This isn’t actually news, as it’s been going on for years, but the US Government sends medical grade marijuana to sick American’s who have the legal right to use marijuana to treat their conditions.

That’s right - pot through the mail on a monthly basis. Rolled and ready to burn. Provided by Uncle Sam himself…the Fed. Not a bad deal eh?

Well it would be pretty sweet if you didn’t have to suffer through some painful and potentially fatal medical conditions to qualify.

And that’s the crux of the medical marijuana issue. It isn’t about being recreationally stoned, it’s about using a substance that is most appropriate for treating some specific health problems. Cannabis has been used as a medicine by many cultures around the globe for many centuries.

Cannabis sativa and indica are great at treating certain conditions with little to no downside in terms of side effects. Pot can not kill you through overdose, and it is non addictive - those are great qualities in a medicine. It carries health concerns if smoked but if you consume it in ways other than smoking - like vaporizing it or consuming it in food or drink - the unhealthy side of cannabis is greatly reduced, if not eliminated.

Now back on the topic of the US Government being in the medical marijuana business - how can this be so? It’s pretty hard to believe that the same DEA that busts California compassion clubs would be ok with the Feds being in the business too. After all, that would be a huge logical inconsistency wouldn’t it?

Yes it would.

George Bush knew this when he came to power and he quickly ended the practice of sending medical marijuana to help sick people who need it under the Federal governments medical marijuana program. The only people who are getting pot from the Fed today are those who were already getting it when Bush ended the Federal program for ideolgical reasons at the begining of his presidency. One can only assume that Bush knew he couldn’t take the pot away from these people by outright ending the program - that would draw too much attenion to the subject. So instead he just grandfathered in the current recipients while disallowing any new ones. Eventually the current recipients will die of their illnesses and that will be the end of it. Bush is such a douche.

The way I see it, regardless of whether or not these people live or die, the fact they’ve been recieving their pot from the government for decades - because their doctors said they need it - proves that marijuana has medical value. And if it has medical value, how can the government continue to claim it does not? Absurd ain’t it?

Yes it is and here’s why. The Fed needs to keep marijuana classified as a schedule 1 narcotic. If they accept the facts and support the medical use of the cannabis plant they’ll be forced to either lower cannabis into schedule 2, legalize it all together, or come up with a new system of scheduling mind altering substances that would take alcohol and tobacco into account as well.

Obviously the last two options are not going to happen. Today’s politicians aren’t courageous enough to tackle drug prohibition. They have no balls and I have no faith in them. Outright legalization is not going to happen for quite awhile. For that to happen we need to elect real leaders and that could take forever. And having the alcohol and tobacco lobby scream down your neck for reclassifying their products alongside all other drugs isn’t an outcome any politician will pursue either. Again, that would take leadership and balls - something our current “leaders” lack.

So that leaves lowering cannabis to schedule 2, as painful as that may be. The resistance to putting it into schedule 2 is caused by the fact that schedule 2 drugs qualify for legitimate scientific study and funding. Something the Fed doesn’t want because that will spell the end to all marijuana prohibition - not just for medical marijuana. It will do that by proving that marijuana laws are far too strict compared to the minimal harm that cannabis poses to users and society.

But regardless of what politicians want, schedule 2 is where we’re going. Of course I’m not going to hold my breath - the government doesn’t seem to have a problem looking stupid most of the time so they might not be in a hurry to stop looking stupid over this. To get around this problem I think we need a new rule that will decide the medical marijuana issue once and for all. Do what Jesus would do.

Clearly Jesus would ask us to provide care and comfort to the sick and offer them the medicine that best addresses their pain and suffering.

And if that medicine happens to be the God given plant cannabis so be it, God probably created cannabis for this reason in the first place.