Time to Extinguish Political Interference in Medical Process Dear editor, It is disturbing to read that Gov. Christine Gregoire has asked the Department of Health to review its newly developed rules regarding the amount medical marijuana patients may possess, apparently because she simply didn't like them ("Medical marijuana: How much is enough?" 5/21). Contrary to some assertions, law enforcement had ample opportunities to give input as the guidelines were developed. Arguably, they've already had too much input: Since when do we let cops with no medical training determine medication dosages? [continues 59 words]
Plans are at a standstill for a supervised injection site in Victoria despite the enthusiastic support from the city, police and the health authority when the vision was released more than a year ago. Last April, University of Victoria addictions researcher Benedikt Fischer co-authored a feasibility study, commissioned by the City of Victoria and the Vancouver Island Health Authority, that recommended a few supervised drug consumption sites around the city. The recommendation was also supported by B.C. Health Minister George Abbott. [continues 263 words]
I completely agree with Howard J. Wooldridge, who in his May 7 letter pointed out that our Navy and Air Force pilots use amphetamines to help accomplish their longdistance missions. These drugs are a boon, and are most helpful when intensive work at full concentration over a long time is required. Amphetamines definitively have a role to play when used properly. Harry Fisher Woodland Hills, Calif. [end]
DENVER -- Bob Barr has been to the Dark Side, and they do indeed have cookies. The Libertarian National Convention kicked off yesterday with a tea-and-cookies reception hosted by the Marijuana Policy Project featuring none other than Mr. Barr, the party's leading candidate for its presidential nomination. Such a scene would have been unthinkable a few years ago when Mr. Barr's name was synonymous with the war on drugs. In 1998, he authored the Barr Amendment, which prohibited the District of Columbia from voting to permit medical-marijuana use and became a lightning rod for drug-legalization advocates. [continues 548 words]
I have read letters to the editor and the My View piece from those espousing the belief that Rachel Hoffman was responsible for her own death. They base this on the fact that she chose to be involved in drugs and that she chose to become a police informant. By that same "logic" one would have to say that soldiers killed in combat are responsible for their own death because they chose to join the military and chose to be on the battlefield. Or that law-enforcement officers killed in the line of duty are responsible for their own death because they chose a profession with such high risks. I don't buy this "logic." And it can not be selectively applied to Rachel Hoffman at the exclusion of these other scenarios. Doug Osborne [end]
Time was, Leslie Wingard didn't watch the evening news. It was too depressing, she said. But Wingard, who teaches reading at Grand Park Alternative School - a center for students who have run afoul of school rules and society's laws - watches it now. And prays that no one on it looks familiar. "I've lost two students [to homicide] this year," said Wingard. "I asked myself: 'What could I have said? What could I have done?' "I used to never, ever watch the news. I felt it was incredibly morbid. But now, I watch it to make sure that none of my students are on it." [continues 595 words]
Dear Editor: Several weeks ago the Cap Times editorialized in support of cannabis (marijuana) decriminalization and cited federal legislation, HR 5843, that was introduced by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. You also noted you hoped that Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, would become a co-sponsor. On May 20, Rep. Baldwin was officially listed as the bill's third co-sponsor. Let's hope Tammy's courage to lead on this issue inspires her colleagues to join her in signing on. Baldwin also co-sponsored HR 5842, which would protect medical cannabis patients acting legally under state laws. Tammy has been a reliable supporter throughout her career of medical cannabis patients and families. [continues 130 words]
Ruth Davis says she isn't on drugs. But she was desperate. She's also a cautionary tale. According to a recent McClatchy News Service story, the Miami grandmother is sitting in a North Carolina jail. She's been there since December. That was when a state trooper nabbed her as she was transporting 33 pounds of marijuana to New York. He stopped Davis for speeding, but then noticed a strong odor as she rolled down her car window. Her answers to the trooper's questions about her travel plans didn't jibe. [continues 674 words]
Does the VA Care? U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti will rule any day now on a suit brought by Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth. The vets want the judge to order the Department of Veterans Affairs to upgrade its mental-health services. Some 500 vets are committing suicide every month. There is a backlog of 600,000 disability claims, half of them involving post-traumatic stress and depression. The wait to have your claim adjudicated can be five years or more. Lawyers for the VA state that 1,300 therapists have been hired to solve the problem; and anyway, they contend, a judge can't tell the VA how to conduct itself, only Congress can. [continues 1055 words]
