Pills Instead of Pot

Because pills are easier to get in most American and Canadian communities than pot, our teenage population has turned to them as the drug of choice. Due to the government's misinformation campaign, many kids believe that prescription drugs are safer than marijuana. I wouldn't necessarily call pills "the new marijuana", especially since pills are addictive, they're easier to overdose on, they can cause serious and irreversible liver and kidney damage, and have a litany of side effects depending on the drug.

I think the more important question is this: why are our kids feeling the need to heavily medicate themselves? Why are we so heavily medicated as a society? If kids are abusing these drugs in record numbers, doesn't it stand to reason that adults are doing so as well (which probably contributes quite a bit to our health care crisis)? Is it possible that one of the reasons Americans aren't getting angry about what's happening to them is that they're taking Xanex, Valium, pain killers, and anti-depressants? It's hard to feel anything when you're that doped up.

Is there a pill for this?
3,593 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,558 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Media Cover-Up

In this article, 20 journalists (such as Dan Rather) describe the ways in which corporate media ownership prevented them from reporting important - and often troubling - stories. Rather than allowing these stories to air and letting the people decide their importance, they were stifled by corporate brass and the threat of pulled sponsorship. Some writers and journalists have even been fired.

Not all of these stories would be detrimental to the government, but they would have an impact on the profits of key government employees. Some expose things like the expensive and pointless war on drugs or the hormones put into our milk supply, but others talk about the detaining of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay and voter fraud in the 2000 election. Most important is the reason why all this censorship is possible - the consolidation of the country's major news outlets.

Let's not forget that in a fascist government the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives, sometimes under the guise of consumerism. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

Especially this weekend, but as always, take a look at these faces:
3,435 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
25,378 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Drugs... And Not the Good Kind

Some doctors are prescribing Adderall, a drug most typically used to treat ADHD, to treat obese and overweight children, not that it's been approved for that use. One of the side effects of Adderall is weight loss, but it can also stunt children's growth. My question is: why is it legal for doctors to prescribe drugs for conditions they weren't designed to treat? Why isn't the FDA paying more attention to regulating legal drugs? More importantly, why are doctors handing out drugs like candy? Is it possible that the reason Americans are so complacent is because they're sedated? How many people are on anti-depressants and other mind-controlling substances like Adderall? I'm not saying that some people don't need these drugs. If you're bi-polar, take the medication, but if your depression is being caused by major life changes and some serious bad luck, put down the pills and get some counseling first.

General Hospital Tackles Medical Marijuana

I've been glad to see General Hospital taking on more serious subjects. Since I've been watching (about 15+ years), their main topic has been HIV/AIDS, but recently a main character has been diagnosed wit lung cancer (even though she's NEVER smoked cigars or cigarettes) and she's been having a bit of trouble with all of the chemicals being put into her body. The chemo makes her incredibly sick, and in order to keep up appearances for her young daughters and to be able to function on a semi-normal level, she took to smoking marijuana (suggested to her by a friend). Though her ex-husband is using this as a ploy to take away her youngest daughter, the rest of the cast has been extremely supportive of this decision, telling her that cancer is a horrible disease, the treatment is as bad or worse, and anything she can do to make herself feel better is fine by them.

You can bet that medical marijuana is going to be an issue, however small, in the upcoming Presidential election, and if it isn't, the press and the politicians are just being negligent. Marijuana is not a completely harmless herb, but the adverse effects are well within the requirements specified by the FDA for anything Americans put into their bodies, and it's effects are far less than that of alcohol or smoking cigarettes.

Marijuana is especially helpful for pain in those with certain cancers, especially that of they eyes, and other painful conditions with limited treatment options such as Fibromyalgia (which my sister suffers from after 4 open-heart surgeries, 1 spinal surgery, 1 shunt, and several hearth catherizations, all due to being born with Tetrallogy of Fallot, better known as Blue Baby Syndrome), Multiple Sclerosis (which Montel Williams and my friend and mentor Annie suffers from), chronic back pain, and MANY other conditions.

