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General Assembly considering bill to legalize marijuana
02.13.07|wistv.com

Should patients with cancer or similar diseases be allowed to legally use marijuana to ease their pain? That issue has made its way into the chambers of the General Assembly.

Senator Bill Mescher is a Republican in the Bible Belt - so it may surprise you to know that he's spearheading a bill to legalize pot for medical reasons.

He's made it his mission because of Shirley. She was Mescher's high school sweetheart and his wife of more than 36 years. She never smoked, yet died an agonizing death from lung cancer. He tells WIS, "One doctor said it might ease her pain if we had marijuana. I didn't do it. I regret that all my life."

Under the bill patients would be allowed to grow up to six marijuana plans for their use - if they didn't want to grow it, their caregivers could for them without being penalized.

"No we should not relax these laws," says John Ozaluk. Ozaluk is with DEA, "We have tractor trailer loads of marijuana coming into the state. We know that through investigation and through seizures. We know that there's a high demand for marijuana in the state of South Carolina."

It's a demand for the drug that Ozaluk says has nothing to do with medicine.

But Mescher argues, "There will always be some abusers. I don't care what you have, there will be someone who abuses it. I'll take that. We've got laws to take care of abusers. I'll take that to give people relief."

Ozaluk predicts problems from legalizing marijuana, "The air traffic controller who wakes up with a pain that morning in his neck or his shoulder. Who goes in to work that day, because he wants to self medicate, uses marijuana - not only put himself at risk going back and forth to work, but each and every person who's on a plane that day that he or she has landed."

Mescher doesn't agree. He hopes South Carolina will join 11 other states that have similar laws already in place, so people like his first wife can get some relief, "That's the reason I'm doing it. I don't care about political fallout. I'm past worrying about that."

The fate of the bill could be decided Wednesday. The Senate Medical Affairs Committee is scheduled to take up the legislation at 9:30am.

 

Buzzby

Typical DEA obfuscation of the issue. What possible relationship could there be between tractor trailer loads of marijuana headed to recreational users and the six plants that would be permitted for each medical marijuana patient?

If it has nothing to do with medicine, why did Ozaluk bring it up in this context?

This is a classic Straw Man argument. There is no legal reason why various occupations couldn't maintain rules about drug use. Air traffic controllers are given frequent random drug tests. The FAA maintains a long list of pharmaceuticals whose use would prevent active duty as an air traffic controller.

Air Traffic Controller Medical Standards

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dedbr

Keep it simple stupid!

I'm sorry your wife died Bill. And there's really no way to prove the the old MJ could have helped her. But keep this thought in mind Bill. It's because of guys like you that we have no chance to know.

Yeah, I bet that really stings, huh?

DEA agent John Ozaluk.....

I wonder who gives these guys their speeches? If we stopped people from going to work stoned, the country would shut down......

Mescher.....

Now that the harms been done, and you can't be affected one way or another, now you come out for medical marijuana?

I feel sorry for the guy. I really do.


Some Where In Ded Land........

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Buzzby

So you think it's OK for airline pilots, air traffic controllers, school bus drivers, and brain surgeons to go to work stoned? I don't. Big time!

DryTimes

Quit losing your mind. Where will the list end? Its either all or nothing fella. They are professionals and know how to do their job, whether they smoke or not is illegitimate. If someone knows their stuff, they should do as they please as long as their work is good. What if one of your listed professions had a bad day and had a very big accident while pissing clean. Oh thats ok right, it was just an unpreventable accident. I'd rather have the best brain surgeon who hit a bowl vs. the worst who is sober. Why airline pilots? Why not taxis, truck drivers, couriers, machine operators, pizza delivery, or a bicyclist who's so high he rides onto the freeway and causes a 100 car pile-up.

How about the McDonalds cook who was sooooo stoned he mistook Amonia for Water and sprayed the grill before you got poisoned. Or the zooted waitress who dropped hot ass fajitas on your head and rendered you scalded and unconscious. Wanna keep going? ok one more. Mechanics (mainly brake specialists), electricians (one wrong wire, and potential FIRE) enough for now. Water treatment plants, viscious dog trainers. That's right!! Anyone who goes to work stone is dangerous. Big Time!!!

I'm just trying to figure out where you're coming from. Weed is no excuse for accidents (which will always happen). But an accident and a positive drug test = not an accident at all, right? but if it returns negative, same harm has been done, and its only a verbal warning or sympathy from every for that so unfortunate event. And remember if you smoke a joint you are technically (?) stoned for about 30 days. According to urinalysis anyway.


It could be possible in the right dosage one may be calmer and more aware of surroundings thus being better at whatever they do. It might not be much, but here ya go:

I used to ride and considered myself a good rider. Very safe but still loved the speed. I had two fall-offs. Both sober, but that's probably coincidence and not even the point. One from being a noob and lack of sleep and the other from letting it loose on a racetrack. Thats it for 35,000 miles in 2 years on a sportbike.

But what I did do what ride practically coast-to-coast in 40 days totalling 9,000 miles. Averaged about 110 on the interstates and got two tickets. Hey a sportbike is "dangerous" enough isn't it. I think not, lets add some marijuana and make me out to be "stupid", "reckless", and plain ol' "asking for it". Well, I'm still here and some say fighter pilots have similar skills as bikers, but thats moot (but I tossed it in anyway). Citations, speeding, and bad bad drugs all combined and no danger to myself or anyone on the road.


