Medical Marijuana Patient Faces Life in Prison for a Half Ounce in Texas

I know two people on medical marijuana and I also have first-hand experience with marijuana myself, as do a great many people that I know. Your characterization of marijuana is unfounded and doesn't reflect reality. Smoking marijuana is no escape from the world. I don't know of a single person who has been psychologically damaged by it.

The people I know are very successful in their careers and are just normal people. As a matter of fact, I have authored two computer programming books while I was high. You don't hallucinate, you don't get violent, you don't puke everywhere. All you get is a slight relaxed feeling. It's much more tame than some prescription drugs. Why don't you question prescription drugs? It could be that you are a victim of the perception that results from growing up in our society.

Why does anybody need to ever do anything enjoyable in life? Because it's enjoyable. Humans seek joy and I don't see anything wrong with that. I really think you have a great misconception about what the affects of marijuana really are. Can't really blame you with all the misinformation out there, but it still bothers me when people talk the way you do. At least you're *somewhat* open minded, but you're still wrong.

Perpetuating falsehoods and propaganda is one thing that keeps us all dumb. Besides, do you really like the image of your fellow citizens being put in jail for it? That's the real question. Why should we put people in jail for it? We shouldn't. It's ridiculous for it to be illegal. It was made illegal based on lies and propaganda. The very things that keep us dumb. Anyone who really supports marijuana prohibition is absolutely letting other people do the thinking for them.

It's also wrong for you to characterize marijuana smokers as if smoking pot is the only thing they can possibly do. It's easy to so so in today's society. Try to say that all people who enjoy alcohol are constantly drunk... that would be a bit harder. Our society makes it easy for you to get away with sweeping generalizations about people who smoke pot, but it's ridiculousness is made apparent when you put it in some other context.

See:

"Now on the topic of beer, many questions come to mind when talking about beer. Why do people want beer? ... Why do people need beer anyway? to escape from this reality and try and stay in the one they create when they are drunk? Is it that hear and now scares people so much and they do not know what to do with life other than getting drunk. Just things to think about, think about what truly matters and what just keeps us all dumb down so other people can do the thinking for us.."

The conclusion being that we should put people in jail for wanting to drink beer? This concept is ridiculous when talking about beer, and it is even more ridiculous when talking about marijuana.

Why should we make it legal. Because people should be able to choose for themselves. Because it was made illegal based on falsehoods and propaganda. Because it is asinine for the government to come in and put someone in jail for smoking a flower!!!!!

I am going to try to response back every sentence or so that you wrote so it might sound choppy.

I have too had first hand experience with marijuana and I dont think my characterizations of it are wrong. If you are smoking all your life you start to lose the reality because you are high all the time. Why cant you be relaxed without cannabis?? Some people may be able to function with cannabis and I know there are a lot of over the counter drugs worse than weed. I think alcohol is worse than weed, but just because a serial killer is worse than a shop lifter doesnt mean shop lifting all of a sudden becomes good because something worse is out there. I agree with you fully that life should be full of joy and that is why we should live, but the things we do to think we have achieved this happiness is just an illusion.I do not like seeing people going to jail for this either but i personally do no like seeing anyone going to jail. All jail does is harden a person not change their ways, jail kills a person psychologically. Anyone who smokes cannabis is destroying true human innovation. Why must you be high is the question? why must you need to be high in order to relax why must you be high in order to be creative? if you clear you consciousness you will find that cannabis is useless.. I am only 16 and this is how i see this topic, and i see beer, pot, cigs, religion, and politics all the same. They all are useless to finding peace and TRUE joy.. My mind is still growing. And you've made some very good points. I thank you for the reply

No problem about the choppy reply. My comments are typically way too long, so I can't blame you. Anyway, I wouldn't say that cannabis is the only way that someone can relax. I think you are taking the idea to its extremes, as if it's all or none, black-and-white with little gray area. It's about moderation, and mixed with other things that cause joy.

