Lets stop wasting so much money

Ok, time for some debate and controversy.

Marijuana was made illegal during the reaction to drug use decades ago. It was classified as a "Schedule 1 narcotic". In order to be classified as this, the substance must:

1) Have a high potential for abuse
2) Have no accepted medical use in treatment in the US
3) Have a lack of accepted safety for the use of the substance under medical supervision

Now, we could have a debate on number 1, but I'll concede there's a high potential for abuse. I'm not sure I see how that abuse has near the high level of consequence that a schedule 1 should have, but it really is easy to abuse. (So easy in fact that I think we can play hell ever STOPPING it from being abused)

Number 3? There are no safety issues with Marijuana at ALL, medically supervised or not. Unless you count people that are giving it to 8 year olds, or people that burned up their barcolounger because they fell asleep burning one, Marijuana is one of the innocuous drugs out there.

Now, lets move on to number 2.

I recently, due to my own medical issues, had reason to do some research. I found that there's growing scientific evidence that a chemical in Marijuana (Cannabidiol, or CBD) prevents tumor formation. It also for some types of cancer, seems to be able to attach to the receptors of the cancer cells, and tell them to "suicide". (this isn't far fetched, the body has methods of telling certain cells to kill themselves. It's almost the definition of cancer that thee orders stop working on them). CBD has NO narcotic affects. In fact, it seems to temper the affects of THC, which is the narcotic element of pot.

Of course, recreational users shoot for low CBD, and high THC, because that's the affect they're after. Increasingly however, the big push is for high CBD marijuana, which has a limited recreational appeal, and some very definite and VERY interesting medicinal qualities.

There is also excellent research showing it's very strong medicinal affects on Parkinsons, some types of epilepsy (Cannabis can easily cross the blood/brain barrier), and even weight management and/or diabetes.

For decades we've known the palliative affects Marijuana has on people undergoing Chemo, Radiation, or other harsh medical treatments. What we haven't known until recently is the curative aspects. In fact, there are very convincing annecdotal cases of people that were diagnosed as terminal, and after cannabis oil treatments were completely cured. The doctors found a completely dead tumor when they went in later.

Personally? Well, at the least we need to be researching this. At the least, we need to acknowledge that Marijuana never did fit the definitions for level 1 narcotic, and at this point it probably can only classify as something that might need to be age restricted.

We also need to admit that we are only preventing the people that need it most from using it the way things are. We will NEVER stop or even slow down recreational use. The only people that we're hurting the way it stands are the people that need it medically.

Bi-millenial updates

Wow.

Over 2 years since I posted.

That's gotta be a record level of neglect.

I doubt that anyone that might conceivably be interested in my life is still checking this blog, but just in case...

Just in case there's one die-hard fan that's been re-reading my scant few posts for two years, waiting for me to update them on my life...

Just in case someone has been worrying due to the dire circumstances I was in when last I posted...

Here goes.

I posted about my kidney last time. I did have cancer, they removed the mass and part of the kidney. I've been free of it for 2 years now.

My job was harsh, hard work, and low pay, but I gradually got better at it. I worked hard, and started noticing special attention being paid to me. Eventually I found out that I alone on my shift was accomplishing more than all the other people on my contract put together. That'll get you noticed.

So, they needed a guy to take tickets on the Web farm at Levi's. I sat with the current guy working that position (I was supposed to help him in a junior capacity), and he showed me a few things for about an hour... I went on vacation with my wife (yes I got married), and when I got back?

The guy that worked that contract had rage-quit.

I was stuck. Alone. On a completely new contract that I'd have less than an hour of an introduction to.

I did it though. There were a few hairy spots, but I saved that contract and things were running smooth. My bosses were working VERY hard to get me as large an increase in salary as they could, when I got a call on a job I'd been sneaking around going to interviews about for over six months.

I'd given up, but they hired me. I'm in the networking department of a state wide hospital organization now. For almost twice the salary I was making before.

This means I'm now earning more than I was PRE-recession.

My wife and I moved. We got rid of her old house. It was falling apart, had a creek running out from under it, and was going to fall apart. We got a nice new place with a moderate in-ground pool in the back yard, and are concentrating on enjoying it and keeping the kids from destroying it.

Partially successful on both fronts.

All in all, much better than 2 years ago, but still climbing out of the depths my professional and private life had fallen to.

I enjoy my wife's company. She gives my life purpose. She makes me laugh. I make her laugh. We take care of each other.

When we were all young, in our teens and 20's, we had SO many things we wanted from the person we were to marry...

As far as I can tell, the secret to a happy marriage is to just concentrate on that one sentence. I like her company. We take care of each other. She makes me laugh. I make her laugh.

What else is necessary? If you think more is necessary, you're probably young and you're full of shit.

Not your fault. It goes with your age.

As it is, my wife queries empty air "Who knew that the secret to a happy marriage was to marry the goofiest person I knew?".

Personally I think she's goofier than I am, but would never admit it to herself until she was spending her time with someone that refused to suppress his goofy side...

I'm in IT. IT people refuse to grow up in a lot of ways. We like silly, we like goofy, and we like smart-ass.

Everyone else can get used to it.