Subpoenas for Medical Records

In Portland, Oregon Chief U.S. District Judge Robert H. Whaley is working on a ruling of whether or not to throw out the DEA requests for medical records of 17 medical marijuana patients. According to OregonLive's News Flash,the subpoenas were served on the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, which issues permits to patients and their authorized growers.
They also sent a subpoena to The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, a Portland clinic where doctors determine whether a patient's condition would be eased by marijuana.

There are 11 other states that currently allow marijuana for medical use, although they also have lists of conditions for which the medical marijuana is appropriate. Section 3, (a) through Section 3 (c) of the 1998 Oregon Medical Marijuana Act describes the approved conditions as:

(a) Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or treatment for these conditions;
(b) A medical condition or treatment for a medical condition that produces, for a specific patient, one or more of the following:
(i) Cachexia;
(ii) Severe pain;
(iii) Severe nausea;
(iv) Seizures, including but not limited to seizures caused by epilepsy; or
(v) Persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to spasms caused by multiple sclerosis; or
(c) Any other medical condition or treatment for a medical condition adopted by the division by rule or approved by the division pursuant to a petition submitted pursuant to section 14 of this Act.

However, these 11 states, as well as the two other states considering making medical marijuana legal, are going through some rough legal battles between the feds and those involved with the medical marijuana use and dispensing. The federal government only recognizes marijuana as a schedule 1 drug that should be outlawed, has no medical uses, and anyone involved in medicinal marijuana use, cultivation, or prescribing is giving money to terrorists; according to current drug czar, John P. Walters - read his 'description' on this link to the White House Office of National Drug Control policy. You should notice how is details none of the current threats to landlords in California who rent to Medical Marijuana dispensaries. Nor does it explain how the Drug Czar sees fit to abandon the constitution side by side with good ol' George W. and pry into citizens' personal medical histories.

Other drugs labeled schedule 1 include heroin, Lysergic acid diethylamide, peyote, and Dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

Many of California's medical marijuana users and growers are being sent to jail, prosecuted and fined for providing or receiving LIFE SAVING treatments.

Kris Hermes, a spokesman for the advocacy group Americans for Safe Access, said the subpoenas suggest the DEA is looking beyond prosecuting dealers.
"It sends a message to the other states and their programs that they're vulnerable to federal interference," he said. "It doesn't take a brick to hit you over the head to know that the federal government is trying to undermine California's medical marijuana law, given all the raids and threats to landlords.
"This is one step further that shows the federal government is very serious about going after patients."

I can not see how any citizen of this country, founded on freedom, is ok willing to let patients suffer because the federal government believes they have the right to bring extinction upon a plant that has survived on this earth longer than us. A plant that has helped the human race for hundreds of generations. Who has the right to allow consumption of poisons which only, deteriorate the human body, and criminalize the consumption of a plant that helps to cure ailments, and create shelter for the human race. And, I'm not only talking about the over 400,000 different 'scripts out there. I am talking about the MSG and other poisons in foods sold nationally, globally, the lead, the asbestos cover-ups, 'black lung' and many, many more.

We must remember, too, that the federal government DOES in fact grow marijuana. They issue the federally grown marijuana to 13 lucky medical marijuana patients. This marijuana helps these people cope with the specific conditions and help to allow them to live productive, 'normal' lives which they would otherwise be incapable of doing.

It is time, America, to take a stand and not let the government bully these people around anymore. We have rights, we have privacy rights, and, unless each government official will let us in on their medical histories, background checks, and wiretapping, then I suggest to them they 'BACK OFF!'

Schwarzenegger Offered One Billion Dollars

Currently, the state of California has a budget crisis. To try and balance the budget out, legislators are bickering over which social services should be cut. This isn't fair. It isn't even right. People need those social services. There is a hero in this story, however. Well, heroes is more like it. Many, many heroes! They call themselves Let Us Pay Taxes.

The Let Us Pay Taxes group has offered Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger one billion dollars to be put toward the budget crisis. The thing is; this money will be coming from a coalition of California marijuana growers and dealers. Whats the Terminator to do? Terminate the crisis with taxes that taxpayers would actually be willing to pay!

David Guard of StopTheDrugWar.org writes that regulation and taxation of marijuana could produce up to six billion dollars in additional tax revenue, according to economic studies linked from their web site LetUsPayTaxes.com. In addition, it could save up to ten billion dollars in enforcement costs. “That is a conservative estimate,” said Schaffer, spokesman for Let Us Pay Taxes. “By other estimates, the revenues could be five times that. The economists are with us all the way on this one. Marijuana prohibition is an economic disaster.”

