Clinton declines to take position on legalizing marijuana

[UglyGreed]

As for someone who suffers from chronic pain and stopped taking oxycodone a year ago, I will try to get medical marijuana in January. Of course NYS has one of the most restrictive Medical MJ laws and it will be costly to my family but I must try to get some sort of relief. I feel it would be much easier and cheaper if it was just made legal. Hillary is 68 years old and I think she understands what marijuana does by now but refuses to take a stand.

Hillary Clinton declined to directly weigh in on whether she would support states' moves to legalize marijuana.

Her comment came after Bernie Sanders said he suspected he would support moves by states to legalize marijuana.

"I suspect I would vote yes," Sanders said. "I would vote yes because I am seeing in this country too many lives destroyed over non-violent offenses."

Clinton was then asked if she was ready to take a position on marijuana.

"No," she responded.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/what-happens-in-vegas/2015/10/sanders-on-states-moving-to-legalize-marijuana-i-suspect-i-would-vote-yes-214763

[UglyGreed]

8. It is what is

Big Pharma ties perhaps???

[restorefreedom]

22. most definitely.

big pharm is a huge benefactor of clinton. and any kind of natural product that cures or treats disease is death for their profit margin. And since they are in the business of making money not making people feel better, it makes sense that they would oppose the reality that marijuana used medically can be very effective.

and since her campaign is brought to you in part by the big pharms, she will not take a stand against their interests.

[Scuba]

41. Private prison industry too!

[restorefreedom]

47. yes, lots more $$$$$$ there too. nt

[musiclawyer]

53. She said so in the debate. What's new here.

Nothing. HRC is republican lite like POTUS himself. Trying to convince O'Malley and Bernie Supporters is futile because they have facts and data on their side.

[kelliekat44]

63. She said she approved of legalization for medical purposes and wanted wait to see the outcome of

states that legalized it. It is a reasonable approach to me. You can attack that using the revenue it raises and bring up prohibition again but lots of really horrible problems are caused by abuse of alcohol. Whynot learn from the experience of others?

[HassleCat]

2. She will evolve

I imagine we will hear some kind of vague statement of support, something which can be "clarified" later, when she runs back to the middle for the general election.

[appal_jack]

61. Being undecided about mj legalization now is as bad as...

Being undecided about mj legalization now is as bad as being undecided about (or even against) marriage equality in the 1990's. The morality of each issue is equally clear. The government has no right to destroy people's lives over whom they choose to love, nor whether they choose to cultivate and enjoy a plant. These are natural parts of being human, not criminal acts.

Hillary can triangulate herself straight to hell, and probably will. As usual, she is far behind and outside of any movement toward sanity and true civil rights and liberties.

-app

[Art_from_Ark]

69. She will come out in favor of legalization

as long as you don't inhale.

[Prism]

3. Wait til about 60-65% of people polled approve

Then she will bravely lead us all on this issue, and we will have to get down on our knees to thank her for having so much initiative.

Or something.

Of course, the only poll that may matter to her is the one taken among pharmaceutical executives.

[virtualobserver]

52. ^^^^^This^^^^^

She will be behind us, every step of the way.....far behind us.

[Autumn]

5. Waiting to see what polls the best.

[UglyGreed]

31. Sad but that may

be the case.

[randys1]

6. Non political question, why did you stop taking oxy and what is the pain issue if you

are willing to discuss?

[UglyGreed]

11. My doctors were

blaming my on going symptoms from Hydrocephalus after getting a shunt and my neck fused on the oxycodone. I decided that I was done allowing them to use that as an excuse so I weaned myself off of the low dose I was on. Of course the pain medication was not the cause as I still have the same problems. I may go back on them if the medical mj does not help but I fear that with all propaganda against pain medication I may not be able to or I will be forced to stop once again.

[randys1]

14. that is what i was worried about, you should be able to get all the oxy you want

we are losing our minds with this crap taking pain meds away from people

dammit

[UglyGreed]

18. Yes and since NYS

is very restrictive on MJ, as in you can not smoke, only certain conditions blah, blah blah I don't feel comfortable with my chances or being to be able to afford it.

[restorefreedom]

23. states are getting nuts with controlled substance access

I knew someone who had to get a prescription for pain meds, and they had to continually go to the doctors office to pick up the prescription on paper to bring it to the pharmacy and this has to be done every month. The doctors cannot call or fax in refills for pain meds anymore. They're making it impossible especially for people who have mobility issues to get medicine.