I registered just to reply to some of your ignorant comments. Don't take it the wrong way, man, I'm probably contradicted every other word I say. But ya gotta hear it. If your educated and evaluated then everything is ok. I can't speak of real drugs, but I say (for myself) they do not neccessary degrade performance. Many factors may be involved like mood, ambiance, environment, time of day, etc w/e. Know when to smoke how much. Its not like I blazed a few blunts before mounting the bike, maybe like half a J.

Keep it real

 

DryTimes

Oh, and I had to throw this in:

Ozaluk predicts problems from legalizing marijuana, "The air traffic controller who wakes up with a pain that morning in his neck or his shoulder. Who goes in to work that day, because he wants to self medicate, uses marijuana - not only put himself at risk going back and forth to work, but each and every person who's on a plane that day that he or she has landed."

Swabeky

Drytimes, I'm confused. are you saying that Marijuana is not harmful enough to outlaw in certain professions, or are you saying that they should't. your two posts have me confused. And my personal view is that I really wouldn't want my brain surgeon stoned when he's operating on me. Speaking for myself I get a little bit forgetful and careless when I'm high and that is the last thing I want a brain surgeon to be.

Buzzby

The point, in case you missed it DryTimes, is that people tend to make more careless mistakes when they're stoned than when they're sober. Certainly accidents will happen to people who are sober. What difference does that make? Accidents will happen more frequently when people are stoned. It would be good to minimize those mistakes when they could be life-threatening.

Everyone I know makes more mistakes when they're stoned. In most cases it doesn't matter and we all laugh at it. If I'm really high, half the time I go into a different room for something I forget what it was by the time I get there. If a guy has a scalpel two inches into my grey matter I'd greatly prefer that he doesn't forget what he's doing.

Note: Riding a motorcycle isn't brain surgery.

DryTimes

So sorry to confuse. I am confused as well. Im saying either marijuana is not harmful for all professions or it IS harmful for ALL professions. We shouldn't pick and choose. Regardless of how high you all herald the brain surgeon, all professions are important and can be life threatening in certain conditions.

Just as a brain surgeon could slip or suffer short term memory loss from some pot, he could also develop a steadier hand...there are pros and cons to both sides. But that would be up to the brain surgeon to decipher for himself or a revue board to evaluate his performance while high vs when sober, and guess what? If he performs equally on both sides then should he not be allowed to do as he wishes? You two are just getting bent up about the fact that he has smoked and giving no concern to the actual effects of his job performance. Just hearing the two go together makes you cringe. And yes, some people are affected differenty, different tolerances blah blah blah

And the referral to the mechanic should be a good one.. hopefully you'll feel this way. So your brakes suck and you take it to the shop and the mechanic is so stoned he misplaced a pin and forgets which side which brake pads go. So when you see the red light you hit the petal and ooooppss BAM you're dead. So how does the mechanic's decision to toke up differ from the brain surgeon's? In a way, your life is in both of their hands. So dont pick and choose. mkay!?



And buzzby, you kill me. You said pilots cant fly while stoned. I was just saying the reflexes that a fighter pilot have are close to the ones neccessary for a cyclist. And for your information, an airliner pilot is never alone. Computer's do alot of the work. They basically take off, cruise (IE do nothing/no inputs) and land the plane which are all computer assisted. So once again why you hold this position so dearly is beyond me. Also, Im pretty sure if your surgeon did toke he probably wouldnt do it before a big surgery if he felt it negatively affected his performance.

Again, everyone can be harmful to anyone. So, try not to elect a select group to be held responsible, like airlines, surgeons, and what not. Hell, a lawyer could be stoned and forget a piece of evidence that would have gotten you out of death row.. but he didn't and now you're doomed. See??? everyone is important.. again, not just you beloved brain surgeon.

I understand your friends forget stuff and its cool. But if they had to walk a tightrope in the morning they would probably wait until after the event to toke up again. I just try to point out that we should be concerned with the performance, not pointing to whether or not someone had a doobie the other day.

But also, let's not make marijuana the scapegoat. The DEA and D.C. does that enough for us. Thanks

Edit: and once again this is based on the system and how it views you "on drugs" if you smoked the last 30 days. So that is saying anyone who toked up and drove within the past month is a major threat to society. Is that how you want to view marijuana? Rendering you harmful for one month after inhalation. Or how do you see it: 1 month, 1 week, 1 day, or 1 hour. Results will vary and that is up to the user and whoever gives a performance review.

DryTimes

Dear Abby,

I have been in a relationship with a married man who is addicted to any drug, legal or otherwise, that he can possibly get his hands on. He's a kindergarten teacher and also a licensed boat captain.

I am concerned that he is abusive to his students, works while high, and even fell asleep while driving a commercial dinner cruise. He gets mad at me when I refuse to be "his drug," claiming that my refusal is the reason he cannot stop using.

Today I changed my cell phone number because I am so fed up with his dirty lifestyle and don't want it around my family. He takes kickbacks from prostitutes for helping them find "johns" and for the use of his boat to do their business. He is around such seedy people that I'm a little concerned about retribution for backing out.

I want to move forward with my business and live a cleaner life than this. Am I wrong for judging him?
-Laura



Are you wrong for judging him? What took you so long? You knew you were in a relationship with a married man-and it boggles my mind that a substance abuser would hold a position of trust around children or as a boat captain.

For everyone's safety-including your own- he should be reported to the authorities.