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566 VotesVote Now!
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Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana
Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana.
It is understood that while marijuana has been essentially illegal since 1937, the prohibition of this plant has not worked. It is currently legal in 15 states and Washington D.C. There have been studies done that prove it has medical uses and in January 2010, the American Medical Association requested that Marijuana be rescheduled to so the efficacy of the plant can be lawfully studied in this country. The request was subsequently denied.
With more than 25% of the world's prison population in the United States, we can't afford to incarcerate citizens for choosing a particular non-toxic substance with which to use medicinally or recreationally any longer. The fact that our government policies intrude on American's lives and require the incarceration of its citizens for seeking relief from debilitating illness is unconscionable.
The war against Marijuana is and has been a war against American Citizens. Regardless of whether or not you use Marijuana, please take a common sense approach and send our administration a message, "Americans do not want to be incarcerated for their choice of natural substance any longer. Americans demand the government legalize the medicinal and recreational use of Marijuana and stop the war against American Citizens".
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Larry S. Talley
USN, Ret
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Comments
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Top Ideas about Criminal Justice
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1,088 VotesLegalize Recreational Use of Marijuana - Spencer Pearson, Columbia, MO
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566 VotesLegalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana - Larry Talley, Flower Mound, TX
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386 VotesRehabilitation, not Incarceration - Our kids deserve better. Support the Youth PROMISE Act. Stop the cradle to prison pipeline! - The League of Young Voters Education Fund, New York, NY
The top 3 rated ideas from each issue category will make it into the final round. Read More »
"If marijuana were to disappear from the face of the earth tomorrow, it would be a disaster for American law enforcement" Ed Rosenthal
Posted by J.W. Laberdee on 01/25/2010 @ 09:55AM PT
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It has always been puzzling to me how such a beauitful plant that can grow wild along the highways, could be considered illegal. And, that by growing this plant could land me in prison with serious charges. It just baffles me that it could actually be classified as a schedule 1 drug, when Marinol is a schedule 3 drug. I/We, my husband and I are outraged at this time. First, as a Registered Nurse for 19 years have surrendered my license to practice my trade because I refuse to be treated as a drug addict, classified just like a nurse that would withhold a fresh surgical pt his pain medicine and take it herself to feed her addiction. I am fed up with not being allowed to medicate my own patients when they need it because according to the rules of TPAPN an "impaired nurse" must have another nurse administer a narcotic. Even a sleeping pill. (I had an accident when I slipped in some water,at work, therefore required me to drug screen. I had smoke not less than three weeks earlier. Popped positive for THC. It happened 3 times in my career. So its an issue. I don't feel its right I should have to give up my smoke when I work with nurwses every day who drink, some heavily, and/or take prescription drugs and self medicate.)
Now, my husband as a veteran has to submit to drug therapy because he had THC in his urine, at 55 years old he is told that if he does not submit to drug treatment and go, yet a 3rd time, to a pain management program they will not continue to provide him his pain meds that makes the pain in his back tolerable. His neurosurgeon told him he would always have to deal with the pain in his back that he would never be pain free. My husband says smoking the maijuana helps him relax and sleep better. He feels the reason he can't sleep is because of the narcotics he takes. Also his restless legs. Neither of us are drinkers. We do enjoy our good smoke in the evenings in the privacy of our own home. I believe it is an atrousity to consider that illegal.
Posted by Terry Obright on 01/28/2010 @ 03:50PM PT
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Criminalazation of Hemp is not about the smoking use of it, that is how they hid the real reason for not allowing it. Hemp can be grown by anyone which they can make material from reducing their dependency on bought clothes.
If you look behind every law in this nation you will find some money earning venture behind it. The no shirt, no shoes, no service law is to encourage using of clothes in order to sell more. It has nothing to do with health as they proclaim. Side effects on medicines is to keep us buying medicines. Natural remedies to health conditions are not usually taught for thesame reasons. WAKE UP AMERICA!!!
We can change that
www.change.org/actions/view/eliminate_capitalistic-military_regime
www.change.org/actions/view/we_the_people_can_change_the_nation
will be the start of it.
