COMPASSION

Affirmation of life is the spiritual act by which man ceases to live thoughtlessly and begins to devote himself to his life
with reverence in order to give it true value.
— Albert Schweitzer

12/08/2013

Medical marijuana is a sham

Guest Opinion: Medical marijuana is a sham

Written by Grady Judd
 Florida recently and successfully battled against a huge prescription drug epidemic revolving around oxycodone abuse, and now people are calling for the legalization in Florida of medical marijuana — a drug with the potential to ultimately create a revolving door culture of abuse. 
 
As sheriff, I cannot support any such proposal. 
 
If you thought the medical marijuana initiative was intended to truly help those debilitated by serious diseases, think again. 
 
If that were the case, the authors of the amendment would not have included a truck-sized loophole in the definition of debilitating diseases qualifying a person to legally smoke pot.

The loophole changes the word disease into “condition.”
And what constitutes a valid “condition?” Any condition where the “use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks” of someone who claimed to be sick.

In other states that have passed similar fraudulent marijuana initiatives, this means people who alleged minor ailments such as muscle spasms, neck pain, back pain and even menstrual cramps have qualified for government sanctioned pot smoking.


The “medical marijuana” initiative is a sham. It is all about getting the camel’s nose under the tent of deceived voters to legalize marijuana in Florida. This is straight out of the pot legalization play book from other states. Yet I believe Floridians are smarter than these pot promoting hucksters think.


Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, American Cancer Society and American Academy of Ophthalmology, have all agreed that marijuana has not been proven as a safe or effective form of medicine.


The Drug Enforcement Agency classification lists marijuana as a highly addictive drug bearing no proven medical value — declaring marijuana is a harmful drug.
 
THC, the active chemical ingredient of marijuana, affects the areas of the brain which control the body’s movements, balance, coordination, memory, and judgment. 
 
Use of marijuana has shown to be a contributor toward increased injuries and deaths from impaired driving.  
 
And, out of the 20 states with the highest rates of drugged driving, 15 of them were states where legislation passed or ballot initiatives prevailed increasing access to pot.




Grady Judd is sheriff of Polk County and the president of the Florida Sheriffs Association.

 Link: http://www.news-press.com/article/20131204/OPINION/312040025?nclick_check=1




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