CNN Joins The Choom Gang

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN savant and former future Surgeon General, comes out swinging in favor of medical marijuana. A sign of the New Times?  I Boldly Predict that gay marriage will become yesterday's cause and weed will be tomorrow's. Especially with the phony race war connection (We are all Trayvon and we are all high...).

The good doctor does include this important caveat:

I do want to mention a concern that I think about as a father. Young, developing brains are likely more susceptible to harm from marijuana than adult brains. Some recent studies suggest that regular use in teenage years leads to a permanent decrease in IQ. Other research hints at a possible heightened risk of developing psychosis.

Much in the same way I wouldn't let my own children drink alcohol, I wouldn't permit marijuana until they are adults. If they are adamant about trying marijuana, I will urge them to wait until they're in their mid-20s when their brains are fully developed.

Obama's personal history makes his inevitable evolution on this one a bit tougher, but, as with gay marriage, he will 'lead' once there are enough people out in front of him.

THAT WAS QUICK: My Bold Prediction may be more in the way of a 'what else is new?'.  Andrew Sullivan:

That the Obama administration has done nothing to reclassify the drug to conform to minimal medical standards of accuracy can only be called extreme cowardice. At some point, in my view, this president needs to say about marijuana what he said about marriage equality: that he’s for legalization, taxation and regulation. But Gupta is a helpful stepping stone – a mainstream celebrity acknowledging that the US government is engaged in misleading and lying repeatedly to the American people.

Comments

[Sue]

If it is for medicinal purposes, what does age matter?

[jimmyk]

Good catch, Sue. Seems like he good dr favors "medical" (wink) marijuana.

[narciso]

It explains a lot about CNN generally,

[henry]

There is no medicinal cure for the condition known as Andrew Sullivan.

[Black Hat]

Tax gay marriage? Is Sully smoking something?

[narciso]

This explains Piers Morgan, well nothing does,

[Ignatz]

--At some point, in my view, this president needs to say about marijuana what he said about marriage equality:that he’s for legalization, taxation and regulation...--

Now Barry has proven he is stupid enough to have said that but is there some evidence from somewhere besides Randy Andy's head cheese that even Barry was that idiotic on gay marriage?

[Captain Hate]

Hmmm, the pot threads used to be very addictive to Mitten's fan #1.

[Rob Crawford]

Sullivan is NOT a disinterested party in this subject. He should be writing from England, deported after being caught with pot on federal lands.

Instead, he kept, um, "servicing" the administration and was let off the hook.

[jimmyk]

even Barry was that idiotic on gay marriage

I think randy Andy has stumbled into the deeper truth that Barry favors taxation and regulation of anything and everything that is capable of being taxed and regulated.

[matt]

so we're allowing marijuana, which diminishes capacity, as they say and are coming down on cigarettes.

Gupta's vast research into the subject must have missed all of the stoners with medical marijuana cards.The new opiate of the masses.

[NK]

Henry-- personally I think Andy Pandy is the way he is as a result of the massive amounts of medications he's been taking for 20 years.

[txantimedia]

Barry certainly has an ally in Keith Ellison The bottom line is we’re not broke, there’s plenty of money, it’s just the government doesn’t have it."

[MAKO]

Fiscal conservatives who are consistent, see the costs of enforcement, and incarceration.

This is old, so the numbers should probably be about 30% higher now even with Colorado in the green zone.

http://norml.org/news/2005/05/05/drug-war-disproportionately-targets-minor-marijuana-offenders-study-says

[MAKO]

Which is worse, tobacco or cannabis?

http://www.takepart.com/article/2012/01/11/marijuana-not-bad-your-lungs

[cathyf]

The interesting question with psychosis is whether the marijuana is cause or effect. Schizophrenia starts in adolescence, and it looks a lot like the mental illness comes first while the drug use is an attempt at self-medication.

Perhaps rather than throwing the kids in jail, or allowing them to buy and use what they want, maybe we should try diagnosing the problem? There are other anti-psychotics that work better...

