Pubdate: Sat, 18 Jun 2005
Source: CounterPunch (US Web)
Column: Pot Shots
Copyright: 2005 CounterPunch
Contact:  http://www.counterpunch.org/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3785
Author: Fred Gardner
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

HOW MANY WINS CAN WE TAKE?

It's not so much whether you win or lose, it's how you control the 
spin. Thus the medical-marijuana movement honchos seem quite pleased 
with themselves, even though the Supreme Court turned down the 
Raich-Monson bid to obtain and use under California law, and then 
Congress turned down an amendment directing the DEA to honor 
medical-mj laws in the states that have adopted them. The vote in 
Congress was 264 to 161.

"'We pick up votes each time as we continue to educate the public,' 
said Steve Fox, communications director for the Marijuana Policy 
Project." This perfect example of Beltway elitism was quoted in the 
Associated Press story on the defeat in Congress June 15 of the 
Hinchey-Rohrbacher amendment. We pick up votes as the public 
continues to educate Congress. And picking up nine votes is nothing 
to crow about in the year of our Lord 2005. Rep. Barney Frank told 
the AP's David Whitney "that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi had 
been working the issue hard among Democrats and that he felt certain 
there would 180 or more votes for the amendment." By turning losses 
into wins, "reform" bureaucrats keep up the morale of their funders.

"Even Without a Federal Push, California Reins in Marijuana" read a 
2-column headline above the fold in the New York Times June 15. The 
43-inch story, dateline San Francisco, by Dean Murphy, asserts that 
cities are now "struggling with the excesses of the law's success." 
What success? More than eight years after we legalized marijuana for 
medical use, only about 120,000 Californians have availed themselves 
of the right by getting a doctor's approval. Opposition from law 
enforcement has been unrelenting and support from the medical 
establishment has been nonexistent or weak. If most doctors weren't 
afraid to approve cannabis use by their patients -or unwilling to out 
of humility, since they have never been educated on the subject- the 
number of Californians now using cannabis for pain and depression 
would be at least a million.

Murphy writes, "Advocacy groups reported that a handful of small 
dispensaries closed last week." Advocacy groups apparently kept from 
Murphy news that nine clubs, including the busiest in Oakland and 
L.A., folded abruptly June 6, the day the Raich ruling was announced. 
The activists thought somehow that news of club closures might cause 
some members of Congress to vote against the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment!

Journalist Ann Harrison (a Counterpunch contributor) says she was 
under pressure from some activists to not report the closure of 
Compassionate Caregivers. She did so anyway in the S.F. Bay Guardian 
June 15. Harrison had gotten a tour of Compassionate Caregivers 
Oakland headquarters from Manager Sparky Rose last month. She 
described it as "an efficient corporate operation with purchasing, 
human resources, IT, and shipping departments that delivered medical 
cannabis to the company's cannabis clubs. According to Rose, the 
shutdown put approximately 225 employees out of work and impacted 
about 7,000 dispensary members and almost 15,000 other patients and 
caregivers across the state who purchased cannabis from the seven clubs."

Rose told Harrison that the owner's biggest fear was a tax claim by 
the IRS in which the cost of marijuana could not be deducted as an 
expense. Harrison reported that "Valerie and Mike Corral, founders of 
the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) - which provides 
free medical cannabis to about 200 chronically sick and dying 
patients in Santa Cruz - are being audited by the IRS, which has 
referred the case to its criminal division for possible tax evasion charges.

"The Corrals said they are being audited for the year 2002, when 30 
armed DEA agents raided the group's cannabis garden. In 2003 a 
federal court granted WAMM an injunction against federal prosecution. 
In the aftermath of the Raich decision, Corral said he expects 
federal authorities to petition the court to lift the injunction."

THE BALLAD OF PROP 215

Have you heard of our law called Prop 215?

Passed by California voters just saying what we mean

Marijuana eases pain and grief

There's many a condition for which it brings relief

*

The State could not wait to cover up its ears

Long-robed judges said the wording isn't clear

The cops and D.A.s held a council of war

In secret to dis-implement the new law

*

Put heat on the doctors that's the whole strategy

Said Attorney General Lungren then he flew off to DC

To meet with Cardinal Constantine and Rabbi Alan Lesh-
ner Reno and Shalala like a scene out of MacBeth

*

It was back in December, 1996

General McCaffrey announced the big fix

California doctor, your license is at risk

Big Janet and the neckless nun all tsk-tsk-tsk

*

What were their names, what were their names

The docs who believed their patients claims?

What were their names, tell me what were their names

The docs who stood up for the patients?

*

 From up in Crescent City down to San Diego

Many a physician had to just say no

Unless you got cancer or AIDS better yet

A letter of approval could prove difficult to get

*

Paxil and Statins they are eager to prescribe

Viagra and estrogen dispensed like a bribe

The detail men offer them jaunts to here and there

And the board never questions their standard of care

*

But those brave physicians whose plain common sense

Leads to respect for anecdotal evidence

Get called Dr Feelgood like it was a bad thing

And made to feel fear every time the doorbell rings

*

They helped a lot of people in a wide range of pain

The data they've collected should not be in vain

Sabotage of research, when's it gonna stop?

The practice of medicine is not up to the cops

*

What were their names? What were their names?

The doctors who believed their patients' claims?

What were their names? What were their names?

The doctors who stood up for their patients...