We become the worst kind of hypocrites when we will fight for the freedoms of a plant, but not those of human being. Watch, share, and become active in your community. There is so much evil in the world, but we become just as evil when we turn a blind eye to such horrible, horrible crimes.
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” Marcus Aurelius
2 Corinthians 12:9 () 9 But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. #Bible http://j.mp/im8zEg
Continuing the marijuana movie marathon; Half Baked with the husband. Horrible fibro pain today from the storms we had this morning, and I have an empty bag. Blargh… but at least the movies are good.
| — | Joe Strummer. (via gotosleepx) |
Norman Smith seemed to be making progress in his liver cancer recovery at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, Calif. He had some of the best doctors in the world, he was on a transplant list and he had completed a successful clinical trial that had his doctors dubbing him a “miracle man.”
Then, his cancer returned and two months before he was would have received a transplant, he was de-listed for smoking marijuana prescribed by his oncologist at Cedars-Sinai. Now, if he doesn’t receive a transplant, he will die.
“It’s only my life that I’m fighting for,” says Smith. “What do I have to hide? I have nothing to hide.”
Smith’s situation represents one of the first battles being fought over the place of medical marijuana in medicine and it has left him in limbo.
Cedars-Sinai declined interview requests but referred Reason TV to Peggy Stewart, a clinical social worker with UCLA’s transplant program, which holds a similar position to Cedars-Sinai on medical marijuana.
“Marijuana is considered substance abuse,” says Stewart. “The legality of it is really not an issue.”
Stewart and Cedars-Sinai did say that transplant patients who consume marijuana put themselves at potential risk of infection from a mold found in cannabis called aspergillus.
But not everyone sees the mold as a potential threat.
“The truth is that Norman lives in Los Angeles and there are laboratories that he can take his medicine to and make sure that it doesn’t have contaminants,” says Stephanie Sherer of Americans for Safe Access , which works to break down political and legal barriers to medical cannabis.
Further, a 2009 study from the American Journal on Transplantation that looked at potential liver transplant candidates said that there wasn’t a significant difference between marijuana users from marijuana non-users.
Sherer points out that Smith isn’t alone, his problems are the reality for many patients caught in-between managing their pain and receiving a transplant.
“In our database at our office, we know of over two dozen patients that are going through this and unfortunately half of them have passed away because they did not receive these transplants,” says Smith.
“You ain’t got Kush, man, what a shitty life.”
No joke…
Travis Barker, ft Cypress Hill— “Beat Goes On”
Probably my in my top five albums for 2011.
It’s that moment when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’re doing the right thing, yet you still have panic attacks from fear. I think it’s only natural, human beings are programmed to plan, and learn from experience.
My experience? Christians really fucking hate pot. I don’t know why, really… I mean, other than the US government suddenly outlawing it for no real reason, humans have used this plant for millennia.
Don’t you think it’s a little weird that Christians preach the “no idolatry” thing and practice fundamentalism (believing their bible word-for-word), but we don’t put stock in what our bibles REALLY say? We mindlessly believe everything society and our government says, and never take up our books and study for ourselves. I guess that’s just another part of the human condition, though, right? Be lazy and let everyone else do the work for you. Or maybe that’s just the American way.
I don’t know… I’m just feeling an overall sense of disappointment with the world. We have all been deceived for so long, and my heart truly breaks when I think about all of those poor people who have lived and died in pain just because Man took away one of the Lords best medicines. It’s sickening.
But I guess that’s why I’m doing this, huh? Spreading awareness, and putting myself out on the line for this message. It’s so scary… I keep thinking about how I could get arrested here in Indiana at any moment, and I literally feel like I’m going to puke. Arrested for taking my medicine? Or arrested because I chose to get high over being completely trashed on prescription drugs, alcohol, or other recreational drugs. My liver is already screwed up from PRESCRIPTION PILLS… this is my only option, yet I’m forced to hide, and live in fear. I choose to go to nature for medicine after Western Medicine ravaged my body— I literally have no where else to go for help.
I’m thankful, though. I’m thankful that my afflictions have finally opened my eyes to my ignorance. The best thing about making mistakes is that you can learn from them. I’m learning that my hostility toward this plant was caused by lies— tests that were manipulated by hate-mongers that gave them the results they wanted. What we are talking about here is a complete violation of our freedoms as Americans and more importantly; these laws take away the natural God-given right of free will. We are a country based on FREEDOM, but we can’t even choose what we put into our bodies. How is that freedom?
PLEASE RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN, PEOPLE! I can only do so much, and even if I did have every single statistic, verse or photo posted, I would still encourage you to do your own research and make the decision on your own. This is a serious issue that needs to be fixed— Mary Jane is obviously coming out of the closet, guys — do what you can to educate people. Yeah, being high is nice, but WHY do you want to be high? Why do YOU use cannabis?
Okay, enough sadness and griping for now. I gots thangs to do. I hope you all have a wonderful day, and I’ll post again soon! Smoke on!
