(Legalize Medical Marijuana in Oklahoma) OKLAHOMA CITY — There’s a move underway to legalize the use of medical marijuana in our state. Fourteen states have already done it. One Oklahoma woman tells us, when she tried to talk about the issue with her state senator, she ended up face-to-face with a number of law enforcement officers.
Denise Stahl lives taking 12 to 14 pills a day.
“I’ve been diagnosed with chronic Hepatitis C, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Arthritis, and Asthma.”
Denise recently made a trip to the state capitol to discuss legalizing medical marijuana with her state senator.
She wanted to show him legislation drafted by a pro medical marijuana group called Oklahoma Compassionate Care Campaign.
“I feel very much like I was ambushed when I went in there,” Stahl said.
The senator and a team of law enforcement officials were waiting for her on that day.
“I didn’t mean to ambush her. I don’t feel like she was, but if she felt that way then I apologize for that,” said Sen. Cliff Aldridge (R).
Aldridge says he simply didn’t know enough about the issue and invited some experts to join the talk.
So what made you think that cops were experts on medicine? Do you invite doctors in to consult on criminal legislation? Who do you call when you’re looking for expert opinions on energy policy… plumbers?
One of those experts was Mark Woodward from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
“I’ve heard this same story repeated over and over,” Woodward said. “It does tend to be a gateway drug for many people. It opens a door and puts them on a path that often leads to other places.”
He says the issue of legalizing marijuana for medical use sends the wrong message, that pot is okay.
Oh! Well, then, screw the cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, pain, seizure, and spasticity patients. We can’t be sending bad messages. Sorry, Ms. Stahl, but if we protect you from arrest people will think pot is okay, including the Oklahomans that are using it already.
Woodward is one of those renown medical experts at the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics that deliver enlightened opinions like these:
New data has shown that marijuana smoke has a higher concentration of carcinogenic substances than tobacco smoke. [This is somewhat true, but ignores that THC mitigates these carcinogens with an anti-tumoral effect.]
It is linked as a cause of lung problems such as bronchitis [Yes, but not if you vaporize it] and emphysema [no, not true], and studies confirm damage to brain cells [not true, and may actually protect alcoholic's brains and may be a treatment for brain cancer], nerve cells [no, and may actually stimulate nerve cell growth in the brain] and reproductive organs which have lead to still births and birth defects [not at all true, and don't you think we'd see more hippie kids with birth defects if it were true?].
In addition, acute memory loss [no long term memory problems and only short term memory problems while high] and lowered immune systems [right, that's why doctors give medical marijuana to HIV/AIDS patients] also have been traced to marijuana smoking.
If you’re wondering why some people are reluctant to get involved in lobbying their elected officials, this is a perfect example. Don’t let these intimidation tactics stop you. We have truth, logic, compassion, and justice on our side. Their need to flank themselves with armed authority figures testifies to the untenable position the prohibitionists are saddled with.
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Legalizing pot is the most conservative Republican states rights limited government individual liberty git the gubmint out my healthcare business friendly Christian position there is.
Marijuana arrests decreased during the Reagan/Bush era (yeah, and arrests for other drugs skyrocketed).
The only presidential candidates in my lifetime calling for marijuana legalization are Republican.
I hope this helps my “fair and balanced” cred…
Whoa! Republicans aren’t the only ones to blame here….Democrats are refusing to entertain the issue, also. Please don’t blame one party for this.
I happen to be a conservative Republican who is also a sociologist in my spare time; there is so much data out there to support legalizing marijuana that I won’t bother to bring up the reasons here.
But rest assured, “crunchy cons” like myself wholeheartedly agree with legalizing a perfectly natural plant.
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[...] that once infamously sentenced medical marijuana patient Will Foster to 93 years in prison and once sent a cadre of narcotics officers to intercept a patient who wanted to speak to her representative …. (KFOR) OKLAHOMA CITY — The state of Oklahoma says a local man can’t use the word [...]
I was in the Senator Aldriges’ office that day with Denise. I so wanted to open my mouth but Denise was doing such a good job I left it for her to lead and she did a damn good job. The drug Intaskment Force office that was in the Senators’ office actually said “If medical marijuana is in your house your kids will get. Hello! Once upon a time I was a kid and I got it from my friends older brother and the same is happening today. If medical marijuana was passed it would be regulated AND its not addictive as prescription drugs are AND kids sell, prostitute and get killed over prescription drugs and not POT. The reason the resistance is there is because Government and Prescription drug manufacturers have control and don’t care about the people it serves.
I went to Senator Halligan. I left him an informational packet on the medical history and benefits for the Medicinal use of Marijuana and my contact information, with his secretary. She was very courteous and said she would pass on the information to the Senator.
Later I sent Senator Halligan an e-mail with the results of an Oklahoma poll that showed 83% of Oklahomans favored Medical Marijuana.
Here’s his response.
Ron
I need to apologize again for being so abrupt since I had shut the door to work on another bill which was VERY important. I have not changed my mind but thanks for the information.
Jim
Remember I didn’t get in to see him, I just left an informational packet.
So I got a thanks but no thanks response from an ‘Educator’ who refuses to become educated.
Thank you all for your support!! I had some concerns when I went to that meeting with Senator Aldridge about what kind of reception I would get and I got way more then I expected. I never expected him to agree with me but I did expect him to at least listen to my concerns. It’s not like the letter I sent him requesting an appointment said I want to smoke pot in your office on that day, it said I would like to TALK to you about changing the law to allow medical marijuana . If he wanted experts why didn’t he call in some doctors? I would NOT have gotten upset at having doctors there, I would have welcomed their input. What I do not welcome is being set up and ambushed by the senator and law enforcement with their intimidation tactics. As far as the senators apology it was very nice for the camera but didn’t do a thing for me. He’s an elected official who is in a position of trust and supposed to be concerned about the voter, not set them up to be intimidated and talked down to!
Sorry Ray, We met the same attitude from BOTH parties even if they didn’t invite their “so called” experts. We are strengthening our resolve and the campaign is going forward. We’re not giving up by any means! Alan
Like you said Russ, when did cops become doctor’s?
I’m tempted to write the sick Senator but am hesitating for now. And confession time, it’s not because I have relatives in Oklahoma. One is a high profile attorney in OK City, the other a nurse with MS, and the other an Uncle who is older than dirt.
Sadly our family is beyond dysfunctional and because of horrible things said and done, as well as personal attacks on myself and my husband during my older sisters death, we’ve had to walk away from all of them. Just because we were the only ones who weren’t hysterical over her double heart attack and wanted to take her off of life support. (she did die eventually but not because of any grace or mercy from family members).
There is no way to rectify the situation, if there were it’d be done by now.
Mark Woodward just got his ass handed to him on a silver platter! Senator Cliff Aldridge handed himself his ass! The only way to help is to email Senator Aldridge@ aldridge@oksenate.gov. Give him your 2 cents. We have the majority on our side in Oklahoma for medical marijuana law reform, but can’t get a bill on the damn table. Once again our government has systematically kept the peoples voices oppressed.
Bringin guns to the diplomatic table…ahhhh its the American Way…we dont even bother hiding them under the table anymore…
The cops are going to behave as soldiers for the organized crime of corporate America as long as they are FUNDED by corporate America…its pretty simple, you work for who pays you…you’d think that oath cops take when they are sworn in as police would override that tendency, but what do you expect when these cops grow up in a culture of cut-throat greed…
That poor woman! I don’t blame her for feeling ambushed. What a piece of work that senator is, greeting a sick woman who takes 12 – 14 pills per day with a team of police just because she wants to talk to him about a medical marijuana initiative. SHAME ON YOU, SEN. ALDRIDGE!
Republicians and cops…real medical experts….duh