14 May 2001 (again)

Did I have faith in our government before? No, I did not. But this is evil. Just plain evil. I knew it was coming, and it is still deeply morally wrong.

Here's what I'm talking about.

The circular logic is tremendous. We won't let people test marijuana usage as it applies to these diseases, and we won't listen to the testimony of those who have done so illegally. And then we'll say that it has no medical benefits, because we have already put our hands over our ears and sung, "La la la la" like kindergarteners when sick people told us how their symptoms were alleviated. We will claim that there is no scientific understanding of why it's an improvement over other medicines, even though anyone who has read the literature can tell you exactly what the benefits are.

I think it's partly that they're scared of pot, or more precisely of seeming "soft on drugs." But I also think that one of the major factors in wanting to keep medicinal marijuana banned is one of the benefits: self-administered dosage. People who are ill can smoke marijuana until their glaucoma pressure feels better, or until their nausea abates and their appetite is improved. Then they can stop. It is entirely palliative and entirely self-controlled.

And God forbid people should be able to feel relief from their diseases at their own discretion.

It's ridiculous that marijuana is illegal anyway. Ridiculous and morally wrong. But this is beyond that. This is evil.

It was a unanimous decision. Not one member of our Supreme Court had the human decency to do this one. Perhaps when I've calmed down, I'll change my mind, but I hope every last one of them has to watch somebody they love who has cancer or AIDS who is unable to keep down food or medicine, and has to know that they, personally, could have helped, and did not. It won't make me happy. But it's pretty statistically likely, and it would be just.

But guess what? I don't even believe in our system that much. I believe that the Supreme Court justices who made this decision and the Congresscritters who passed the original law would go out and get marijuana illegally for people in their families who needed it. I believe they'd send federally funded staff members out to do it. I believe that they believe it's other people who shouldn't be allowed to think for themselves and take care of themselves and their families.

I'm going to go live in a cave. As long as it's a cave that has an internet connection and some books.