Posted by Elijah Alexander, Jr. on 01/25/2010 @ 04:23PM PT
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There are over 17,000 scientific articles which show without a shadow of a doubt that there is medicinal benefit and it is quite substantial. So far, the voters in 14 states have agreed, and it is legal at the state level in these states, however, as long as it remains a schedule 1 drug at the federal level those in other less progressive states will continue to be prosecuted for using what is basically a medicinal plant. The opponents to legalization continue to be those whose jobs are based on the incarceration (or threat thereof) of the American people and those who profit the most by keeping it illegal like the cartels and underground organizations. By making a sweeping change to the law, countless lives would no longer be negatively impacted. This is a mainstream issue and it should be everyones right to be able to choose what medications we use. There is currently widespread corruption at every level, we should recognize this and end it. Prohibition is a bad idea. A better approach would be controls like what we already do for alchohol.
Posted by Glen Tackitt on 01/25/2010 @ 06:17PM PT
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After nearly 70 years, ( seven decades!) of prohibition ruining innocent lives ..... We the American people have finally reached the tipping point of legalizing, regulating and taxing the best plant in the world! Now its up to us to show prez. Obama that this is an very important issue and NOT a laughing matter! this will take less than 5 mins. Follow this link and vote for this issue.
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/legalize_the_medi
cinal_and_recreational_use_of_marijuana
Even if your not a cannabis consumer, please take a few minutes and vote. There is no sense on continuing this failed policy that puts people that choose to consume a non-toxic herb! We need our prison space for VIOLENT CRIMINALS! REAL CRIMINALS!......... REMEMBER prohibition has never worked in the past and it STILL doesn't work now!
Thank you for your time, A.H
P.S. Please forward this message to your friends..... together we can end this war on cannabis consumers.
Posted by adam hunsucker on 01/25/2010 @ 07:46PM PT
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Is this going to be like the other "ideas for change" that were ignored by both the administration this site supports and the administraters of this very site itself?
Posted by mikey johnson on 01/25/2010 @ 07:55PM PT
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Sadly Mikey it more then most likely will be. Last time this important issue was the #1 topic by a VAST majority and was brushed aside by the president with a laugh and a disparaging remark about the state of the online audience(the same audience that voted in record numbers to elect him), and I fear if the topic is approached again we will get the same lack of respect. But more then likely the topic will not even make it to the discussion(since it was on last years list, more likly we'll hear about some ridiculus idea come up by some children in grade school who'll be called brilliant for their insight) since this site also shows the same lack of respect for our cause, relegating us to second or third pages, if we're even given that much consideration even though the topic of marijuana legalization is consistantly the most important and supported topic on this entire site.
Posted by peter hansen on 01/27/2010 @ 11:21AM PT
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I have written my legislators here in Washington State in regard to this very issue and they're not too keen on the idea. Basically just a lot of *Double Talk*. It galls me to think that it's *OK* to drink, get drunk, drive, and kill people with your car and get a slap on the hand. I've never heard of a *Marijuana* killing/homicide.....EVER! Then they treat people busted for having pot on them like they were serial killers, lock em' up and throw away the key for what???? Relaxing....chilling out??? Something is VERY wrong here!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Lynda Johnson on 01/25/2010 @ 08:30PM PT
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they refuse to give veterans their pain medication, and drive people out of their professions when they are positive for THC. I was reading stories of veterans who were given less than honorable discharges that literally ruins their lives when they've tested positive with weed.Its a crime against our rights as human beings and Americans.
Posted by Terry Obright on 02/07/2010 @ 10:50PM PT
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I was an RN for 19years, Jan 08 I had an accident at work(slipped and fell) of course had to drug screen and was still positive for weed even tho it had been 3 weeks since I smoked. I had to submit to a peer review (TPAPN) and for a year had been treated like a drug addict. Like the nurses who stole their patients pain meds. I finally told them they could keep their license and surrendered my nursing license after 19 years, just sick of being looked down upon and had just had enough. Now I'm unemployed and its a bitch, made decent money as a nurse and now nada. tough, but I just have no desire to go back and subject myself to that anymore. Now I can't begin to tell ou how many coworkers I've known who even at work took their prescription antianxiety meds or who would talk aboout how they would get off work and go out drinking. But thats ok at least what they did was L E G A L! Argh this just rips me off.