[UglyGreed]

30. I went through that for

about ten years. I was also charged for random urine tests on top of $40 co-pays each month. I had insurance but imagine the burden it would if someone does not or has crappy insurance coverage. Many times my wife needed leave work to take me in which thank God her company was more than understanding.

[restorefreedom]

35. you had to PAY for the urine tests?

was it for work or the insurance? if you are ok sharing that

i can see work sort of if you are a pilot or something but whst the hell?

[UglyGreed]

40. I had to take

the test to prove that I was not abusing the medication and I was taking the medication and not selling it.

[restorefreedom]

46. yikes. the stranglehold over the sick and injured tightens.

edit..if there is a legitimate medical reason to determine therapeutic level in the blood, then that might be OK. That does happen with some medications. But that doesn't sound like that's why they were doing it to you.

[UglyGreed]

48. The test were every few months

give or take so I don't believe it was to monitor anything but drug use. I know the test also included testing for marijuana and I believe but not sure about other illicit drugs such as coke.

[restorefreedom]

51. wow. pretty comprehensive

i wonder if they planned to deny pain relief to those who used/ addicted to drugs. hate to be a cynic, but why else test? i guess to offer treatment, that would be the noncynical rendering.

[UglyGreed]

54. I had to sign

an agreement that if was caught with pot in my system they would weaned me off of the pain medication and then send me on my way. here is one I found online. Not sure if mine was the same since I signed it a few years ago.

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/pain-management-pain-treatment-agreement

[restorefreedom]

56. that is cold

but not surprising given what passes for compassion these days.

[TheKentuckian]

65. Oh yes, they have to pay for it. The labs are making a killing.

A lot get run through the ringer, they test for every damn thing including steroids, coke, heroine, whatever you can name.

You can bet your ass all that isn't required to make sure they have the right levels of their med but they do it anyway under that false flag and then the sick person gets another bill.

Like everything else, this bullshit is an extraction scheme not a public health effort.

[restorefreedom]

70. just another moneymaker. sigh. nt

[randys1]

60. That is the new law targeted at Vicodin. America is an immature society

which has decided that if one has sex or gets high, one is not obeying god and must be punished.

We need to grow up, treat drugs like drugs.

Provide them to addicts and provide rehab, remove ENTIRELY the criminal aspect

[restorefreedom]

62. pretty good racket

give people med they need, threaten to take it away, meanwhile make them pay for the mandatory drug test, and then hold the spectre of prosecution over their heads so they either end up in the system or go to mandated rehab.

its quite brilliant,actually. inhumane and depraved, but brilliant from a profit standpoint.

[Le Taz Hot]

12. Bullshit it's not political.

She's taking money from the private prison industry which directly benefits from draconian cannabis laws. That's not even weighing in on the needless waste of life and resources this insane and absolutely ineffectual War on Drugs has brought upon this nation.

It's not a hard question, Hillary.

[randys1]

13. jesus, read again what i said for christ fucking sake

[Le Taz Hot]

16. Yes. And?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

29. This sub-thread is about UglyGreed's pain medication situation.

[UglyGreed]

34. So what

It affects my life and may others. Isn't that what we vote for, representation?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

42. The subthread is fine. Now read the 3 posts leading to mine and you'll better understand my post.

[UglyGreed]

44. Sorry if I misunderstood

your reply.

[UglyGreed]

17. Oh I have 12 herniated discs

and stenosis of the spine in my cervical and lower lumber areas. I have had two lower back surgeries, three level fusion in my neck and shunt surgery for hydrocephalus. I suffer from neuropathic pain and arthritis in my spine and knees.

[Fumesucker]

7. Bill said he never inhaled

Would he lie to us about something like that?

[Le Taz Hot]

15. That was such a supid fucking answer.

Here's what he SHOULD have said: "Yeah, I smoked a joint 25 years ago but I'm pretty sure the effects have worn off by now." The end. But no, he had to try to weasel his way out of it -- much like what his wife is doing with this issue.

[arcane1]

21. Agreed, even though I've seen non-inhalers in person.

People who pretend to take a hit so that they won't be made fun of or thought of as uncool. He may very well have been in that situation, but to include that in a yes/no question was a silly thing to say.

