Editorial

Improve your browsing experience. Click here

Legalize! U.S.A. will change names soon. You will see U.S. Perspectives in the same place. You will be able to reach us under the URL but the old references will still be active. However, at some point in the future this will change. Please change your references timely, so you won't lose any references.

Home
What's new?
Chat now!
Broadcast Alerts
Editorial
Resources
Multimedia
Humor
Activist Groups         

Medical Cannabis

Personal Autonomy under Siege

The purpose of this month's editorial is to briefly discuss the nebulous boundaries between personal right to privacy and self-determination and the need for others to know about and attempt to regulate, control or limit these rights by passing laws forbidding specific action(s) and/or allowing the bending of the Constitution to allow easier surveillance of people, particularly when the decision is about healthcare, medical cannabis and symptom and/or pain-relief.

The War on drugs is part of, or just one major front in, a larger "culture war". This Culture war is focused on limiting the rights and opportunities for individuals to make important personal and private decisions for themselves and their families. It is not just limited to the war against the cannabis plant and those who like the cannabis plants many useful by-products. Abortion rights, gun ownership, the teaching of evolutionary science and/or sex education to children, assisted suicide/death with dignity, global warming, gay and lesbian rights, and almost any environmental or racial/minority-rights concerns imaginable are examples of this conflict.

A short story:

I went to the dentist recently, to get cavities filled. I have been getting regular dental work for the last year and a half from this particular dentist and this was the first time the anesthetic shot of Novocain did not numb the tooth properly, on the first try. I found this out, of course, as, for a split-second, the drill did it's thing on "un-numbed" tooth and nerve. I levitated with pain for next split second and my dentist almost had the proverbial coronary. I got 3 additional shots in the inside roof of my mouth and at least 2 in between teeth on either side of the uncooperative dental nerve. That did the trick but also numbed my consciousness for over an hour. I drifted "in and out" very comfortably while she drilled and filled, poked and scraped. After it was over, I remained rather "groggy" for a bit: as all that anesthetic was still wearing off she reiterated to me she had given me a good bit of it (Novocain, I presume). My first thought was of how comfortable I was while affected by the anesthetic and I wondered if this was anything remotely like what hard-drug users experience and desire. My next thought was that anybody who wants to feel like this on a regular or daily basis has serious personal problems.(My third thought was to check myself for and ear tag or fitted radio-tracking collar...)

In this little story, I have indicated that I do not care for having my consciousness numbed or rendered inoperative. Call me weak, but I really don't like that. That is the #1 reason I do not use alcohol, cocaine, or any other hard or pharmaceutical drugs. All these sorts of drugs severely alter one's consciousness, judgment, and behavior, placing oneself and others at some risk. That said, there are clearly large numbers of people who engage in the use of these substances regularly, for recreation or otherwise who do not affect the actions or quality of life of others, no matter how much it concerns me. That is their business, no matter how I feel about it.

In this, I am expressing a personal belief or value that others may, in fact, find offensive, self-righteous, overbearing, or may agree with completely. I can choose for my self, I can express my thoughts and feelings, but I can't wrestle another person to the floor and physically make them agree with me or keep them from doing something they feel they must do (short of breaking real laws or hurting me or someone else directly, which is different...).

In this little story I have also described the use of a substance, derived from the Coca plant and imported into our country and injected into me for a fee, for a specific medical purpose determined by a licensed medical professional, and at my request. This would be an example of personal autonomy, which I can't see how it would affect anybody else. How does this send a bad message to the kids_ Does this suggest that we should sell it at the supermarket_ Should we scorch the earth of South America and rid the planet of coca leaves forever-n-ever-n-ever_ Of course, I think we should not, but this appears to be what some leaders intend to do (to supposedly get rid of cannabis, cocaine and cocaine by-products). Nero fiddles, Rome burns... I am glad that my dentist had all that Novocain or access to other such substances (drugs_ medications_ anesthetics_ a rose by any other name_) or I would not have had that tooth filled.

I wish to make the analogy to medical cannabis: it is my personal experience that cannabis is far less potent and therefore less harmful and threatening than those controlled drugs available at my dentist's office. Drugs which most everybody benefits from but cannot possibly be construed as "sending a bad message to children". I cannot imagine cannabis being able to mask the pain I felt from the dental drill and I do not know what others feel, but, if a really sick person says smoking cannabis helps, even reduces the perception of pain without the customary side-effects of opiate-based painkillers (to which some people have access) who am I to say anything to them_ Should they care what I think_ It's their business and it's their pain.

Many, many people (millions according to the Action Class lawsuit) swear that cannabis alleviates a number of painful and otherwise debilitating symptoms of a variety of medical conditions. My firsthand experience working with people with Chronic Pain issues was that it a difficult problem to address. Many persons may or may not "really" be in pain. Many persons with chronic pain may or may not be addicted to (or more likely habituated to) a variety of pain-killing medications. There are issues of "phantom pain": pain experienced in a limb of feature that has been amputated or removed. Do you think that telling someone "it's all in your head" is going to be very effective_

I am not about to tell somebody what he or she do or do not, should or should not feel. If a person believes smoking some cannabis alleviates the pain and they remain functional and healthy and are not "over-utilizing" (abusing) other "pain-controlling pharmaceuticals", what, exactly, is the problem with that_ How, exactly, does that send a "bad message" to children_ That phrase has gotten awfully worn recently, as the mainstream acceptance of cannabis grows: as I have said in past editorials, this is just how anti-cannabis propaganda works: a broken record spreads the Lie.