You ask why must I be high, but that's the wrong way to think about it. Ask a kid why he MUST cake. It's not that he must, but it's one enjoyable thing to do among others. That's how I see weed. People can abuse it, but it's not like everybody does. Cannabis is not useless. Either that or you can say it's as useless as cake, or watching a movie, or going to the beach, or anything else that has enjoyable qualities to it. None of it is necessary, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying life.

I think you've expressed your opinions well and you seem to be a very reasonable person. I enjoyed chatting with you. Thanks.

Since you're 16 I should point out that I would advocate an age limitation on marijuana if it were made legal. I am not advocating that kids smoke weed. I'm saying that just to be clear, but from what you said it appears you are responsible enough to know that anyway :-)

Well i think medically it has far greater uses than most pain killers and can be helpful. but to market it like we do cigarettes seems to be wrong, along with alcohol and many other things. And why would you put an age limit on weed if it doesnt do any harm..

voted up, twice :)

I was just thinking, 'how old are you?' to have such a skewed opinion. Then I read you are 16. You are too young to consume cannabis anyway. It should be illegal for minors, unless prescribed by a physician. No insult intended about your age. I just want to say I do not support cannabis for kids. Asking questions about cannabis is fine. Ignorance is not bliss. It's much better to seek truth. Honesty is the best policy!

Alright I will try reply to every sentence or so to yours, I have taken time to learn facts, I smoked pot to learn the effects. I actually had to smoke on 3 difference occasions until i actually got high. The facts from what i was experiencing not from some school meeting telling me in a way cigarettes are less lethal than pot, trust me I know what schools try telling me is bullshit and i make my own decisions.

My assumption about psychological any better than your assumption that it is the best rope physically and mentally? Look I'm not trying to tell people to not smoke I'm giving my experience and what I have learned from it.

Yes I know politicians are useless for they treat government like a business. I'd be more lucky if pigs could fly than politicians actually do something useful with the time and energy we give them.

I do not need to research facts if I know from first hand experience. I am not spinning madness.

If you say pot is not bad for my mind or my body why shouldn't I smoke at 16? hell why shouldn't I start at 10? or even 5? if it gives a person the best rope physically and mentally. The real point I want to debate is why do people use drugs? what is the purpose? I don't want a reply that say well why do we play basket ball or go to the beach because those don't alter my perception. Do not say to me and say it does not alter one's perception because it does.

I don't say it's not bad for your mind and body. Everything has negatives and cannabis is no different.

http://www.jackherer.com/chapter07.html

WARNING:

This Writer, Responsible Scientists and Doctors Advise:

There is no pharmacological free lunch in cannabis or any drug. Negative reactions can result. A small percentage of people have negative or allergic reactions to marijuana. Heart patients could have problems, even though cannabis generally relieves stress, dilates the arteries, and in general lowers the diastolic pressure. A small percentage of people get especially high heart rates and anxieties with cannabis. These persons should not use it. Some bronchial asthma sufferers benefit from cannabis; however, for others it may serve as an additional irritant.

For the overwhelming majority of people, cannabis has demonstrated literally hundreds of therapeutic uses.

"I don't say it's not bad for your mind and body. Everything has negatives and cannabis is no different."

then why smoke if it is bad for you?

I and numerous friends of mine have been smoking for over 40 years, practically daily - we have become top lawyers, doctors, scientists, engineers, etc., and still smoke daily. In no manner have we lost touch with reality. I think your "first hand experience with marijuana" must be extremely limited.

As for your analogy between the serial killer and the shop-lifter, it is manifestly a false analogy.

As for your statement that anyone smoking cannabis is destroying true human innovation, you couldn't be further from the truth and facts.

I am almost four times your age, so I have a much greater experience of life and understanding of such subjects than you have, so I can only excuse you for your ignorance and not hold it against you.

The reason for putting an age-limit is that it is important that a person is fully grown, their brain fully developed, before using cannabis. It can be harmful to some of those who have not yet reached that level, while they are still developing.

Your first-hand experience is extremely limited.

Everyone who smokes cannabis for the first time experiences no difference, and won't perceive the difference before having smoked it several times.

As for being too young for pot, you're far from being fully developed physically, emotionally and mentally. Just as one does not give steaks and curry and jalapenos etc., to little babies, one should not allow teenagers to consume cannabis - they are not ready.