Posted by Terry Obright on 01/25/2010 @ 11:06PM PT
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80 years ago our grandparents learned that prohibition does not work,
it gives total control of whatever is prohibited to forces outside of the law that means that instead of courts you have murders, instead of regulation you have poisonings, and instead of tax receipts you have increased spending on law enforcement
the comment app is kind of weak check spelling doesnt work
Posted by Pat Beal on 01/26/2010 @ 09:21AM PT
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the goverment dont want to make drugs leagal because they stand to lose to much money the so called war on drugs is a joke the truth is its a war on are freedom answer this for me if its a free country why can the police stop you for no reason people we are slowly losing are freedom a little every day! and whos fault is it well its all of ours because we all got lazy and let the goverment have to much power and now thay got us by the balls we can spend billions of dollars figuring out how to kill somebody but we cant spend a dime taking care of the people in the USA its SAD
Posted by George Taylor on 01/27/2010 @ 08:24AM PT
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On both Ideas For Change and Take Action polls. A legalize marijuana question is #2 on both lists. How can the government ignore this? We should all do some research before we vote.
Posted by Ron Combs on 01/27/2010 @ 04:00PM PT
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I hope every one who voted here votes for all other marijuana related ideas. Particulary for the one in the top position with almost 500 votes. No sense in splitting the votes for the same cause.
Posted by Angela Brown on 01/27/2010 @ 05:29PM PT
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Some advice in order to make this one go to the top and convince Obama:
1. Use positive framning: it's so negatively framed and doesn't show the BENEFITS. So start like "The medicinal value of cannabis is beyond dispute and would help millions of Americans. In fact this is so compelling that millions have already voted for the medicinal legalization of cannabis, and the majority of Americans already support medicinal marijuana legalization". Maybe try to focus on compassion here too?
2. Positive framing for the second argument could start like this "the users of marijuana are normal, law-abiding citizens with productive lives and have a deep-felt desire to buy the drug legallaly and pay their taxes. Legalizing cannabis would reunite thousands of non-violent, responsible Aamericans with their families and create social stability.The current policy on the other hand creates crime where none was before, and the laws have devastated communities and have an unfortunate racial bias." Many have pointed out - quite rightly - that since slavery this is the worst thing to ever happen to the black communities. Also, Obama already belittled the economic value of doing this thing, so he'd have to be insane to admit his (distasteful) joking remark was wrong. Give the man a chance, frame things differently than already failed approaches.
3, It is completely without relevance that pot is a "natural product", and I wonder if some would think "who CARES if criminals don't want to be incarcerated"? The point is that the pot user hurts no one with his drug of choice and as long as there are no victims it is unworthy - even immoral - for a Western democracy to punish people people. That is: try to hook into the citizens rights movement. The UN human's rights conventions have some pretty neat things on our right to privacy as does your 4th Amendmend. And really, if Government can simply pick and choose what they consider crime without said behavior inflicting any harm on anybody else, anything can be a crime. Do we really want to live in a State where anything can be defined as a crime, especially in a way that our moral compass is unable to understand?
In fact, I would focus largely on be benefits of moving away from a black market: legalization would much more efficiently keep drugs out of the hands of young people. It is well known that kids find it easier to buy pot than alcohol, which attests to the greater efficacy of regulating a legal market instead of using law enforcement to do it. Street dealer would be put out of commission and our kids spared their immoral business practices. Violence and murder would plummet and recruitment of young people into gangs would be decreased with legalization. And not only would access be restricted better, but once our young adults go out to buy pot they'd do so from licensed sources and be spared the often dangerous interaction with organized crime, not to mention be safer from stray bullets and the like.
