Spread the word of Jury Nullification to your friend. Hopefully next time he gets caught with weed, he won't wind up in any damn classes or any damn jails.