So, what's the problem? The problem began with Reefer Madness and marijuana tax stamps in the earlier part of last century. The Drug Czar John Walters continually states that money from marijuana transaction goes into the hands of terrorists and criminals. Is this guy for real? Of course it is! I mean, in terms of anyone who touches marijuana is a criminal! (ok, that may have been a small exaggeration). But, the prohibition Walters is supporting creates the monetary flow from good, hard working citizens who just want to relax, or escape disease-related pain to black market criminals who, in a lot of cases, will do anything to make a buck.

I believe this is where the belief that marijuana is a gateway drug comes from. I mean, where marijuana is outlawed, good people must look toward the streets for relief, because they know that marijuana is not bad. But, a lot of these street dealers are only capitalizing on these people, and introducing them to their other 'wares', so they make more money!

I truly think that if people were able to grow their own cannabis, or buy it from regulated dealers, they would be extremely happy! And, the possibility of the marijuana being 'laced' with other potentially hazardous substances, such as cocaine, would be slim to none. AND the country would have much more coming in from taxes to be applied to other things. Well, maybe we should wait until after Bush is out of office, then it would go toward causes for the people, of the people, and by the people.

Let Us Pay Taxes calls upon all US citizens to sign their petition at their web site LetUsPayTaxes.com and press the issue with their lawmakers. “Take the money, please,” said Schaffer. “These people want to contribute. Now it is up to our politicians to tell us why they want to send those billions to foreign criminal gangs rather than to their own voters." Press Release

N. Korea agrees to ditch nukes, Bolton wins Asshole of the Year

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the lead American official at the talks, said the United States will give an unspecified amount of energy assistance to North Korea in exchange for North Korea freezing its production of plutonium.

Everything seems to be going great. Right? Until.... John Bolton (militant fuckhead imperialistic piece of shit) makes these remarks, calling the whole thing "a very bad deal."

From CNN: It makes the Bush administration "look very weak, at a time in Iraq and dealing with Iran that it needs to look strong," Bolton told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Monday.

"I'm hoping that the president has not been fully briefed on it and still has time to reject it," he said.

What the hell is wrong with this idiot? Hey, John Bolton, go continue to fuck yourself.

Congress pushing for ISP data retention: Will use porn to try and get bill passed

Geez. Still goin' at it. According to The Register, "The data retention requirements sit within the so-called Safety Act introduced by Representative Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, as part of the "Law and Order Agenda" that he and other Republicans have begun pushing in the House."

A large part of this bill is about labeling requirements for porn sites. Bringing tougher restrictions to online porn, etc. However, THIS is part they'll use to gain a nice chunk o' support from many people. As they'll try keep the mass data retention part of this bill somewhat quiet (ha!). They do this all the time with all types of bills, hiding their agendas under a cover which they believe the masses will support.

The Register says "the Safety Act would require the [Attorney General] to order the retention of, at a minimum, the name and address of every subscriber or user corresponding to an assigned IP address or user identification."

While the ISPs aren't going to have this 'data retention bullshit' (and they'll fight against it) it's still a danger to everyone in this country, just the fact that people support this sort of Big Brother nonsense.

Paul Gigot says "No one ever claimed a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda"

Today on Fox News, Wall Street Journal editor Paul Gigot claimed, “We didn’t go to war because of al Qaeda links.” What an asshole.

Apparently, Paul Gigot didn't read what the White House resolution authorizing force against Iraq said:

"Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq."

What bothers me is that this guy was on the Fox News show with millions of people watching. Bad Fox News, bad. (watch video here)

O'Reilly wouldn't call Penn "anti-American" minutes after Factor referred to Penn as "anti-American"

O'Reilly (remember that jackass?) says: “You know that the Fondas and [Sean] Penns are going to say, ‘Listen, I’m as American as you are…I just see things differently.’ And I’m willing to give them the benefit of that doubt. I don’t want to say that they’re anti-American.”
But that's really crazy how just moments earlier, this happened:


To close the segment, O'Reilly asked Michelle Malkin if she had "any personal message for Sean Penn," to which she replied, "I'm glad that he's gone now from D.C."

Via Media Matters

Tony Snow: Spits more mindless propaganda at United States

Tony Snow (a.k.a. bitch) says, "I don't think [Bush] really thought a lot bbout [the Iraq Protest] "

From The White House Press Briefing:

Question: "What did the President think of the march on Washington?"
Mr. Snow: "I don't think he really thought a lot about it."

Well, is that a surprise? Bush not thinking a lot about something?

Via Huffington Post