Posted by Jesper Kristensen on 01/28/2010 @ 08:16AM PT
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I am also asking that Marijuana be removed from a Schedule I substance (I think you would all agree this should happen).
Please go vote and tell your friends to as well:
http://tinyurl.change.org/OCWVx
What's worse that arresting non-violent criminals???? Arresting Doctors and Patients for recommending and using a medicine that works and gives the patient a better quality of life!!!
Posted by Darth Nole on 01/28/2010 @ 03:28PM PT
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Doctors in other international countries are paid when their PATIENTS live..!!
Posted by leatrice brantley on 01/29/2010 @ 12:50PM PT
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Ganjawarnews * Ganjawareness 1.28.10
1.26.10
1.23.10
1.21.10
1.20.10
Posted by DdC Cannabist on 01/29/2010 @ 08:02PM PT
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I just can't pull myself to understand that with all the intelligent thoughts posted from all walks of life everywhere - that this is still an unanswered issue regarding the 'Legalization of Marijuana'... I am a 49 year old man stricken with a disease named.............. 'Multifocal Motor Neuropathy' who is currently legally prescribed - going on two years now - to the pain medication percocet - (260 - 7.5 mg tabs per month) - to control the pain of my physical and emotional self - falling apart on me. On this medication I am still legally licensed to drive a motor vehicle and pursue my life without the criminal element attached to this prescription medication to the best of my abilities.
Isn't about time we just said 'YES TO DRUGS' & 'NO TO WAR'?
Posted by Harold Morales on 01/30/2010 @ 01:54PM PT
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I am a frequent user of marijuana,the average stoner. I feel and everyone in this country,including the government knows that marijuana is not a harmful thing. In my opinion, it's the most beautiful thing in the world. I makes life better. It makes EVERYTHING better! It's happiness. No matter what happens in you're life, marijuana will always make you feel great. Someone tell me, what's wrong with happiness? What's wrong with having fun and not feeling like shit in this stressful, crazy world. Not everyone is for marijuana and I understand that, but it's something that gives a sense of hope and relief in this hectic, cruel world. I am a 16 year old who spends my days biking, drumming, and smoking marijuana with my friends having fun. Not just getting high, but having a different perspective on life. Going on a different adventure everytime we smoke. We smoke in beautiful, relaxing places like at the river, on the dock, or back hawk island at our fort. Take in the beauty of nature and the rest of the world. A lot of my life I was depressed and even losing the will to live. Marijuana swooped down from above and lifted my soul high in the clouds to float and drift by in total happiness!! If marijuana was legal I could garantee that drime rates and would go down. People just need to learn how to relax!I could go on for ever,but I think I got my piont across. PEACE & LOVE
Posted by jeremy stoltz on 02/01/2010 @ 04:59PM PT
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He has already answered the question.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLFmGu57jLI&feature=player_embedded
This isnt the "change" I voted for. Join me in voting third party.
Posted by Matthew Parker on 02/05/2010 @ 12:57AM PT
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US: Web: Open Letter to Change.org
Top 10 Ideas within the Criminal Justice category: Legalize Recreational Use of Marijuana; Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana; Rehabilitation, not incarceration; Legalize and tax marijuana; Remove Marijuana From Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act; Legalize Marijuana; Reduce criminal recidivism; End the war on drugs; End Marijuana Prohibition; and Make Marijuana Legal.
Change.org appears to endorse a free and fair voting process as reflected in the “Governmental Reform and Transparency” category. It rightly decries bias against people of color, gays, and the homeless. It embraces human rights. Yet, these noble ideals become diminished by brushing aside the most popular issue.
Help make the Senate pay attention
You’ve certainly heard me talk about Michele Leonhart enough here.
Now that President Obama has nominated her to stay on officially as Director of the DEA, we do have the opportunity to educate the Senate before her confirmation.
Someone at Change.org has put together an action item — a petition to sign and send letters to your Senators.
Check it out here. Only 23 people have acted so far on this item — would be nice to see that go up a bit.
Posted by DdC Cannabist on 02/06/2010 @ 11:38AM PT
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I'm a disabled man in my 50's that because of my health problems I take pain meds at an alarming rate just to live in a disabled state. I'm monitored by a pain management doctor once a month.For several years his stance on use of pot for my medical problems ,with less of the pain meds ,was that he could not tell me to break the law and use pot but that he thought it was safer and did a better job and that he would look the other way. As of the last of 2009 his pain managment clinic would have to start treating patients that use med-pot as if they had used any of the other sceduel 1 drugs.If you kept up the use of med-pot you stand to lose your right to the meds you need. He gave advance warning so you could clean up before you are tested.He was tight lipped about why the change but he told me if it was legal he would use it as part of your treatment.He had told me there were a lot of side effects and problems with the other drugs he gives patients but that he knew of no side effects of med-pot outside of it not being legal.Please help me get my meds.
Posted by Jerry Haney on 02/06/2010 @ 07:00PM PT
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I'm a disabled man in my 50's that because of my health problems I take pain meds at an alarming rate just to live in a disabled state. I'm monitored by a pain management doctor once a month.For several years his stance on use of pot for my medical problems ,with less of the pain meds ,was that he could not tell me to break the law and use pot but that he thought it was safer and did a better job and that he would look the other way. As of the last of 2009 his pain managment clinic would have to start treating patients that use med-pot as if they had used any of the other sceduel 1 drugs.If you kept up the use of med-pot you stand to lose your right to the meds you need. He gave advance warning so you could clean up before you are tested.He was tight lipped about why the change but he told me if it was legal he would use it as part of your treatment.He had told me there were a lot of side effects and problems with the other drugs he gives patients but that he knew of no side effects of med-pot outside of it not being legal.Please help me get my meds.
Posted by Jerry Haney on 02/06/2010 @ 07:01PM PT
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I'm a disabled man in my 50's that because of my health problems I take pain meds at an alarming rate just to live in a disabled state. I'm monitored by a pain management doctor once a month.For several years his stance on use of pot for my medical problems ,with less of the pain meds ,was that he could not tell me to break the law and use pot but that he thought it was safer and did a better job and that he would look the other way. As of the last of 2009 his pain managment clinic would have to start treating patients that use med-pot as if they had used any of the other sceduel 1 drugs.If you kept up the use of med-pot you stand to lose your right to the meds you need. He gave advance warning so you could clean up before you are tested.He was tight lipped about why the change but he told me if it was legal he would use it as part of your treatment.He had told me there were a lot of side effects and problems with the other drugs he gives patients but that he knew of no side effects of med-pot outside of it not being legal.Please help me get my meds.
Posted by Jerry Haney on 02/06/2010 @ 07:01PM PT
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It is time this plant be recognized for the Medicinal and Industrial benefits it can provide. The persons right to choose how they prefer to treat thier illness is very much at stake here.
I agree that it is time we should be able to discuss with our physician about the benefits of this benign medicinal plant in the treatment of our illness and perhaps even improving the quality of life for those of us who are suffering from life threatening diseases and also chronic pain. There is no need for the added hardships on patients caused by worrying about being treated like criminals simply for looking at and choosing alternative treatment.
Being a vet myself, I also tend to agree with some of the comments here made by other vets.
Posted by Jose Sanchez on 02/08/2010 @ 04:21AM PT
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Many Veterans are the Enemy in the D.E.A.th War
Sam Stone came home, To his wife and family After serving in the conflict overseas. And the time that he served, Had shattered all his nerves, And left a little shrapnel in his knee. But the morphine eased the pain, And the grass grew round his brain, And gave him all the confidence he lacked, With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back. There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes...
300000 Iraq & Afghan Vets Suffer PTSD & Depression
Ganja 4 PTSD & Depression
Older Americans Overwhelmingly Support Legalizing Medical Pot
Nixon Lie Keeps on Killing
73 groups for medical cannabis
The Politics of Pot
Ganjawarnews * Ganjawareness 2010
Posted by DdC Cannabist on 02/09/2010 @ 02:20AM PT
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