[Ignatz]

Three drug positions;
1. Legalize drugs
2. Vast war on drugs
3. Government provides free drugs to all who ask

My libertarian heart is with number one, number two seems unworkable, but number three, despite my tiny government bona fides, seems like it has the potential for the most virtuous results:

Free drugs to all the pinko stoners and potential stoners will keep them in such a purple haze they'll never vote, protest or twang away, off-key, on those damned guitars every one of them seems to have strapped to his back on the street corner again.

[Ignatz]

Even if schizophrenia comes first it seems pot use exacerbates and intensifies the symptoms.

[MAKO]

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-19/medical-pot-a-drug-maker-bets-on-marijuana-to-treat-diabetes-epilepsy-and-more

"Even if schizophrenia comes first it seems pot use exacerbates and intensifies the symptoms."

How would you know?

[Some Guy]

Oh goodie. CNN, Gupta, and Sullivan are going to fret about how the deck chairs should be decorated.

[James D.]

Ig, I don't think those are the only options.

There has to be a middle ground between legalization and what we're doing now with the drug war. I don't know exactly what it is, but those can't be the only approaches possible.

[centralcal]

During my lunch hour I saw that President Obama is giving the Presidential Medal of Freedom (or whatever it is called) to.... ta-dum .... Former President Bill Clinton!

eyes can't roll far enough back in my head

[centralcal]

Also, I am only posting the following for fun, because I think we could all come up with some great ideas for a "new way" for Shep.

And further fueling speculation that either Hannity or 10 p.m. host Greta Van Susteren may move into the 7 p.m. timeslot, Ailes said he has had conversations with current 7 p.m. host Shepard Smith about “a new way to deliver news.”

[rich@gmu]

can't build a strong economy without soma...

wonder what the smoking Nazi and food Nazis think of this development.

[narciso]

On a more serious note, who was the funder behind this documentary, this doesn't happen just out of the blue, Nadleman's outfit.

[Tom Maguire]

"Even if schizophrenia comes first it seems pot use exacerbates and intensifies the symptoms."

How would you know?

I just know it, and so (puff) do I.

Actually, I can see how that theory of cause/effect might well be true, but I do wonder what the evidence might be.

[MAKO]

I think you're confusing paranoia with schizo.

[Threadkiller]

TM, cut and paste the following into your search.

marijuana schizophrenia site:.gov

[matt]

Schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder and addiction are all negatively affected by the use of any of the mood altering drugs, including alcohol. Compound use is common.

The addiction rate of heroin is scary and has become rampant, especially in the Red zones. Orange County, CA has one of the worst problems in the country and we just don't know how to solve it. It's cheap, high quality, and as Russell Brand said in an interview:

"I cannot accurately convey to you the efficiency of heroin in neutralizing pain. It transforms a tight, white fist into a gentle, brown wave. From my first inhalation fifteen years ago it fumigated my private hell and lay me down in it’s hazy pastures and a bathroom floor in Hackney embraced me like a womb."

There are a lot of people out there who will choose the gentle, brown wave. As as one grows addicted, the pain of withdrawal increases exponentially. The success of rehab programs is somewhere between 15-25%, lifetime. That means that over 75% of all addicts will remain addicts on and off, or until they take that final OD. They can't help it. They're addicts. It is a medical condition.

And heroin addiction, along with cocaine, fuels the violence of the terrorists and narcotraficantes.

I believe the time has come to recognize these facts and deal with them. Register addicts and have real, solid rehab available. But also restrict their voting rights. Non compos mentis should mean it and the same goes for potheads.

The funny things is that some of our greatest art has come from alcoholics. As it has from people with serious mental issues. A lot of art comes from the id.

So how do we maintain a civil, moral society then that reduces the real problems and helps fix them?

[MAKO]

Here we go...gateway drug. BS.

[Dave (in MA)]

What about Purple Drank?

[MAKO]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323936404578581672468703556.html

"Every objective study on marijuana has concluded that it is less toxic, it is less addictive and poses fewer and far less severe health problems than alcohol. Whereas there is no compelling evidence that marijuana use causes schizophrenia or psychosis, absolutely no doubt remains among members of the scientific community that alcohol use is a major contributor to mental illness. Also, unlike alcohol, marijuana use has never been linked to violent crimes and reckless behavior."

Everyone has a chemical fingerprint. Yes, chemicals react differently depending on the individual. Ever known a mean drunk who is passive and gregarious when sober?

I am a firm believer in the notion not everyone should partake of the smoke, which has a faster rise and more intense than when used as an ingredient in food. The body high from edibles is quite different, and safe for most, as the mental and psychological effects from smoke can be like being shot from a cannon.

[matt]

well mako, let me know if you have some experience with it because I have lots. Most people who smoke pot will probably leave it at that.

But when kids are starting with pot at 10 or even younger, that is the starting of a lot of junkie's downfalls. And that is the reality of addiction in America today. We have a higher addiction rate today than when the War on Drugs was declared.

We do not have the tools nor the desire as a culture to test for the predispositions or genetic markers that predict addicts. But once they are addicted, they are often doomed. I was corrected just now. The success rate for heroin addiction rehabilitation is 2%, not 15 - 25%.

Where I live in an urban area of @ 3 million we lose 2-3 kids/week to overdoses, almost all of them heroin.

So do we promote a culture of virtue, chastity, and responsibility or do we just watch and let it all flush itself down the toilet?

[Ignatz]

--How would you know?--

When you have a son with significant schizophrenia and was a pot smoker you read things like; this and this and this and this and hundreds of other articles and studies on the subject.
Drop the joint for a minute and try reading a little, dipshit.

[Danube on iPad]

One of my best friends is a regular marijuana user, and gets her supply from medical outlets in San Diego. She says the whole thing is a joke; each outlet has a doctor nearby who will write your prescription on nothing more than your word that you are experiencing pain.

I would go with Iggy's no. 1 for marijuana.

[MAKO]

Matt; What to do?

"Mounting research suggests that alcohol causes more damage to the developing brains of teenagers than was previously thought, injuring them significantly more than it does adult brains. The findings, though preliminary, have demolished the assumption that people can drink heavily for years before causing themselves significant neurological injury. And the research even suggests that early heavy drinking may undermine the precise neurological capacities needed to protect oneself from alcoholism.

The new findings may help explain why people who begin drinking at an early age face enormous risks of becoming alcoholics. According to the results of a national survey of 43,093 adults, published yesterday in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 47 percent of those who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 14 become alcohol dependent at some time in their lives, compared with 9 percent of those who wait at least until age 21. The correlation holds even when genetic risks for alcoholism are taken into account."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/health/04teen.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[MAKO]

"Drop the joint for a minute and try reading a little, dipshit."

Didn't know that. How could I?

Schizophrenia is a chemical imbalance in the brain. I agree that someone with an imbalance should not experiment with chemicals whose effects are unknown. See above and read a little yourself.

[MAKO]

"who will write your prescription on nothing more than your word that you are experiencing pain."

And why not? One of the most beneficial qualities of cannabis is that it helps one sleep. Whether it's chronic pain or insomnia, sleep (6-8 hrs) is very beneficial to long-term health.

[Jane -walk like an Egyptian]

I was pretty unimpressed with the marijuana culture in Amsterdam. It was obvious but not all that pervasive. You could smell a lot of pot in the air and see a few people smoking, but most everyone seemed to be leading their lives. It shocked me to see parents taking their young kids into the Hash Museum. More shocking was the litter in the streets every morning, which was subsequently cleaned up by the government. I don't know if potheads are litter bugs.

Does anyone recall what high profile case Reggie Walton presided over that we talked about here?

[centralcal]

Uh, Libby, Jane?

[Ignatz]

Maybe second hand pot smoke causes memory loss, Jane. :)

[narciso]

Now he's handling the FISA court, what could go wrong, so Hannity is moving to 10PM, Greta's moving to cut off that extra hour of Shep.

[Jane -walk like an Egyptian]

Was it Libby? I thought so, but figured I was wrong. I spoke to Cleta Mitchell and Walton is in charge of the civil IRS cases. I wonder if being the head of the FISA court is a conflict of interest. (That's a lot of leaps on my part).

(I don't need the pot to confirm my once steel trap memory is now a sieve.)

[centralcal]

Did Cleta express any opinion (favorable/unfavorable) about Walton being in charge of the IRS cases?

[narciso]

He'll probably just get a waiver, like the Congressmen did for Obamacare/

[Frau Stachelschwein]

And why not? One of the most beneficial qualities of cannabis is that it helps one sleep. Whether it's chronic pain or insomnia, sleep (6-8 hrs) is very beneficial to long-term health.

Sleep when? Want your doctor, airplane pilot, teacher using a little "pain relief" while on duty?
How can a person be tested for OUI if using marijuana?

I had a sixth grade boy passed out in class ten minutes after the first bell. It was not a reflection on the class. The other students were engaged and ready to learn.

[Jane -walk like an Egyptian]

CC,

She was concerned that he drags things out for a very long time. The government is dragging it out as well by refusing to answer discover because it is busy with the congress.

Walton was appointed by Reagan.

[Frau Stachelschwein]

The future belongs to Dee Dee's New School.

[MAKO]

"Sleep when? Want your doctor, airplane pilot, teacher using a little "pain relief" while on duty?

Don't be ridiculous. Which chemical is the most likely to intrude on the workplace? Of course, it's booze, yet I hear no cautionary tales.

"How can a person be tested for OUI if using marijuana?""

It's not as easy as a breathalyzer, but blood drawn is the alternative to any who refuse the field test for sobriety.

[narciso]

Silly rabbit;

http://twitchy.com/2013/08/08/no-rest-for-the-bringers-ace-and-friends-spectacularly-mock-pompous-piers-morgan/?utm_source=autotweet&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter

[MAKO]

Piers Morgan the hack of Fleet St.

He interviewed the widow of Michael Hastings (Elise jordan) and asked the same questions, asked and answered a hundred times before.

Piers; how 'bout "What was Michael doing at 4 am driving 100 mph on city streets"

Now that would have elevated him above the rest of the hacks.

[narciso]

Talk about being on something;

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/08/figures-state-departments-faith-based-advisor-i-am-glad-american-civil-religion-is-dying-video/

[Account Deleted]

"What was Michael doing at 4 am driving 100 mph on city streets"

I don't believe the tox screen has been released yet. It will be interesting to compare it to Trademark and Adam Lanza if they can pull adequate results from the ashes.

[MAKO]

"I don't believe the tox screen has been released yet"

It's been nearly 60 days. His remains were incinerated, and that gives them more than the 2-3 weeks for normal analysis, but I sense some stonewalling.

[narciso]

Other delusional moves;

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/08/08/no-there-is-no-tea-party-boycott-of-ebony-magazine-and-there-never-was/

[Frau Stachelschwein]

"Don't be ridiculous."

Don't be insulting.
I personally know of some cases and am honestly concerned. As you admit, alcohol use can be detected and *without* a blood test.
The Philly crane operator was dealing with his pain, successfully too, which resulted in six dead and thirteen injured.

[Danube on iPad]

"And why not?"

It's fine by me if they do it, but I imagine that prescribing it for insomnia is quite likely against the law, and doing so without any verification of actual pain may well be. Prescribing it for anything whatsoever violates federal law, which would seem to me to be a reason not to do it, though again I couldn't care less.

The feds recently raided my friend's preferred store, so now she gets it from a source that delivers it to her door.

[MarkO]

"a source that delivers it to her door."

Doctors making house calls.

[Danube on iPad]

CA physicians' responsibilities under the medical marijuana law:

"Perform a medical examination of the applicant (patient).

"As a result of the medical examination, document in the patient’s medical record that the patient has a serious medical condition and that the medical use of marijuana is appropriate.

"Have the patient sign an authorized medical release of information.  The county program cannot process the patient’s application without the appropriate authorization for release of medical information.

"Provide to the patient copies of the medical records stating that he or she has been diagnosed with a serious medical condition and that the medical use of marijuana is appropriate. You may use the Written Documentation of Patient’s Medical Records (PDF) form to serve this purpose (a copy must be kept in the patient’s medical record)."

[rich@gmu]

Doctors making house calls.

Posted by: MarkO

More like casing. Always be careful as to who you let know what conditions you have and medicines that might be around the house. Home invasions for prescriptions and nacotics happen all the time in Florida. But, oops, I forgot, weed isn't a drug-drug.

I am smelling the stench of Soros behind all this. Great times. Lets wave in about 10 million or so new Americans and lets all get high. It isn't like unemployment and underemployment are a problem.

[Ignatz]

Mrs Iggy's oncologist prescribed some Marinol (synthetic THC) at about $7-800 to see if it would help any with appetite etc.
Just made her feel creepy and see some kind of critter on the wall which wasn't there.
Can't see much sense in prescribing the one for a small fortune and not the other, for those who don't mind the faux centipedes.

BTW a little dyphenhydramine works wonders to sleep.

[MAKO]

Yeah. That's the gateway for big pharma. Who noes what evil lurks in their formulas.

"dyphenhydramine"

Becuz synthetics can be patented. the sure have you by the balls.

[Obama's all about the individual state's rights, you know.]

The cute thing is that many states allow doctors to write for Med Mary, but the feds will pull a DEA license for doing it. Sure, makes lots of sense.

I suspect that will be the move Obama makes, rein in the DEA a bit on the matter.
============

[MAKO]

"I suspect that will be the move Obama makes, rein in the DEA a bit on the matter."

What evidence is there that will happen?

[narciso]

Yesm rich that's what I was thinking, either him or who is that other big time commodities broker, deep in the legalization biz.

[Ignatz]

--Becuz synthetics can be patented. the sure have you by the balls.--

If you're talking about diphenhydramine you do know that is the generic form of Benadryl which has been off patent for many years and costs about 2 cents a pill, right?

If you're talking about the Marinol it may surprise you to learn that my wife made the choice on what to take and since she doesn't smoke anything and her taster is significantly impacted by the chemo drugs she's on she didn't want to try eating pot either.

BTW, were it not for evil Big Pharma and their patented synthetics, I would have buried her about seven years ago, so how's about you pay attention to your own testicles and don't worry about mine?

[MAKO]

"Don't be insulting."

Well you seemed somewhat dismissive, so it's fair game.

You seem preoccupied with the field testing as the optimal guarntee of safety to the Public.

You are aware we are already on the verge of a police state. wherein invasive searches for supposed probable cause is the trend?

Google youtube texas body cavity search, and many more there,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1G92b62_ZM

This a partial of the entire video which begins with the Officer inquiring of whether they threw a cigarette out the window, then went to a marijuana smell which led to the execrable violation, arrogantly taped as though there was no problem with this behavior.

[narciso]

Delusion seems to be the order of the day:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2013/08/08/michael-smerconish-warns-gop-against-retreating-echo-chamberlike-msn

[Clarice]

" Ailes said he has had conversations with current 7 p.m. host Shepard Smith about “a new way to deliver news.”"

I hope the new way is sans Shep. I do not know a single fox news viewer who can stand that scene muncher.

[MAKO]

Benadryl ,Marinol....

Are you learning disabled? What's in Benadrill or Marinot?

And it's great that you've benefitted from an extra 7 years of life with your wife. Just like it's your decision to accept the practice of medicine in it's current incarnation, it's mine to reject anything curative from their mantra of extended misery, but if I need my appendix out, they are excellent mechanics.

[It's a waste of doctors, not that some of them shouldn't be wasted.]

Hah, luv ya MAKO, but suspicions don't have or need evidence.
============

[Some Guy]

[yawn]

[He's for the dysfunctional co's. How much is that doggie in the window?]

Well, c, I know a fan. She adores him.
====================

[Danube on iPad]

In the Texas body cavity search matter, one of the two officers has been suspended, both have been sued in federal court, and the facts of the incident were presented to a grand jury.

Some police state.

[Almost(!) everyone likes their own doctor.]

mantra, misery, and mechanics is a good start. I'm all otoscope object.
==========

[narciso]

The exception that proves the rule, so will there be pictures from the trip, clarice.

[centralcal]

I hope the new way is sans Shep.

I share the sentiment, Clarice, but Ailes renewed his contract and, from statements made today (very enigmatic, though they were), it sounds like we will be subject to him in some form or other on FNC.

