We all, hopefully, gain insights and learn important lessons during our travels. Here Rick shares some of his philosophy of travel and I, for one, think he's spot-on.

http://www.counterpunch.org/gardner05072005.html

I have never smoked pot, never want to smoke pot, and have no desire to hang out with others while they do it. But I think prosecuting pot smokers is a huge waste of my tax dollars. I'm all for legalization.

The Canadian government is going for "decriminalization" - meaning that if one is "caught" with a small amount of pot, he/she will receive a ticket, sort of like a speeding ticket.

This is NOT the same as "legalization", but you can't imagine the amount of opposition from the Oppositiom party (The Conservatives), as well as politicians from the US, including the US ambassador to Canada.

The Canadian legislation makes all the sense in the world to me. Our ambassador to Canada is a psycho. My apologies to our neighbors to the north. (Or actually to the south from us Michiganians.(

I'd love a brownie.

Considering that 10 states have already enacted laws allowing seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana with their doctor's recommendation; that during the November 2004 election, 17 of 20 marijuana initiatives won; that a Nevada state initiative will be voted on during the November 2006 elections that will remove all penalties for the use and possesion of up to one ounce of marijuana by adults age 21 and older, as well as create a system for the legal distribution and sale of marijuana to legal adults; that 72% of Americans over age 45 believe that adults should legally be allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes; etc, etc, etc.... More and more people are speaking out against our current flawed drug policy, and changes are being made. Now if only our federal government will allow states rights to rule, the way it should be. Peace.

Robyn >-

Where I live (Canberra) the rules are about what the Canadian government has in mind; no cop in his right mind arrests anyone for smoking pot. Dealing in commercial quantities certainly carries penalties, up to and including jail in the more blatant cases, but in a town where smack deals are often observed by decent law-abiding Christians it's not a big issue.

Having attained virtual oldfart status, I'm touched by the fact that concerned and generous younger relatives still seek to indulge my nostalgia for the '70s (I shoud explain that the '60s didn't arrive in Australia until the '70s) with an occasional puff, although few understand the slurred injunction "Er, man, don't Bogart the J - OK?"

>The bus stops and everybody stands around and watches a goat get slaughtered and passes around the bong.<

Hey, like, cool man..........

Canadian government has also said 'no' to the smoking of tobacco in public places. My guess is that will apply to marijuana, no matter what other legal changes are made.

Ergo, what will be needed for users with medical reasons is a THC pill, otherwise the health argument is counterproductive.

Hey Cigalechanta, I'm with you. Where's Alice B. Toklas when you need her?

>..what will be needed for users with medical reasons is a THC pill,...<

They have had this for decades.

Interestingly, most folks who need marijuana for medical reasons claim that they only get relief if they smoke it.

It's true cigarette smoking is banned in office buildings, restaurants, and bars in Canada. But people smoke cigarettes all the time in public places outside.

Similarly in Vancouver people smoke dope all over the place - in parks, on the street, in their homes (you can smell it while taking a walk outside). I would just as soon be able to go to the park with my dog and child and not trip across a group of teenage dope smokers, thanks very much.

"Interestingly, most folks who need marijuana for medical reasons claim that they only get relief if they smoke it..."

Really, Ira..that's an interesting claim...would you care to provde some documented evidence of this?

I found the speech interesting and the pot enforcement aspect to be just descriptive of the many wasteful expenditures of the government. It isn't going to get any better if the religious right continues to grow.

Marinol, a synthetic form of THC, has been available for years. Unfortunately, it has been prescribed primarily to sufferers of chemotherapy and AIDS wasting syndrome, and they have a problem ingesting a pill and keeping it down long enough for it to be effective.

From an IOM (Institute of Medicine) report - <i>&quot;It should be noted that the IOM also reviewed the medical efficacy of the legal synthetic THC drug Marinol, which it found to have &quot;poor bioavailability,&quot; slow onset, and adverse effects such as &quot;anxiety, depersonalization, dizziness, euphoria, dysphoria, [and] somnolence&quot; in approximately one-third of patients who use it. As such, authors noted that many patients prefer whole smoked marijuana over this legal alternative.&quot;</i>

Canada has recently approved the prescription painkiller Sativex, made from components derived from the cannabis plant, in the form of a liquid spray. It has been shown to ease the pain for those suffering with Multiple Sclerosis.

Peace, Robyn &gt;-

Cool speech.

Temporary Compassion

In 1975, Robert Randall, who suffered from glaucoma, was arrested for cultivating his own marijuana. He won his case by using the “medical necessity defense,” forcing the government to find a way to provide him with his medicine. As a result, the Investigational New Drug (IND) compassionate access program was established, <b>enabling some patients to receive marijuana from the government.</b>

The program was grossly inadequate at helping the potentially millions of people who need medical marijuana. Many patients would never consider the idea that an illegal drug might be their best medicine, and most who were fortunate enough to discover marijuana’s medicinal value did not discover the IND program. Those who did often could not find doctors willing to take on the program’s arduous, bureaucratic requirements.

In 1992, in response to a flood of new applications from AIDS patients, the George H.W. Bush administration closed the program to new applicants, and pleas to reopen it were ignored by subsequent administrations. <b>The IND program remains in operation only for the seven surviving, previously-approved patients.</b>

&lt;Canadian government has also said 'no' to the smoking of tobacco in public places.&gt;

I believe that in some cities in the US, say San Francisco, smoking is also banned in public places too??

I am not wading into the &quot;merits&quot; of smoking pot, but for Neil_Oz: the pot you can get nowadays is VERY different from the pot you might have encountered some 10-20 years ago. The pot you get now is VERY potent.

In fact I heard that the Canadian government, when they allowed pot smoking for medical reason, did try to have designated growers to grow pot for medicinal pot, but had to destroy a whole crop (which cost a lot of money), because the quality of these pots were not up to par with what you can get from some illegal growers!!!

Opponents to Canada's decriminalization effort is still equating &quot;decriminalization&quot; to &quot;legalization&quot;!!

The idea that pot is more potent now is apparently a popular misconception.

&lt;the idea that pot is more potent now is a public misconception&gt;

No it is NOT. I have friends who have been smoking pot for 20 years and this come from their mouths. Our company also has Drug and Alcohol awareness sessions using a counseller who was a long time addict himself. He aid tessentially the same thing.

This is not an issue for me. Personally I think that if you want to stuff yourself with whatever drugs and alcohol, just go right ahead.