Conniepae did NOT say that it is bad for you. It can be bad for a tiny minority of people. Just because some people are allergic to fish or nuts or gluten doesn't mean that fish and nuts and are bad for you - they are only bad for a tiny minority of people.

And you got this information where, sister? From personal experience (and I haven't had the time to smoke in over 15 years), I can say that ain't necessarily so. The part about being a little "altered" the first time around. You sure is was grass you were smoking? Now, granted it was in the 60's and as I have heard said, "If you can remember the 60's, you weren't there." Maybe if you don't inhale, kinda like Bill Clinton. Are you really Monica Lewinsky????? There I go, drifting in and out again. Good thing it wasn't a gateway drug for me.

The curry and jalapenos thing has me intrigued. I am a vegetarian so the meat thing for me is irrelevant. Not militant, will cook it all, just not for me. I digress. At one point does one give these treats to kids? And will they feel the effect the first time? And if you don't get high with grass, why would you go back for more? If sex worked that way, we would have a over-population problem.

Peace be upon you

I never said you can not be successful in a career, but I am saying it seems impossible to find complete awareness, to have a focused mind when you are high. But I'd rather continue you this conversation through messaging. I thank you for the replies

I've been consuming cannabis for over 37 years. I am not prescribed any daily medicine. I can only speak for myself, but cannabis helps far more than it harms. Cannabis is one of the top cash crops in America. Leading one to believe there are many cannabis consumers.

Drug testing has led many to their closets. The hippies of the 60's are hiding in their closets now. One can not afford to lose their lively hood, when they can stay in the closet, consume cannabis and not loose a thing, but 'their voice'.

Exactly

Well, you are wrong - complete awareness and a focused mind are enhanced with THC. One of its advantages is that you can remain one-pointed concentrated for long periods of times. That is how I taught myself to play the guitar and reached a level which made professional guitar players convinced that I had had years of classical guitar training.

Do you really believe he should get a life sentence for pot possession? Don't you think that's a tad draconian? Life sentences are for murder, excessive, violent abuse and certain types of fraud--that's how it should and only be. Yes, he was a fool for carrying that much in Texas. Texas has a reputation of having very harsh laws. But it's no surprise when you live in a police state like the US--it's pretty safe to say it is becoming that way.

Marijuana has been studied in several countries, and there's nothing indicating that it causes people to become violent or abusive. I have never seen a study claiming this. However, we do know that alcohol does cause such behavior.

Ask any cop and they will tell you that almost every time they have to break up a fight or riot involving rowdy, intoxicated miscreants, alcohol is almost unanimously the culprit. Studies in the UK have shown that alcohol, by far has the worst effects on society than any illegal drug--including heroin and cocaine. I don't see anyone trying to put people in jail for purchasing or acquiring alcohol, even though it claims thousands of lives each year in America alone.

But why is alcohol still legal? Let's look at history. The first time the government tried to ban alcohol things didn't turn out so well. Gangs sprouted up everywhere, violence and crime went straight up. It was utter chaos. That's why they ended prohibition. That's one reason why I think the drug war should be ended too. Stopping drug use is almost as crazy as stopping sexual intercourse. Both behaviors are part of our Darwinian past. Many primate species engage in eating fermented fruit or licking poisonous insect, such as centipedes. It's not entirely understood why animals enjoy getting high, but it has to do with rewarding the brain, and that reward center is what keeps us going and adapting. We feel good while having sex so we reproduce. The mechanism of drug use and addiction could have intellectual implications. It is believed by many in the scientific community that drug use is positively correlated with higher intelligence. Another reason could be that THC could promote cell growth in the brain.

The chemical THC is nontoxic. It's one of the safest chemicals known to man. It doesn't cause people to become violent. It doesn't cause people to become mentally ill. Some physicians and researchers have suggested that it might worsen symptoms of schizophrenia, but the research is not solid. The evidence for marijuana induced psychosis is inconclusive; coincidental at best, and based only on the theory that increased dopamine worsens psychotic features. Correlation is not causation; that's why they also say the connection is casual, meaning, it doesn't hold water. However, you can increase those same dopamine levels by simply having sex, exercise or eating certain foods. There's zero evidence that it "causes" mental illness, or specifically psychosis. When put that way, anything can be pretty much be dangerous for schizophrenics. I mean, heaven forbid they go running and increase dopamine in their brain.

There has been extensive research on whether alcohol worsens psychotic symptoms, and yes, it does. There is something called alcohol-induced psychosis. There are several studies that show it does, and the evidence is solid, unlike cannabis. I have experienced alcohol induced psychosis myself. No doctor I know refutes this claim. But once again, you never see anyone suggesting we ban alcohol. You don't have to be schizophrenic to get alcohol-induced psychosis. Luckily, the effects go away after alcohol leaves the system.

As far as behavior is concerned, marijuana has demonstrably shown to calm people and slow them down, keeping them from harming others while intoxicated, more than if they were sober. Yes, you are more likely to be violent sober. The only other negative cognitive effects it has is that it makes people drive slowly and more cautiously. But it's not advisable to drive under the influence of drugs--illegal or not. I wouldn't advise people to drive after taking Benadryl, and that's an otc drug.

It has also been recently shown that cannabis smoking does not harm the lungs, and can potentially shrink certain kinds of tumors. Saying that pot should be illegal because it harms the lungs is a red herring.

The laws prohibiting cannabis use are far worse for society since they were made illegal; gangs have popped up as well as large drug cartels that have claimed countless lives. Once a government legalizes or decriminalizes marijuana and other drugs, the market for them disappears completely (except for what government regulations are in place for their distribution)--the drug dealers are out of business. The violence and crime vanish. Look at Portugal. They decriminalized all drug use; crime and violence has fallen dramatically, so has drug use since they implement their new laws. They don't have drug dealers there anymore. All they have now are shops that sell drugs in a safe manner, and nobody dies over selling them (unless they foolishly OD, but that can happen with prescription drugs).

Who are we to control other people's bodies? Regardless of the consequences, even though there would be few, who are we to tell people what to ingest? What right do we have to take away somebody's pot that a doctor gave them for pain or nausea and cancer treatment? Marijuana is a medicine, not a poison. It's safer than most prescription drugs--that's why people opt for it, not just to get high. Do you think 75 year-old grandma, who uses it for arthritis and glaucoma is doing it to get blazed? Some of them hate the aspect of them becoming high, but like the other effects pot has on controlling inflammation and pain. Pot a lot safer than Percocet or Vioxx--drugs that claim lives. What about steroids (anti-inflammatory drugs) that have serious side effects and also kill people too? People should get to choose how they are healed. A doctor might know better about treating illness, but you are your owner, and your body is your property, not the government's, not your doctor's, not anyone's.

And should we really put people in jail for life over it especially if they have no criminal record? I think such laws are draconian and hurt people. The war on drugs is a failure and has costs more lives; more money, than any war in America's history. It's time to stop it now. When the war is over, the cartels disappear. They're goners.

How does it make you feel that our top scientists actually think marijuana should be legal? Many of them have been users themselves, for example: Carl Sagan (Cosmologist), Stephen Jay Gould (Evolutionary biologist), Francis Crick (co-discoverer of DNA), Richard Feynman (Physicist), Margaret Mead (Anthropologist), Kary Mullis (Molecular biologist), Oliver Sacks (Psychologist, Neurologist), Andrew Weil (Physician).

Guess who else has used: Steve Jobs, Michael Phelps, Mark Zuckerberg, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Newt Gingrich, Christopher Hitchens...etc. The list could go on..

Two of the people who are running for president this years are ex-potheads.
I challenge you to admit to me, and everyone on here, that these people were potentially dangerous losers that did nothing with their lives because of smoking cannabis.

"Why must you be high is the question?" Why must people have orgasms? Since you might get STDS or HIV, sex should be illegal? No.

Did you realize humans aren't the only species that get high? Our relatives: apes, monkeys and prosimians get high. There are lemurs that lick centipedes to get high. It's part of our evolutionary behavior. There's special functions for it the feeling when get when we are high. It makes us act on behavior by rewarding us. If we didn't have rewards in the brain, we wouldn't be motivated to do anything.