Of course, I AM holding out HOPE that they will relegate him to livestream over the internet or something - just so long as he is not on my cable!!!

[Danube on iPad]

I simply don't watch when Smith is on. Makes my skin crawl.

[Ignatz]

-- it's mine to reject anything curative from their mantra of extended misery--

If it's curative it's not extended misery and only a very odd person would reject something curative.

It's the palliative stuff like my wife is on that extends the misery. I myself would probably have stopped by now but it's not my decision and it's often not as as cut and dried when it's your own life on the line.
I have a friend who said the same thing as you until he got non Hodgkins lymphoma and says he was surprised to find that when it was no longer theoretical he would now do just about anything to stay alive.

[Ignatz]

--Are you learning disabled? What's in Benadrill or Marinot?--

Um, diphenhydramine and synthetic THC.
If your point is that they're synthetic, well, hemlock and arsenic and about a million other poisons and carcinogens are perfectly natural.

If your point is that they are or were patented, who cares?

[Shocking if true.]

Let me drop a pillule of a pearl for MAKO. You know the gold standard for medical therapeutic knowledge acquisition is the prospective, double-blinded, placebo controlled study. Well, what medical therapeutic modality can best blind the placebo, and thus gains a huge advantage?

Why, it's drugs.
=========

[Don't bogart your comments, my friend.]

Jeez, I hope I didn't run him off. I was looking forward to a high old time with him.
==============

[Danube on iPad]

I think ol' Mako has smoked up a doobie or two tonight.

[narciso]

A sign of SMOD's arrival, Alec Baldwin is getting a TV show, on MSNBC

[centralcal]

I simply don't watch when Smith is on. Makes my skin crawl.

Ditto, Dot!

*I knew I loved you for a reason! (Okay, more than just one - grin)

[narciso]

I feel the same way about Trump,

[centralcal]

Oooh, throw down!

Love you too, narciso!

[Captain Hate]

Shemp makes my skin crawl too; Trump is just a pompous gasbag with almost as much self regard as Gaylord Focker.

DoT I think this is the time of year where I point out that more than an hour of sunlight has been lost from the first day of summer.

[narciso]

Thanks Central,

Alan Grayson crawls from under his rock.

[Jeff Dobbs]

CH:
I think this is the time of year where I point out that

Gaylord Focker get all wee wee'd up.

[Captain Hate]

Where did Alec Baldwin make a wrong turn after Red October; or is he that good of an actor? Definitely has the anger problem; maybe substance too to stay on topic.

[narciso]

Well the jerk he played in working girl, and the hood in another film, was more to type.

[Steve]

Video: Is The American Dream Dying Under Obama? - Ann Coulter Weighs In! - Hannity

http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2013/08/video-is-american-dream-dying-under.html

[Captain Hate]

Where are there districts dumb enough to elect Grayson? I don't even think lice would find him appealing.

[Danube on iPad]

"more than an hour of sunlight has been lost from the first day of summer"

Wow. It always slips away faster than I realize. This is the time of year when I used to become unable to enjoy summer vacation because I knew the start of school was almost upon us.

But soon they'll be teeing it up and my morale will soar anew.

[Captain Hate]

hit, this is approximately the time when that dumbass let fly with that verrrry Presidential utterance. I wonder if Medved is still talking about what a superb orator he is.

[narciso]

What does that even mean, on second thought, do I really want to know?

[Jeff Dobbs]

narciso:
What does that even mean, on second thought, do I really want to know?

Well...

As for the president's colorful phrasing, [Robert] Gibbs said, "'Bed wetting' would be the more consumer-friendly term."

[jimmyk]

more than an hour of sunlight has been lost from the first day of summer.

Climate change! Bush's fault!

CH, I fondly remember living in your part of the time zone where it stays light almost an hour later than here on the east coast. Of course those winter mornings were a bit gloomy.

[Ignatz]

--This is the time of year when I used to become unable to enjoy summer vacation because I knew the start of school was almost upon us.--

Likewise. My summers were spent almost entirely shirtless with only a pair of cut offs and no shoes.
August represented the end of savage days and the return of wretched civilization.