Pubdate: Fri, 17 Mar 2006
Source: North County Times (Escondido, CA)
Copyright: 2006 North County Times
Contact:  http://www.nctimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1080
Note: Gives LTE priority to North San Diego County and Southwest 
Riverside County residents
Author: Greg Scharf
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

DENYING RELIEF IS MORAL?

A while ago, I had the misfortune to hear the shrill chest thumping 
of San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn as he was announcing the 
county would sue to overturn the state's Compassionate Use Act 
allowing the medical use of marijuana.

His rantings reminded me of those heartless bastards who gave kids 
prison sentences in the '60s for small amounts of weed.

Our own county Supervisor Jeff Stone has talked about doing the same 
thing. Although Stone said he wanted clarification about how to deal 
with the conflicts between federal and state law, first and foremost, 
Stone is a pharmacist.

I spoke to him about it, and my impression is that he's simply 
against the use of marijuana for any purpose. He stated that the 
stuff out today has some 40 times the tetrahydrocannabinol (active 
ingredient commonly known as THC) as what was smoked in the '60s, and 
while it may not be as dangerous as meth or heroin, it's certainly 
not harmless.

Stone doesn't like amateurs dispensing drugs. He does not lack 
compassion; his pharmacy specializes in pain-killing "cocktails," 
which I would assume are morphine-based ---- much stronger than 
marijuana. But then again, his drugs are precisely measured and 
administered, there's no variation between doses.

He brought up Marinol, the THC-derived drug that is used to allay 
nausea involved in chemotherapy. He admitted that it is expensive 
- ---- $38 a pill taken twice a day ---- so if someone doesn't have 
insurance, they're out of luck. I also mentioned that a friend told 
me that the drug just keeps the vomiting in check, it doesn't stop the nausea.

He mentioned the risk of people getting marijuana fraudulently, but 
then again, there are a lot of folks who obtain prescription drugs 
the same way. Stone admitted in terms of chronic pain, or 
particularly end of life, that marijuana's side effects or health 
threats are obviously no longer relevant ---- he simply believes that 
there are better approaches to pain and suffering than marijuana.

Temecula has followed his lead and placed a moratorium on 
dispensaries, but then again, after all, this is Pleasantville.

While Lake Elsinore has permitted marijuana co-ops, Police Chief 
Louis Fetherolf wants no dispensaries in town. He spoke of a "bevy of 
public safety issues," which sounded much like the issues surrounding 
beer sales at a convenience store ---- people buying it illegally, 
people using on premises and theft. Surely the Lake Elsinore PD is up 
to the task?

The cooperatives sound good but don't serve people who are too ill to 
grow it or who don't know where to meet other users or find seeds.

He doesn't want to enforce a state law and ignore a federal law. I'm 
sure that's confusing, but I wonder ---- illegal immigration is a 
violation of federal law; when Lake Elsinore police pull over illegal 
aliens do they apprehend them and turn them over to the Border Patrol?

The ordinance proposed by Fetherolf included the language to "promote 
the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the residents and 
businesses of the city."

How moral is it to deny relief to those suffering from multiple 
sclerosis, nausea and pain related to terminal or chronic illness?
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom