Maine Medical Marijuana (fencing, most dangerous, legal)

[beltrams]

I don't use alcohol or marijuana at all, but honestly, I see NO difference between somebody smoking pot and somebody drinking a glass of wine or a beer. There is no difference other than the latter drug is legal and socially approved by the somewhat older set and the former is not.

That's the only difference.

Some in Maine are pushing for full legalization and I say it can't happen soon enough. The double standard between pot and alcohol is silly.

[Maineac]

Funny how there is ZERO discussion of how the MOST addictive pharmaceutically produced narcotics, in easy-to-ingest pill form, arrived on the scene in the mid-1990's in Maine. It's like no matter what Merck, Pfizer, etc., produce, no matter how dangerously addictive, they're allowed to continue marketing and production when safer alternatives exist. The BIG secret they don't want you to understand or contemplate is that the highly addictive nature of these substances, like oxycontin, causes huge market diversion to illicit use. So they produce 1,000,000 oxycontin pills and sell them at ridiculous prices, and, say, 10% or more is diverted to illegal use. It's still a profit in the shareholder's pocket, and an appreciable portion of the corporate bottom line. They inarguably benefit from the addiction of illegal users. Look what these and other substances did to high school kids in the late '90's early 00's. I have friends whose children died or went to jail because of pharmaceutical addictions. I got my kids OUT of Maine during that period, and we thank God we did. Shouldn't the pharmaceutical companies be held responsible like any other pusher profiting from addiction? Particularly when the markup on all pharmaceuticals in the U.S. relative to actual cost of production is simply obscene? How about simply banning such substances to begin with? I know some people in severe pain need some of these, but there must be alternatives that are exponentially less addictive.

[Coaster]

Yes, there are alternatives, medical marijuana among them, but they don't offer the profit margins that oxycontin and its relatives do. People have been relieved of supposedly intractable pain by acupuncture, chiropractic/osteopathic manipulation, hypnosis and other methods. Certainly there are times when heavy duty pain drugs are required, such as with cancer, but they've become an "easy fix" for doctors who aren't willing to consider nontraditional alternatives, especially when the drug companies are oh so willing to underwrite those "medical seminar" Caribbean cruises and other perks.

Which is ironic, because one of the staunchest defenders of marijuana before it was criminalized in the 1930s was the American Medical Association.

Maine's experience with medical marijuana has been almost entirely positive, far more so than a lot of other legal drugs. Legalizing recreational use makes far more sense than its continued criminalization.

[Maineguy04654]

The issue with weed is unlike other medicine or deer or liquor for that matter is what "strength" it is. Your prescription says X mg's 3 times daily. A bottle of liquor says 40 percent alcohol by volume. Weed you can not do this as the strength varies from strain to strain and plant to plant. Thus one bag may have a low thc level and the next bag may have 10 times that. As a note to another thread it is amazing how many people on welfare seem to also have a weed card but have no problem paying cash for the weed at the shops.. Just sayin..

[Coaster]

Originally Posted by Maineguy04654

The issue with weed is unlike other medicine or deer or liquor for that matter is what "strength" it is. Your prescription says X mg's 3 times daily. A bottle of liquor says 40 percent alcohol by volume. Weed you can not do this as the strength varies from strain to strain and plant to plant. Thus one bag may have a low thc level and the next bag may have 10 times that.

A fair criticism, and one that MM users have to deal with all the time. As I understand it (I'm not a MM patient), they learn over time how much to take and of what variety, if they're buying at a dispensary. There have been some efforts to develop a testing and standardization regime for MM, but I haven't heard that it has moved beyond the research level yet.

As a note to another thread it is amazing how many people on welfare seem to also have a weed card but have no problem paying cash for the weed at the shops.. Just sayin..

People keep "just sayin" but I haven't seen anyone offer any facts about it. And I don't think dispensaries take EBT cards, so cash would be required anyway.

[RMoore007]

I have known people with MM cards and this is their explanation of the the dispensary facilities they've visited and the doctor's part.

When entering a dispensary waiting room, you are required to fill out an application (for each dispensary). You must have a valid ID and a MM card that you received from a doctor. Each visit thereafter, they will check your dispensary ID and ask you to take off your hat if you're wearing one so that the security camera can identify you. [The required once a year doctor's visit to get the MM card is around $150. but each year they discount that amount. They have coupons in the News and Review of the city you're in. So discounted fees are readily available. Some people have received cards for under $70. a year] You wait until you're called in the actual dispensary. A security guard will come to the door and introduce you to a salesperson. Each salesperson (associate) helps you exclusively. Only 3-4 customers at a time. There is a large display counter with different sample bottles (maybe 15) of specifically labeled marijuana lined up from most expensive to least expensive. This usually means potency too. You can buy just a gram or much more. The more you buy, the less it is. Most dispensaries have discount cards to keep you coming back to their place. There are usually several other display cases with hash, marijuana brownies, cookies, oils and other type foods. Also plants and seeds. Once you're done, the salesperson or guard will let you out and then ask the next person in who's waiting. While waiting sometimes, it's not unusual to see a grower (specific growers license) come in with a large bag full of pot. They will usually let that person in the back without waiting. You would also see every type of person on the planet in a dispensaries waiting room.

I've read about MM around the country and it seems that all the other states are using CA as an example of what NOT to do. CA had made it too easy for so many and it got out of control. There were dozens of dispensaries around Sacramento County a couple years ago but they are currently all closed. Only the city limits of Sacramento are allowed dispensaries now.

I would think that Maine's dispensaries would be set up the same but probably doctors visits will cost more and it may be harder to get a MM card? Don't know. I hope it works out for those that truly need it. Especially those where nausea and other side affects would benefit from MM.

Personally, I think that MM is a lot like welfare. I'm glad that the ones who really need it are taken care of but expect other humans will find a way to benefit from the good intentions of others.

[Coaster]

Originally Posted by RMoore007

(Good explanation and stuff snipped)

Personally, I think that MM is a lot like welfare. I'm glad that the ones who really need it are taken care of but expect other humans will find a way to benefit from the good intentions of others.

True, but then, hasn't that always been the case?

[MrRational]

As a natural state agricultural product it should be legal by default.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by MrRational

As a natural state agricultural product it should be legal by default.

Simply because something is an agricultural product in it's natural state, does not mean that it is legal.

Take the almond for example. [I grew-up farming almonds.]

In 2007, the USDA came up with the 'Almond Rule'. Ordering all almond growers to “sterilize” almonds in one of several ways: heat them using steam, oil roast or blanch them, or treat them with propylene oxide [a carcinogen].

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Simply because something is an agricultural product in it's natural state, does not mean that it is legal.

Not "is". SHOULD be. By default.

And marketable in that state without treatment let alone with a carcinogenic.
Marketable for industrial use or medicinal use or even (gasp!) recreational use.

hth

ps: After we re-legaize the natural state ag products we can re-medicalize the pharmaceutical products.