There has been research showing that intelligent people are more likely to use drugs, including pot. This goes back to our ancestors. They got high too. It is also speculated that cannabis creates more cells in the brain--making it more malleable and easier for you to learn new things.

i to will never set foot in texas

Exactly! It costs $60,000 to house someone for an entire year for a mandatory MINIMUM drug offense. The true danger is ingesting large amounts of drugs, which is why prescription drugs are more dangerous, as you physically can't smoke yourself to death, unless it is a toxic substance. Ingestion and injection are two sure ways to produce toxicity and death.

We went through the same thing here in GA, and we supported the ban to make K2 illegal, because it is fake pot. Because of all the additives, it inflames the brain tissue. Sometimes, it has caused coma or death, especially in underage users. Though I was hoping we would tackle the other issues of legalization in Georgia, all we got was a ban. Which I'm relieved for that ban, but we need to do more to show how much phytoestrogen (plant estrogen) and dopamine (tryptophan like chemicals) are in food. Only then will we have a better guideline to help us with diabetes, MS, and other chronic diseases that are caused by inflammation due to an inability to metabolize sugar and hormone-like properties in food and drugs.

corporations sold you a computer and a corporation is giving you a net connection..a corporation sold you that rolling paper or that bong..a corporation sold you that underwear your wearing that pants you have on that shirt ..you wipe your *** with a toilet paper made by a corporation..your entire lifestyle is made possible by a corporation..

so if you would sober up..you might realize that (btw current tv is more likely a corporation)..

Corporations gave me Vietnam. Corporations gave me a dead friend. Corporations gave me a polluted and overpopulated world. Corporations gave bullshit us news and told us we were much smarter than we actually are. Corporations gave us fear and hate and greed and lies. Seems like a fair trade for a computer, the net and Marge Simpson.

I thought the French gave us Vietnam. Which may be worst. The world and the wicked principalities that run it gave me dead friends.
Corporations and Governments will always be pissing down our backs and try to tell us it's raining.

The French quit and so did we eventually. Now products from Vietnam everywhere. Guess we finally found a way to make a buck. Just cost us 50,000+ and cost them 3 million. The ratio in the Gulf is 50% "improved." Oh, happy day. The French politicians still fear the people. Good concept to introduce here. May need to sharpen the blade. Corporate Terrorists??? They've killed more in any given day than all the garden variety bombers in history put together. Nobody does math anymore.

Pax vobiscum

pretty sure McCarthyism gave us Vietnam, or at least led us down the road to it

Thank you for your research and footnotes. As usual, you come prepared. Thanks

And peace be with you brother.

Not that I agree or disagree with what you say but I am from Texas and I assure you we are not all like that. I smoke and most people in DFW don't give a damn. Yes the state as a whole is more conservative than most but and we are not all "dickweeds".........dickweed. oh yeah and we are not a commie state, I assure you we are just as capitalist as the rest

great to have you here TCooper! but your state does a lot of fucked up things!

A lot of people here are just taking out their frustration on the state, not so much the folks like yourself... hope you see that...

Note to a fellow Texan.
Isn't Dickweed that crap they smoke in SF California?

I know my state has fucked some things up. I understand that and I agree. But no one freaks out about Utah or Alaska or Alabama. Texas gets shit on because of Bush but we are only 34 electoral votes so we didn't do that by ourselves. Our state problems are our problems if people want to complain about what we do on a national stage then stop voting for us and maybe send some money to our candidates. You may want to hate on Texas but leave TEXANS out of it .If you want to keep another Texas Governor from running for president then give us some help.

http://action.billwhitefortexas.com/page/s/adsplashv?source=google&subsource...

correct

And pot doesn't make you stupid.

a military person? This guy is obviously not military ROTFL
Something to consider is how easily you can get a "precription for weed for any ailment you can imagine in California." Keep you car registered and legit, drive the speed limit and ya might not get busted.

Not as good as your sister.

LOL Voted ya up

lol hah voted up too, that was too easy

Not as easy as his sister.