Eleven states (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ME, NV, OR, RI, VT and WA) allow medical marijuana for the treatment of various illnesses or side-effects associated with major illnesses, and many others are debating it. Whatever your opinion, please educate yourself on the benefits AND the risks, then form your own opinion. You owe it to those who are suffering daily and deeply.

Other Americans who are suffering daily and deeply include:
3,129 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
23,530 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

They're Gay, Stupid, or Both

Last week New Jersey decided that homosexuals have the the same domestic rights as the rest of us, which is great because now their former Republican governor (Tim McGreevey) can live the life he had been denying for so long. After the Foley scandal and now Ted Haggard, I'm beginning to wonder if all Republicans in government are just hiding the flames coming out of their asses - not that there's anything wrong with being gay, it's just nice if you admit to it (and stop trying to legislate against it). Soon instead of saying someone's "a little light in the loafers" we'll all say, "He's a little Republican." Additionally, why does anyone feel bad that these guys are having their personal lives brought into the campaign? Wouldn't it be better to ask why they're so insensitive to a topic or a group of people they're so familiar with?

In funnier news, Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) said that an employee of his opponent, "unfortunately ate a banana laced with marijuana and had to go to the hospital." Seriously. That's what he said. This presents several problems. First, how, exactly, do you lace a banana with marijuana? My husband and I spent a good deal of time trying to figure that out. Second, why would you eat a banana that had already been peeled? Bananas are like condoms. When you see the wrapper, you pretty much assume that you're the first one to get there. Third, do you have any idea how much THC it would take to actually send someone to the hospital? The banana would have to be pure THC. It would keep you regular, but you'd forget where the bathroom was.

It seems to me that the Republicans (of all sexual orientations) are getting a little nervous about the election. Maybe it's because of these numbers:
Two thousand, eight hundred and twenty two US Soldiers won't be voting in next week's elections.
Twenty one thousand, four hundred and nineteen US soldiers have been wounded in Iraq
Possibly over six hundred thousand Iraqis killed
Does it have more impact if I SPELL IT OUT for you???

No, It's Not.

A personal disease cannot be controlled. A person becomes stricken with disease through no fault of their own. They are accosted from within, ravaged by pain, and humbled by their own mortality. Families are pillaged to pay medical costs. The individual emotional distress can be overwhelming. Cancer and bipolar disorder fall into the category of personal disease.

A societal disease is an affliction that cannot be controlled by the entity effected by it. Whether it is slow and degenerative (like religion) or swift and chaotic (like AIDS), the results are often devastating. Many of these diseases can be constrained by legal restrictions or common sense for a period of time before exploding on a world-scale. Drug and alcohol addiction fall into the category of societal disease, not personal disease.

So everyone say it with me: Drug and Alcohol addiction is NOT A PERSONAL DISEASE. Why? Because a person can decide at any time to put the beer down and back away from the cocaine. No higher power is required. There is only one step. Personal responsibility is a necessary lesson in life, and many people fail the test (and ruin it for the rest of us) by refusing to learn to partake without excess.

Forget the excuses. Addiction runs in my family, too. In fact, it runs in every family. Just because no one calls someone who plays video games 12 hours a day an addict doesn't mean he's not one. We all use escapes, some more obsessively than others. To practice them in moderation is the key, but you must be taught to do so. Temperance is not something that is seen often in America, and many of our societal ills have a lot to do with what we teach our children. If we teach people to refrain from drug and alcohol use, we are not teaching them to live in the world around them. There is a time and a place (and a limit) for everything, and addicts have not learned to recognize that fact.

Dateline THC

Last Sunday on Dateline NBC Melissa Etheridge discussed her cancer, her recovery, and her marijuana use. Her argument is the same as most people using medical marijuana. She said she could have taken five or more pills a day that barely helped at all, or she could go the natural route, smoke half a joint, and feel better immediately.

