EL PASO -- The state of Texas will be represented by El Pasoan Pat Guerin on Saturday as she helps lead a huge rally of recovering addicts and supporters across the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Guerin and 50 others were selected to represent their states and Washington, D.C., in the 2009 Recovery Rally, which celebrates the 20th anniversary of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. The group of 51 delegates, made up of people who have been in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction for at least 10 years, will lead more than 5,000 people across the bridge for the event. They'll also share their stories of recovery. [continues 548 words]
Alan Caruthers, of Waco, says he was 18 years old the first and last time he tried marijuana. It didn't do much for him. Until this year, he saw no reason to try it again, and he dismissed arguments for decriminalizing it as pothead talk. It took a four-year struggle with myelofibrosis to change his mind. His leukemialike bone marrow disease gives him constant bone pain. The chemotherapy gives him nausea that makes him vomit daily. The Vicodin, Ativan and other drugs he's taking to relieve those symptoms are losing their effectiveness, and he's afraid of getting addicted to them. [continues 1546 words]
University of Colorado students will have a chance to take "Medical Marijuana 101" on Saturday, according to organizers of the Cannabis Health Fair, a pro-pot event being held on campus. The free event aims to educate students and Boulderites about the state's booming medical-marijuana registry. CU junior Andrew Orr, one of the event's organizers, broke his back a few years ago playing receiver for the Darien High School football team in his home state of Connecticut. But nobody -- not even Orr -- believed it. [continues 553 words]
One Doctor's Answer to the Beer Summit When a white cop handcuffed a black professor outside his own home we had a beer summit in the name of better race relations. That summit addressed the number one social problem in this country since 1619 (the date the first African slaves were sold in the U.S.) I'm calling for a marijuana summit. This summit will benefit the health of millions, while saving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. The federal government must concur with what we the people already know. In the Obama Transition Team's own on-line poll, respondents overwhelmingly selected legalizing marijuana as our country's number one priority. [continues 712 words]
I would like to draw community attention to the two medical marijuana stores (one open and one opening) in Edwards, an unincorporated community under the Eagle County government's jurisdiction. To date, I have not been convinced of the benefits of selling medical marijuana and consider the 2000 state voter approval as not merited. Marijuana is a gateway drug that leads to other types of more serious drug abuse. Making it readily available in Edwards is the wrong course of action. [continues 1104 words]
It's been a while since I've written about our state's marijuana policies on these pages. Since I'm not a marijuana user, and never have been, I face no real risk of arrest for buying, possessing or consuming this illegal drug, and it's not often on my mind. However, even though I don't touch pot, I've been known to kick back with a few beers now and then, and I've seen people do far stupider and more dangerous things under the influence of alcohol than I've even heard of people doing while high from smoking pot. So it would be wildly hypocritical of me, at the least, to argue that marijuana should be illegal for recreational use. [continues 561 words]
Editor: Thanks to David Roth for the kind words and insightful comments. I'll attempt to answer his questions and impart some facts and resources for those who are interested in this topic. For those who have commented on-line, questioning what makes me an expert, you can view my Curriculum Vitae on my Web site, for a thorough listing of my experiences in the medical cannabis industry (www.cannabisconsult.com). Suffice it to say that the term expert is just a shortened version of my job title, "expert witness," when I testify in courts around the North State. It's not self aggrandizement; it's just something I happen to know a lot about. [continues 428 words]
