Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jan 2014
Source: State Journal, The (KY)
Copyright: 2014 The State Journal
Contact:  http://state-journal.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5487
Author: Jacob Shepherd

TO END MARIJUANA PROHIBITION FOR RESPONSIBLE ADULTS OR NOT?

Part 3
(for part 2 refer to this link, 
http://www.state-journal.com/citizen%20news/2013/10/25/to-end-marijuana-prohibition-for-responsible-adults-or-not 
)

Recently in the news, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid embraced 
medical marijuana, political leaders from other countries are 
beginning to legalize marijuana and even President Obama stated 
marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol along with voiced his 
support to the states which have legalized it already. (If you've 
missed that last one here is an article about it, 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/19/obama-marijuana-alcohol_n_4627740.html 
)

While this is progress, it's disheartening that it has taken nearly 
80 years to see wide-spread political support for cannabis reform. 
Especially, when we've seen the American people since the seventies 
accomplish vast legality for cannabis rather it was by patients 
successfully suing the federal government for legal access to medical 
cannabis (prolonging the lives of some over 30 years and increasing 
the quality of all their lives with no unaccepted side effects) or by 
state ballot initiatives and state congresses. We have historical 
evidence of the medical benefits of cannabis not only in Kentucky and 
the United States but globally and dating back thousands of years 
even before the birth of Christ. There is more than 40 percent of the 
United States (21 states and DC) which has enacted medical marijuana 
Acts and still an arrest for using a substance safer than Alcohol and 
Aspirin happens every 42 seconds, even when that natural substance 
has never been a cause of death.

It's disheartening to see the politicians be overwhelmingly behind 
the people on this issue, and that it has taken so long for them to 
even begin catching up. Too many families have been shattered and too 
many have lost their lives due to the enforcement of this innocent 
plant's prohibition. Billions and billions of dollars are continually 
wasted year after year on waging this unconstitutional war on 
peaceful families. Our communities suffer from very serious problems 
and marijuana is not, and has never been, one of them. In fact, 
cannabis can even aid with some of the problems we face such as our 
heroin epidemic, prescription abuse, addiction and death, and also 
our rate of death from Cancer, among other tragic problems. Hence 
there is great need for us to reflect on the negative claims we may 
have been taught about marijuana and find out if they are true.

Cause wouldn't it be bad, if we had part of the cure for cancer, 
epilepsy, PTSD, etc, and was foolishly too afraid of marijuana to 
develop it? Wouldn't it be bad, if there was a way to reduce our 
prescription abuse and other drug problems, with a safer substance 
than methadone and us not utilize it? Wouldn't it be bad, if citizens 
on your block who needed cannabis chose to refrain because of its 
illegality, or if did choose to take some, they got laced and unsafe 
medicine due to having to get it from the streets, or that they got 
raided by law enforcement for their safe use, leaving their family 
disconnected and shattered?

Its happening, and I know more of you know that than not, but we the 
people must make sure that those who represent us know this and our 
support for cannabis reform. Not only is cannabis reform a fight for 
a domestic hemp industry, legal access to an effective and natural 
medicine and a safer recreation choice than what is currently 
tolerated. Cannabis reform is a fight for our constitution to be 
upheld and the restoration our natural, lawful, and unalienable 
rights to cannabis. More than twenty-five million Americans have had 
their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness extremely 
and tragically violated due to this morbid prohibition, and even some 
are imprisoned for their spiritual use of this God given sacrament. 
Just out of having love for our brethren and liberty, we should 
demand cannabis reform.

Currently in KY congress, our medical cannabis bill SB 43 (The 
Cannabis Compassion Act) is lacking legislative action. Please call 
your representation and express your support for the passage of this 
crucial bill, so the families suffering from debilitating conditions 
such as PTSD, diabetes, autism, epilepsy, MS and cancer, may have an 
option for a better quality of life from a natural and proven medicine.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D