Medical marijuana harmless? Two injuries to children demonstrate otherwise
March 2nd, 2010
Harmless? Tell that to the 10-month-old and 11-year-old children that were hurt because of their parents' use of 'medical' marijuana.
As the push to expand ‘medical’ marijuana continues in local communities and at the state house, purveyors of the drug insist it is harmless. They lament attempts to regulate their illegal drug industry and insist they are simply looking out for the best interests of their ‘patients.’
Two recent incidents here in Adams County show that the ‘medical’ marijuana trade is anything but victimless.
Last Friday, February 26th, an 11-year-old boy fell victim to his ‘patient’ and ‘caregiver’ father’s stupidity. The father and a 9-year-old daughter left the home to go pick up the mother from work. The boy was left with a .22 caliber handgun to “protect the marijuana grow.”
While alone, the boy shot himself in the foot with the gun. North Metro Task Force responded and found the children had easy access to not only the gun but the 30 plants the father was growing.
Sunday night, a 10-month-old baby was taken to Children’s Hospital by its parents after they noticed the child was lethargic and sleepy. Doctors determined the baby was suffering from an overdose of Tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Commerce City PD and the North Metro Task Force investigated yesterday finding 27 marijuana plants and ‘edibles’ described as looking like trail mix. Needless to say the parents were placed under arrest but sadly it is the baby that pays the price for being in the same home as a ‘patient’ and ‘caregiver’ father.
These are but the most recent such incidents that help to illustrate that ‘patients’ and ‘caregivers’ are obviously incapable of handing the responsibility that would come with them being allowed to possess what remains an illegal drug.
Let us also pay attention to the case of Chris Bartkowicz. Bartkowicz is a ‘caregiver’ who was stupid enough to brag on television about his crop and how he expected to make a profit into six figures providing the ‘medicine’ to ‘patients.’
That of course drew the attention of the Drug Enforcement Agency who raided his house the following day. In his home DEA agents found 224 plants, far in excess of what Colorado law allows.
Denver DEA spokesman Mike Turner told the Denver Post, “People shouldn’t be surprised. Anything that’s a big criminal enterprise, we’re going to take a look at it.”
This is a point that we have been emphasizing from the start – Colorado voters may have ignorantly agreed to allow this drug but it really does not matter. Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level and as such we all run the risk of DEA raids occurring right in our neighborhoods.
Further to that point, it is interesting to observe how now that the reality of ‘medical’ marijuana begins to set in and arrive in our communities, no one really wants to allow it near them. Certainly this is a case of NIMBY – “Sure, let’s allow the illegal drug in Colorado. Just don’t put it near me.”
Voters made a tremendous mistake when they voted to allow it and now they are paying the price.
Granted that the parents in both of these cases were incredibly stupid, it is interesting that you rail against cannabis and not the gun in one situation and fail to note that far, far more children are harmed by accidentally ingesting common household chemicals and over the counter or prescription drugs.
I suspect you are against gun control because it isn’t the gun that kills people, it is people. In your world, shouldn’t the same logic should apply to cannabis? In my world medicinal marijuana is extremely beneficial to people with serious illnesses and many of us are pioneering that approach.
Your bias against marijuana as having medicinal value is evident and reflects your ignorance of the benefits it can offer.
Nick,
The case for the ‘medicinal’ value of marijuana is specious at best. I have looked long and hard at the evidence on both sides of the issue. The conclusion I reached is that the purported benefits do not outweigh the drawbacks and dangers associated with the drug.
I outline some of the sources I relied upon to reach my conclusion at the bottom of this story:
http://www.tonysrants.com/thornton/thornton-just-says-no-to-illegal-drug-shops/
It is clear from the case of Mr. Bartkowicz as well as the many others we have seen in recent months that this isn’t about marijuana as medicine at all. Some folks may use it legitimately but there are far too many cases where CO law is simply being used as a justification for the use of the drug recreationally.
Thanks for your comments.
T
Yes, there are always those that take advantage of a situation, including alcoholics, prescription drug users, gun nuts with machine guns, etc. Do we regulate all who drink, take prescription drugs or own guns the way you want to with cannabis? No. The hypocrisy is blatant. You have an emotional bias against marijuana and are simply searching for “facts” to justify your position.
And on a personal note, I lost my wife to ALS a few years ago and know first hand the benefit marijuana had for her during her illness. It was far, far more effective in helping her sleep and wake up without feeling like she was in a fog or in pain from sleeping in one comatose position through the night that sleeping pills induced. And yes, it buoyed her spirits as well. Should she or I be condemned or criminalized for that?
BTW, your comment above that “some folks ‘may’ use it legitimately” further betrays your inherent bias against its use as a medicine in that you cannot even acknowledge the there are people who truly use it as medicine.
Certainly I am sorry for your loss. However, what is outlined here is my opinion, nothing more. You say I have a “bias against” but isn’t that what an opinion is? If someone else did research and came to the opposite conclusion you could say there was a “bias for.” Are their views to be disregarded or looked upon with disdain as a result?
As I say, my research led to the conclusion that I reached. Other folks can do the same and reach their own. I for one have great difficulty seeing the medicinal benefit of marijuana .
This isn’t about medical marijuana at all. Those pushing it are only using it as a first step toward complete legalization of it. It has nothing to do with medicine for most of the groups. They know this is a foot in the door.
This is nothing more than bad parenting, and stupidity on Chris whatever-his-name-is. The intoxicated child could easily have ingested oxycontin or another legal prescription drug and died, we should be grateful that it was only marijuana, which is impossible to overdose on.
These ‘caregivers’ are solely responsible, and are placing their ‘medicine’ above the safety of their children. I don’t smoke marijuana, but believe that it has legitimate therapeutic attributes, put any drug in an unregulated system, and people are going to abuse it, whether it’s alcohol, cigarettes or prescription drugs, why make a spectacle of marijuana abuse- is it really that shocking?
Caregivers and dispensaries have had a good run, it’s time to regulate, but beyond that, who cares if someone wants to smoke some dope in their own home, as long as they don’t expose their children to it. The new regulations I think do a lot to address concerns of corrupt doctors giving recommendations for non-legitimate conditions. Let’s not blame the drug, but the doctors who recommend it just to make money, the parents who neglect their children, and the irresponsible, bragging growers like Chris, who got his just deserts. I’m curious Tony, if the government legalized medical marijuana, under what circumstances/regulations would you accept it?
One more point, amendment 20 got passed, but who are we to judge the will of the majority, isn’t that what this country was founded upon? Ignorance is no excuse on the part of the voter, and I don’t think it’s up to us to say ‘we made a mistake voting this in’. It’s in the constitution, it looks like it’s here to stay, instead of all this petty bickering between both sides, let’s figure out a way to live with it so we can all be happy.