Monday in Texas legislatures were discussing a bill to decrease penalties for possessing Marijuana when something interesting happened. When representative Tom Alvin, (R) Altruria, was speaking against the bill he said as the Tribune Herald reports
“marijuana is a deadly and dangerous drug. It ruins people’s lives and is so addictive that people can become hooked on it just by touching it. We have to keep in mind that allowing any steps towards its legalization will ensure that children have access to this drug. Only by keeping it illegal and imposing tough sentences can we continue to ensure that this plant is no longer consumed by people who should not have it.”
but what was interesting happened just prior to this statement. While he was speaking something fell from his pocket, this something was later identified as a "marijuana cigarette" AKA a joint. Alvin's hypocrisy however did not end there after the session adjourned he was questioned about what was in his pockets which he responded to by saying
“Well obviously state legislators enjoy special privileges that other people do not” he stated. As for his stance towards the penalty reduction bill he remarked “times are tough, budgets are tight and we have to make the best use of the state’s money. Having our police focus their time and effort on keeping these dangerous criminals away from society is a major priority, not to mention the jobs we are able to create in the prison and judicial system in general. Without jailing these people, we could be looking at creating more unemployment. It just isn’t economically sound to let these people go with just a ticket. We must have zero tolerance.”
Now, Marijuana is a tricky subject, in a way. Most of the facts that representatives like Alvin like to quote are actually from studies about how Marijuana affects users however, most of these studies are from the 1980's and 90's and are outdated. There are more recent studies that show for the most part the exact opposite. So when it comes to Marijuana the real effects are really person to person and inconsistent, two doctors quoted on medicalmarijuana.procon.org who said it best had this to say:
"The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS -- or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day." -- Joycelyn Elders, MD Former US Surgeon General Editorial, Providence Journal Mar. 26, 2004
"Although I understand many believe marijuana is the most effective drug in combating their medical ailments, I would caution against this assumption due to the lack of consistent, repeatable scientific data available to prove marijuana's medical benefits.
Based on current evidence, I believe that marijuana is a dangerous drug and that there are less dangerous medicines offering the same relief from pain and other medical symptoms." -- Bill Frist, MD Former US Senator (R-TN) Correspondence to ProCon.org Oct. 20, 2003Though, if more information is wanted to decide two good places to start would be:
http://www.herbalmission.org/major-health-benefits-of-medical-cannabis.php
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana
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