I'm not fond of the folks running the place but I damn sure ain't moveing.

When the rest of the country implodes from the FED's handling of things, we'll just go back to being a Republic. I love Northern New Mexico but ya can't eat the view, at least in Texas you can make a living.

thats exactly why i dislike living here its to conservative and really annoys me..maybe i need to experience another part of texas that i havent but where i live its sucks..

You should move to South Texas it's nice down here.

I have always thought about moving south but I have to much ties here in west texas to move but I think anything is better than here.

Two of my boys had asthma as kids. Luckily they grew out of it for the most part, but neither smokes weed even now. Coca-Cola used to contain Cocaine big deal.

I'm Black and was caught with more than him............i hope it works out.

Haha. Awesome.

Must have been in Dallas. Williamson County isn't so kind.
I agree the story is BS

wow!! you must a dope dealer....sold any dope to 10 year olders yet?

I disagree.

The plant in question (and it's legal status) has major implications on our freedom. Since the plant can be used as medicine, fuel, and building materials that are ALL more efficient than the currently served standards... I think this has a lot of bearing on all of us.

The plant, to me, doesn't just represent a way to get high. It represents the ability to grow my own fuel. Henry Ford did it, after all.

Not to mention I know people who legitimately use it for medicine...

The fact is... this is one of the MORE important issues that needs to be discussed... for something that shouldn't be illegal... everyone needs to really take a hard look at what the fuck we're doing in this country, or in this world. The fact that there's so much bureaucracy (which wastes our tax dollars on law enforcement / prisons) surrounding a plant that's so useful should show just how corrupt our system is. The drug war is a profit stream and nothing more. Pot threatens big pharma, too... and these are the reasons it stays illegal.

This IS an important issue. It's about freedom.

I agree, it is an important issue.

Please, explain to me how medical marijuana is "designed" for cancer and terminal diseases. Does it have a *this is terminal* sensor on it? Some special cell recognition sequence that recognizes cancer cells?

Did you even bother to google that before you threw that out there?

There are TONS of reports out there of people using it for Athsma, and several studies have been done with lots of success. It's been shown in several studies to be effective... and for all you know, he's using a vaporizer or drinking tea.

Weed does a lot more than help terminal patients with cancer.

There are doctors on the other side who say that it doesn't help long term, but they are only talking about smoke, not vapor. Smoke automatically contains a number of extra carcinogens and toxins (depending on the fuel you burn it with, too). Of all the doctors I found who disagreed with it's use as treatment for asthma... none of them disagreed with the fact that marijuana causes bronchial dilation. My point? Even the doctors who DISAGREE with the use of weed as an asthma treatment STILL said it was effective as a bronchial dilator... but they disagreed with the long term damage that CAN BE associated with smoke. Which doesn't have any relevance to people who use a vaporizer.

And to drive my point home further... pretty much every synthetic chemical we try to make to throw at things like asthma are very toxic... and I would argue... MUCH more toxic than weed (and more expensive). Check this out (theophylline is a common medication for asthma):

"The potential toxicity of theophylline preparations are well known, yet little attention has been paid to over-the-counter medications containing theophylline. We report the case of a 44-year-old woman who presented with toxic effects of theophylline secondary to the use of an over-the-counter product for asthma. Many physicians may be unaware of the over-the-counter products that contain theophylline and may not be counseling their patients about potential risks associated with these medications."

FROM - U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

When faced with a choice between a plant that's been used for millenia as a medicine... or the heartless multination corporation making inorganic molecules... I'll take the former.

One could easily use a vaporizer to ingest the marijuana, which is the EXACT same delivery method as the commonly accepted bronchial dilators used in Asthma treatment today.

That's a good point that I didn't even think of. Good call.

Just who do you think DESIGNED cannabis? Cannabis has been around for thousands of years. If it was a DESIGN, it was designed by 'Mother Nature'. You think you know what 'Mother Nature' had in mind? lol

Fuck Oklahomo.!. The Texas State Motto.

Fuck the Bible belt! My new motto.

You can fuck the bible belt if you want but I will stick with women. There all soft in all the right places.

fuck Oklahoma, Indeed.