Medical cannabis initiatives scored 9 for 9 on November 3rd, a resounding and clear message to Our Leaders that all the taxpayer-financed anti-medical marijuana propaganda was wasted. On November 5th, Marinol was de-scheduled by the DEA from II to III, making it a lot easier to prescribe. While this does nothing to "remedy" the situation that Marinol is prohibitively expensive and will not work for people who cannot keep food down to begin with, it is a step in the right direction in that some people will nonetheless benefit from this and it will make it more clear that the "active-ingredient" in cannabis and Marinol is not technically considered "addictive". (I have long felt that "addictive", like many medical terms, is over-used and has come to mean something that technically it does not. "Habituated" is frequently the more correct and proper term and does apply to cannabis use. Addiction indicates a change in physical chemistry accompanied with profound withdrawal symptoms, while habituation is more behavioral in nature with fewer and less severe medical issues.) However, this decision is, of course, motivated by all the wrong concerns. Marinol is a product of the pharmaceutical industry and this, in the end, is just a ploy to stall further progress of "whole-cannabis" research and to mine more profit from those who hope to benefit from the Marinol.

Cannabis is being recognized for being able to provide relief for muscle spasms and other painful muscle diseases. There are now many studies underway in England and Israel to begin (patent able) production of derivatives of THC and several associated cannabinoids for use in treating head and spinal cord injuries as well as vaporizer-styled dispensation, to work the "controlled-dosage" concerns. As I worked on this article, the English House of Lords Science and Technology committee called for the legalization of and further research on medical cannabis - whole plant and derivatives. They have decided that there is sufficient evidence to warrant use under the supervision of medical professionals. They have expressed concern that it is inhumane, at this time, to continue the policy of suppression. In particular they stated that cannabis promises to compliment the use of opiate-based painkillers used in the treatment of cancer and certain terminal illnesses, reducing the amounts of the highly addictive drugs used.. And they followed up their announcement with the advice that the "complete legalization" of cannabis is an entirely separate issue.

Pharmaceutical companies, who bankroll the PFDA, cannot like the growing mainstream acceptance of medical cannabis because of the absence of "patent-ability". I do wonder, though, if there could not be a sort of "pedigree " like there is with genetically engineered corn and livestock: a registration of particular make-up or something. Cannabis has to be as easy to manipulate genetically as corn : the same plant can be refined for super-high quality fiber (big, fat stalks, 20 feet tall ) uniform-quality medical bud (cloning the best without fear of theft or going to jail) and sub-types higher and lower in certain cannabinoids for treating different things. Many pharmaceutical companies also produce livestock feed, crop seed, and agricultural chemicals, including fertilizers and pesticides, so why not get in on the ground floor and attempt to dominate the coming Cannabis market_ I really don't know, but I'd be surprised if there has been zero investigation into such ideas.

Anyway, it is a burden to people to have choices about important matters limited (or removed entirely from their control) and to have their governments use their tax dollars to work against efforts to have more important choices. Real choice is fast becoming illusory here in America. You can go on vacation whenever you want, can buy any car you can afford, eat pretty much what you want to and so forth. It is the freedom to make really important choice that is under siege. Access to medical cannabis is a fine example in that it has been a growing problem and has failed to respond to rational debate in the past. Now it is becoming a mainstream issue. People from all walks of life are standing up and saying "Dammit, this helps me. "This improves the quality of my life! "This saved my life!"

In the Class-Action suit against the Federal Government, demanding access to medical cannabis in America (see:www.fairlaw.org), a Judge has demanded that the Government discuss why more than 8 persons cannot have access to an already functioning medical cannabis program. With the results of this last election, some American politicians have got to begin to take notice and think "Hmmm...the People want this.... Hey! I can get elected or stay elected by vigorously supporting this issue!" Apparently none of the politicians who voted against Bill McCollum's House Resolution 117 just 2 months ago (The sense of the house that marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug and has no medical value) lost their bids for re-election while the more extreme politicians got the message that not everybody shares their perspectives on judging and limiting the rights and personal choices of others and does not care for the extreme agenda. I think the resignation of Newt Gingrich is a very good indicator of the impact of this.

There are many things going on in the American culture right now that are all sort of clustered around these concepts of privacy, autonomy and being free from both government regulation and the preferences of a few in many different and private htmlects of our lives. Some extreme politicians who are grossly misinformed about what "most" Americans want are proposing many ugly and unnecessary things. Almost 2.8 Million people have been arrested for possession of cannabis since Mr. Clinton took office, according to recent FBI statistics. More and more people want to educate themselves about issues and make informed decisions for themselves whenever possible. It will be a great day when people wake up and smell the proverbial coffee (shops) and allow other people to act as if they might know what is good for them.

Please bookmark this site, if you have not already done so! Log on to the Chat forums and express your thoughts on these and other issues. Have a wonderful Holiday season!

Jon Patterson

Page last updated on 12/12/98