Medical marijuana

[cyras21]

Is this new in VA? I didn't realize VA allowed marijuana for medical purposes. Does anyone know of any dispensaries in NOVA?

§ 18.2-250.1. Possession of marijuana unlawful.

A. It is unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally to possess marijuana unless the substance was obtained directly from, or pursuant to, a valid prescription or order of a practitioner while acting in the course of his professional practice, or except as otherwise authorized by the Drug Control Act (§ 54.1-3400 et seq.).

Upon the prosecution of a person for violation of this section, ownership or occupancy of the premises or vehicle upon or in which marijuana was found shall not create a presumption that such person either knowingly or intentionally possessed such marijuana.

Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and be confined in jail not more than thirty days and a fine of not more than $500, either or both; any person, upon a second or subsequent conviction of a violation of this section, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

B. The provisions of this section shall not apply to members of state, federal, county, city or town law-enforcement agencies, jail officers, or correctional officers, as defined in § 53.1-1, certified as handlers of dogs trained in the detection of controlled substances when possession of marijuana is necessary for the performance of their duties.

§ 18.2-251.1. Possession or distribution of marijuana for medical purposes permitted.

A. No person shall be prosecuted under § 18.2-250 or § 18.2-250.1 for the possession of marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol when that possession occurs pursuant to a valid prescription issued by a medical doctor in the course of his professional practice for treatment of cancer or glaucoma.

B. No medical doctor shall be prosecuted under § 18.2-248 or § 18.2-248.1 for dispensing or distributing marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol for medical purposes when such action occurs in the course of his professional practice for treatment of cancer or glaucoma.

C. No pharmacist shall be prosecuted under §§ 18.2-248 to 18.2-248.1 for dispensing or distributing marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol to any person who holds a valid prescription of a medical doctor for such substance issued in the course of such doctor's professional practice for treatment of cancer or glaucoma.

[MarcSpaz]

hmmm... interesting.

[Jakeiscrazy]

My understanding is that has been around from sometime but it;s still illegal to sell, grow and buy. I could be wrong honestly haven't given more than a hour's research into it.

[MarcSpaz]

Looks like according to the code itself, it has been in place since 1979 as documented in chapter 435 of that year’s AOA.

[Rich]

They might as well just legalize it. If legalized you have control over it and cut out the criminals. Plus you cut down on the number of people we are paying to keep in jail. I know some argue that it would just add another social problem. But it is already in wide use. When the government decided to ban alcohol all it did was help create the mob and did little to stop the use.

[dorminWS]

It would be more than a little ironic that the same government that legalized smoking marijuana is simultaneously virtually criminalizing the smoking of tobacco.

[Jakeiscrazy]

They might as well just legalize it. If legalized you have control over it and cut out the criminals. Plus you cut down on the number of people we are paying to keep in jail. I know some argue that it would just add another social problem. But it is already in wide use. When the government decided to ban alcohol all it did was help create the mob and did little to stop the use.

With that said alcohol use did seem to go down(not the most conclusive data) during prohibition and rise after after repeal. Don't fall into the misconception that the rate of marijuana use would not rise because it would.

[ratherfish]

We allow intoxicant, but not some peoples favorite intoxicant....hmmmm

Lets have show of hands for crack!

shrooms?

cocaine?

morphine?

Gotta be fair you know. Fair is ever so much more important than moral or right.



I fear for civil society.

[MarcSpaz]

I think the biggest argument for supporters of the legalization as a recreational drug is that marijuana is not physically or mentally addictive, it does not lead to violent or destructive behavior, and the long-term affects are much less serious than alcohol or cigarets.

As far as being fair, cocaine (and cocaine based drugs), hallucinogens, opium based drugs, and amphetamine type drugs are all addictive, lead to destructive/abusive behavior, and have horrible long-term affects on your brain, heart, kidneys, liver, etc. Plus, every one of those types of drugs could cause death due to excessive consumption in a single use, including the very first use. Even though all of these things have such nasty problems, every one of them are legalized for medical use both federally and in every state in the country as part of a daily billion dollar industry called healthcare.

So, yes, lets be fair. Legalizing marijuana for medical reasons across the board, just like the other much more harmful drugs have been, seems like a valid request. It can be used for chronic migraines, tremors, glaucoma, general pain relief, some mental health issues and many other legitimate medical reasons.

For recreation... I say have at it. I never heard of a car crash from someone driving while high on marijuana. People don't get stoned and run around causing trouble and breaking the law. Shoot, most people I know who have used it never leave the sofa or bed while experiencing its affects, and eventually fall asleep. Wish I could say the same for alcohol.

[Kreutz]

The prison-industrial complex depends on that plant staying criminalized.

Never used it myself, but don't see why mind-altering alcohol is legal and the
mind-altering plant is not.

And for what its worth prescription drugs kill a lot of people every year due to adverse reactions, toxicity, interactions between drugs, or accidental overdose.