The Republicans do have a problem though. How do they get past the primaries with this issue given the sizable number of Republicans who are staunch Prohibitionists? We have quite a few of them around here.“The members of the Republican Party just should become more practical if nothing else,” he said. “The American people are shifting on this issue and this … is going to make and could make a difference in the election of some very close races. I happen to believe that I actually benefited from my position.”
The 13-term veteran of the House, backed by 64 percent of voters for re-election on Nov. 4, estimates he received an extra 5 percent of the vote “from people who would not have voted for me otherwise.” He said his support for marijuana signaled he’s “not so much of a right-winger that you can’t talk to me on things and I can’t look at things rationally, or have a heart towards people who are having their lives destroyed because they have a criminal record from the time they’re young.”
Rohrabacher advised his fellow Republicans, “This is going to help you politically.” If the philosophical arguments don’t appeal, “come on over for just raw politics,” he added. “The numbers are going this way now.”
http://blogs.rollcall.com/hill-blotter/ ... litically/
I will note though that a significant number of Republicans had this same problem in 1932 on an issue that in hindsight was far more clear cut. OTOH this issue in hindsight may be far more clear cut than it appears now.
And just to avoid another post: the anti cancer properties of THC and CBD when combined.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/11/how- ... n-cancers/
Just another animal study though. Since the US Government prevents trials on humans. Those are happening in the unregulated medical market where the synergistic effect of CBD and THC together is well known. You can look it up. As you can see from the link the lefties are educating their voters on this subject while the right prefers silence. This may cause the right to lose a few elections until the matter is no longer a subject of controversy. That should be around 2025 or 2030.
and
Just another anecdote.Judge Kimberly Mueller, the federal judge who agreed to hold hearings on the constitutionality of cannabis’ continued inclusion in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, did not limit her inquiry only to the expert witnesses who testified in her courtroom on the 15th floor of the Robert Matsui Federal Courthouse in Sacramento, California. Importantly, she also agreed to consider the direct testimony of factual witnesses like Sergeant Ryan Begin, who served in the US Marine Corps and was injured in battle during the American invasion of Iraq in 2004. Begin’s written declaration tells a harrowing tale of the collateral damage from a federal policy which denies that cannabis has any medical value for American combat veterans — and how his decision to finally disregard federal law and begin self-medicating with cannabis almost certainly saved his life.
http://theleafonline.com/c/politics/201 ... va-trials/
Veterans file a rescheduling petition:
And of course there is the DC vote:Current scheduling of “marihuana” is stripping veterans of their constitutional rights and dismantling the patient-doctor relationship within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), according to representatives of the group. “It is sad that over the years my medical needs have been best met when I was outside of the United States under the care of doctors in Europe,” notes Michael Krawitz, a Cold War-era veteran of the US Air Force. “Here in the country where I was born and honorably served in the military, I am denied basic medical needs as well as the ability to freely discuss my medical options with my VA doctor.” Removal of “marihuana” from Schedule I will allow VHA physicians the ability to recommend its medical use for many debilitating conditions veterans suffer from.
“Veterans have earned the right to have an open discussion with VA doctors about using cannabis as an alternative to addictive prescription pills that are currently the only option,” asserts Sean Azzariti, a US Marine Corps veteran who made history as the first US adult to buy cannabis through Colorado’s licensed retail system last year. “It can’t be ignored any longer that cannabis is a safer alternative, and could help drastically reduce the 22 veterans a day we are currently losing.”
As science continues to document and verify the medicinal properties of cannabis, the ethical dilemma of the current scheduling becomes even more apparent. This is especially true when considering recent studies that have shown a reduction in the number of opiate overdoses and suicides among states with medical marijuana programs.
http://theleafonline.com/c/politics/201 ... -petition/
And some news from Texas:California Republican Dana Rohrabacher joins Norton in asking Congress to stay out of the matter, and urges the GOP to take a softer stance on marijuana. He thinks allowing localities to set their own rules fits with Republicans’ limited-government philosophy and would be smart politics with public opinion favoring legalized marijuana.
http://blogs.rollcall.com/hill-blotter/ ... ahea/?dcz=
The idea of legal cannabis sales in the Lone Star State may seem far-fetched, but polls show Texas voters are ready for a change: recently, 58% of Texans reported they were in favor of medical cannabis reform, while 61% favored decriminalization.
http://theleafonline.com/c/politics/201 ... on-change/