I was glad to see this interview on national TV, and I'm thrilled that this debate and the truth about this drug is finally gaining political credibility. Marijuana has been used medically for thousands of years, as evidenced by the link above. It has been used to treat menstrual cramps, stomach pains, and pain in general. Thomas Jefferson grew hemp at Monticello. In fact, it was only made illegal because of the Mexican immigration problem. The government thought it was the cause of socially deviant behavior and making it illegal may stop people from streaming over the boarder. We all know how well that worked.

Steal This Movie (or Book)

I highly recommend this movie/book to anyone who's feeling a little political at the moment. It's actually called "Steal This Movie/Book" because the author wanted his story to get out, but didn't want people to have o pay to read or watch it. It is about Abbie Hoffman, leader of the Yippie movement (flower children who have grown thorns), starring Janine Garofalo. I have found that when I'm feeling directionless, watching movies about political movements and the people who started them always light a fire under my butt. Iron Jawed Angles starring Selma Hayek is about the Women's Suffrage movement, and is also an excellent movie. If you're feeling especially subversive, Grass starring Woody Harrelson is informative and interesting, and Reefer Madness, The Musical starring Christian Campbell is great comedic relief. Today I will be making Chocolate Silk Tofu Pie (excellent, despite the tofu, recipes available compliments of my husband, the Chef), and watching a few movies. There's an Amazing Race marathon on the gameshow network, and we're watching it to see if we can pick up any pointers. See, Anonymous, I DO know how to relax!

Weeds

After three episodes of the new Showtime series, Weeds, I finally decided to post about it. Bringing an issue like Marijuana use to the forefront is just the beginning. The show suggests that it is difficult for a middle-class person living in the suburbs of America to cope if tragedy strikes. The death of a husband, or a wife, has put hundreds of families in similar situations since the war began, and one wonders what their spouses have to do to make ends meet. Selling marijuana to the lawyers, accountants, and business owners of a community is certainly one way to go, especially if you want to maintain the lifestyle to which you have become accustomed. And another question arises: If no one believes that marijuana should be legalized and fewer people are doing it that we think, how are suburban moms and dads making a living off of growing and selling it? What benefits, if any, do you see from the legalization of marijuana, mushrooms, or peyote? What would be he societal changes involved? Given the looming meth crisis, and the fact that marijuana has been used to treat meth addicts, does marijuana really seem so bad?

And the Supreme Court Rides Again

I have a friend with Multiple Sclerosis. She is an incredible teacher and an amazing person. Unfortunately, she is in constant pain. She wakes up three hours before she has to every day because it takes her that long to get her body moving. She has tried every pharmaceutical pain killer and none of them worked more than once. She does everything she should, eats the right foods, drinks lots of water, and exercises every day. Still, the pain is unbearable. Finally, her doctor said, "Friend, I know it's illegal and could get you into trouble, but I really think you should try smoking a joint in the morning. The effects of the marijuana will take away your pain, but still leave you fully functional. Plus, it's most likely less harmful to your body than cigarettes or alcohol. Nothing else works for you. What do you have to lose?"

My poor friend, in serious pain and with nothing else to do, found a connection and got herself some pot. Curious about how she was doing and worried that she could lose her teaching license, I called her and said, "Friend, how are you?"

With a pep in her voice I hadn't heard in months, she said, "You wouldn't believe it. After about half a joint, the pain started to melt away. I can feel it in my joints and in my muscles. I can move more easily."

I said, "Friend, aren't you worried.? You could be arrested. You could lose your teaching certificate. You could be put in jail, ridiculed, and sued by parents claiming that you were high while teaching (certainly not the case). That doesn't scare you?"

And she said, "I feel better than I have in years. Today, I sat on the floor and played with Gracie. I did my own laundry. I opened a bottle without Phil's help. I don't care if I get caught. If I do, I'll fight. I'm an adult, well aware of the effects things can have on my body. Why shouldn't I be in complete control of what goes in and out of it? I'm not hurting anyone. And for the first time in three years, I am not in pain. If my government thinks that's wrong, they are inhumane."

So I said, "Let's go to Amsterdam!"