[GusBob]

9. I believe there was a follow up question about Medical MJ

that follows this segment and she said she was for it

I may be mistaken

[arcane1]

19. A million dollars worth of polling and she hasn't figured this one out yet?

That's the biggest no-brainer there is.

[Ed Suspicious]

20. Her team really thi k that "no" plays strongly. It's her goto when she wants to appear

firm and unequivicating. I wish we would hear something like "will you cut social security benefits? No." "will you jail bankers? Yes."

[AgingAmerican]

24. You can't take solid positions

And still be all things, to all people.

[Comrade Grumpy]

25. I'm with Bernie on this. n/t

[Go Vols]

26. K&R

[zappaman]

27. Good! Marijuana has ruined way too many lives.

[UglyGreed]

36. Wow

I never knew you could inject MJ and in your buttock of all places. I'm flabbergasted

[Truprogressive85]

43. Are you trolling ?

plz say you are

[KansDem]

55. That photo has its origin in right-wing Christian organizations...

http://www.landoverbaptist.net/showthread.php?t=90910

'Nuff said...

[zappaman]

57. Landover Baptist is not a right-wing Christian organization.

It's a parody site.

'Nuff said.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landover_Baptist_Church

[KansDem]

59. Thanks for the info!

I'll update my brain.

on edit: So your original post was sarcasm?

[Herman4747]

28. Must. Not. Alienate. Anyone.

In order to win!

[stillwaiting]

38. I have no idea how this couldn't alienate some POC.

The criminalization of marijuana and how those laws are unfairly used against POC has destroyed so many lives needlessly.

I think Hillary needs to have a few more meetings with Black Lives Matter personally.

Drug laws are targeted towards POC disproportionately (because we live in a racist country). Hillary, if she doesn't "evolve", will be responsible, in part, for continuing this outrageously racist policy.

[Herman4747]

68. When it comes to voters, Hillary takes no chances...

...just like her husband.

[Comrade Grumpy]

49. 58% of Americans say legalize it, according to Gallup. Someone please tell Hillary.

The number is even higher for Democrats and independents.

[TheSarcastinator]

32. her husband sent more innocent marijuana users to prison

than any president before him. Of course she is going to continue prohibition if she is able.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

37. I guess she didn't inhale either.

[AzDar]

39. The Human Weathervane strikes again. Hillary, don't go away mad...just go away.

[polichick]

45. Her weather vane broken?

[Hiraeth]

50. That was perhaps, my personal favorite moment of that debate. Huge difference in policy.

[Maedhros]

58. Hillary has no political courage.

She won't take a stand on any controversial issue - gay marriage, TPP, marijuana legalization - until her polling mills, spin doctors and PR mavens are certain it won't hurt her.

[kelliekat44]

64. I think she stated a reasonable position. Something like the one E. Holder expressed as AG

"I'm not just saying that, I think it's hard to tell," Holder said in a jury room at the federal courthouse in Charleston, which he visited as part of the Justice Department's Smart on Crime initiative. "I think there might have been a burst of feeling that what happened in Washington and Colorado was going to be soon replicated across the country. I'm not sure that is necessarily the case. I think a lot of states are going to be looking to see what happens in Washington, what happens in Colorado before those decisions are made in substantial parts of the country."

Under Holder, the Justice Department has allowed marijuana legalization to move forward in Washington and Colorado and has issued guidance to federal prosecutors that is intended to open up banking access for pot shops that are legal on the state level."

I think Hillary took a thoughtful position on marijuana legalization.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

66. Give her a few days

just like all the other issues - copy cat

[Chan790]

67. Why does she have such issues with taking resolute, couragous stands?

I get on her for a lot of things, I concede (I think she's center-right; a displaced moderate Republican)...but this more than anything drives me nuts.

It drives me nuts when anybody does it...take an unpopular but correct position, advocate that position, defend and stand-by that position. It's not hard...it, not all the other crap she does, is the singular way you can prove you're up to the job. Not doing it proves you're unfit to the office. Dare to defiantly disagree, dare to be wrong. (Because you're going to be very-publicly wrong from time-to-time in that job.) A candidate that can't take a resolute stand because it's what they unwaveringly believe is a candidate that lacks foundational values...they're a sturdy as a feather castle in a fart storm.

[UglyGreed]

71. kick