[Poll] Do you use medical marijuana?

Amendment 44 was voted down in 2006...asking for the rec use of pot. Then Amendment 20 passed in 2000 for medical reasons. It wasn't until Ritter and Democrats came into office that medical pot became widespread because the state needed money.

Approves marijuana plant material (smoked marijuana) as a safe and effective medicine for people with "debilitating medical conditions including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS" and for treating "cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures characteristic of epilepsy, muscle spasms characteristic of multiple sclerosis," and other medical conditions approved by the state health agency.

Permits possession of up to 2 ounces and cultivation of up to 6 marijuana plants for medical use.

Exempts patients from all civil and criminal marijuana penalties.

Tasks state health agency with establishing a registry of such patients and issuing cards to them and to their primary caregivers.

Allows children access to medical marijuana with parents' permission.

Invalidates federal Food and Drug Administration regulations that govern approval of new medications, federal drug-control laws, and international drug-control treaties. However, federal law and international treaties prevail over state law.

http://www.nationalfamilies.org/guide/colorado20.html

No one prescribes marijuana. Doctors only recommend it. To get a doctors recommendation you basically have to want to try marijuana to alleviate whatever symptoms pertain to you. There is no clear threshold of what severity or type of symptoms you may have. If you would rather use Marijuana to alleviate your headaches than Extra Strength Tylenol then you may do so once you locate a doctor that will sign the proper state issued document.

This system is something that was set up by the state government, if it is not working properly, then it is not because people are cheating the system, but because the program was underfunded by Uncle State in the first place. The law only permits the state 6 weeks to deny an application, after which it has to be accepted. This was in the original law and was designed to keep the state committed to giving the program the necessary resources. With the state only hiring four individuals to process these application, they dug their own pit. Rather than hiring some additional help and getting people with legitimate reasons access to their red cards within less than eight months, they rather blame the whole mess on unfounded application which they have the right to deny if only they would hire some additional staff to process them in time. The amount of money lost by the state due to the eight month of free licensing each applicant receives is around $3.7M/yr. That should be more than enough to establish a system that works a bit more efficiently.

Medicine Man wrote: No one prescribes marijuana. Doctors only recommend it. To get a doctors recommendation you basically have to want to try marijuana to alleviate whatever symptoms pertain to you. There is no clear threshold of what severity or type of symptoms you may have. If you would rather use Marijuana to alleviate your headaches than Extra Strength Tylenol then you may do so once you locate a doctor that will sign the proper state issued document.

This system is something that was set up by the state government, if it is not working properly, then it is not because people are cheating the system, but because the program was underfunded by Uncle State in the first place. The law only permits the state 6 weeks to deny an application, after which it has to be accepted. This was in the original law and was designed to keep the state committed to giving the program the necessary resources. With the state only hiring four individuals to process these application, they dug their own pit. Rather than hiring some additional help and getting people with legitimate reasons access to their red cards within less than eight months, they rather blame the whole mess on unfounded application which they have the right to deny if only they would hire some additional staff to process them in time. The amount of money lost by the state due to the eight month of free licensing each applicant receives is around $3.7M/yr. That should be more than enough to establish a system that works a bit more efficiently.

In a good economy it would be efficient; however, the Democrats on Capitol Hill want to continue to spend and spend

Here's the breakdown of the $ 16 billion Colorado budget

16% State Pension
25% Education
23% Health < a number that is about to skyrocket next year with Obamacare
20% Other (debt serving, etc)
8% Protection
9% Welfare

http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/#usgs302a


The citizens of Colorado are paying out just over a three and half billion a dollars a year in pensions to State Employees. This number continues to compound by 10% year over year. In just six years, that number will double at it's current pace and without revenue growth...state employee pensions will consume 32% of the state budget.

The State is 15 billion dollars in debt. Basically one year of tax revenue

I'm seeing one out of every four.

I thought they were pushing for it to become prescribed.

Personal opinion - use it if you need it, use it if you like it. I just ask that you please don't use it near me, because I have serious adverse reactions - and I do like to keep breathing without a trip to the hospital.

residenttroll wrote: Big Tobacco is waiting for the legalization. Enjoy the profits Medicine Man now....big tobacco is going to kill the mom/pop pot trafficking shops.

Actually I think any big corporation would want to stay clear of this market. Too much potential for lawsuits and new federal legislation to go against it.

I don't know about the poll, but at my workplace, 50 employees, I know of at least 2 who have thier "green cards". I imagine a couple more who don't want to tell anyone they have their card. And about 10 who partake illegally.

There is an interesting discussion that was aired Friday, June 25, on NPR:

http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201006256 [url]

I was also talking to a bunch of cops yesterday, one of whom said a doctor in the area stated that about 90% of the slips he filled out for medical marijuana are for people in the 20's. Now, this is hearsay. But, it brings up a question.

Has anyone researched and found statistics on the ages of those using medical marijuana in Colorado?

It certainly would be of profound interest to learn the percentages of the age groups.

In the NPR discussion, it was brought out that most pot in the US was refined to reduce the amount of the substance that is for pain, instead to develop pot for the high. Also, that it is so incredibly difficult to get the necessary Oks to study marijuana for it's pain use.

Since there is no studies, there can be no regulation. So no one really knows the potentcy of the plant.

Another interesting item was that when you feel your pain receding when you smoke pot, you can stop smoking at that time, versus the pill form, where you have to take the entire dose.

Lots of stuff to think about.

Just an interesting note - I have my card, but had to give MMJ up because of workplace drug testing. I wonder how many people get tested for narcotics who are hooked on pain pills or how many are alcoholics who test fine because they don't drink the night before the test.

towermonkey wrote: Just an interesting note - I have my card, but had to give MMJ up because of workplace drug testing. I wonder how many people get tested for narcotics who are hooked on pain pills or how many are alcoholics who test fine because they don't drink the night before the test.

My guess is a lot! Especially when you add in Valium,xanax etc. Prescribed medicine is allowed for regular drug testing from most companies.

Satchmo, I saw a similar article in the Denver Post(?). They said most MJ cards handed out went to males in the 20-30 range for pain management.

Not the 70 year old cancer sufferers we were told would be using these cards.

And to the poster who talked about MJ for getting high versus pain, there are so many varieties, I would think the ones that work for pain would be developed.
And has anyone ever noticed than some prescription pain relievers don't really do their job? When I take opiate based pain relievers, I find that I am still in pain, I just don't care about it so much.