Compassionate Louisiana For Medical Cannabis

It was recently brought to our attention of an organization that is formed with the goal of legalizing medical cannabis. We spoke with Robert E. Delaney who is the Executive Director of Compassionate Louisiana. This is our uncut interview with him.

Inside Louisiana News: “Why do you chose to pursue legalizing marijuana in Louisiana?”
Compassionate Louisiana: “First, I want to make sure my efforts to see medical cannabis made legal in Louisiana isn’t confused with general legalization. That’s an entirely different issue, and not my goal. To answer your question, my own experience in California made me want to relocate there, but living on Social Security Disability makes that impossible to afford. I considered growing a “secret garden” for myself, but couldn’t justify the risk it would pose to my wife and family. I began to think about the countless other disabled people in Louisiana, and decided it was time for someone to speak up for all of them.”

“There are lots more people in our state who are in much worse shape than I, and the benefits of medical cannabis shouldn’t be denied to them.”
I began to think about the countless other disabled people in Louisiana, and decided it was time for someone to speak up for all of them
ILN: “You refer to it as “medical cannabis” instead of marijuana, why?”
CL: “This is an easy one. We don’t refer to any other medications using slang, so why do it in this case? Terms like “pot” and “weed” are used to describe the recreational substance, and we’re specifically talking about medicine here.”

“Marijuana (or the original “marihuana”) is a term which was popularized by William Randolph Hearst back in the 1930s during his famous campaign of “yellow journalism”, which demonized cannabis as an evil weed responsible for causing innocent people to become violently and criminally insane. Even opponents to medical cannabis know these claims were false, but the stigma surrounding cannabis use remains linked to similar misinformation and ignorance. Oddly enough, the true reason for prohibition of cannabis had little to do with the smoked product.

ILN: How can people find out more information about your organization?
CL:Our official website is in its final stages of development but, in the meantime, those interested can visit our facebook page at facebook.com/legalizelouisiana (note: the original name of our organization was changed to Compassionate Louisiana to better define our purpose, and eliminate any confusion regarding our mission).

ILN: “How has legalizing cannabis for medical purposes changed the economy in states where it has been legalized?”
CL: “While states like California and Colorado currently tax the sale of medical cannabis and enjoy revenue from those taxes, the focus should be on patient healthcare, and not financial gain from providing this urgently needed medicine.”
Adverse reactions to prescribed drugs resulting in death average over 100,000 annually, while cannabis use has never been directly linked to a single death in all of recorded history

ILN: “With all the drugs that are currently on the market, why do you feel that it’s necessary to legalize medical cannabis?”
CL:“The therapeutic benefits of cannabis are unique, and with fewer intolerable side-effects and no dangers to the liver, kidneys, and heart, it is a much safer medicine. Adverse reactions to prescribed drugs resulting in death average over 100,000 annually, while cannabis use has never been directly linked to a single death in all of recorded history.”

ILN: “How will we control medical cannabis distribution to keep it out of the hands of people without medical conditions?”
CL: “There are laws and regulations currently in place to address prescription drug abuse, and the same laws and regulations would apply to medical cannabis. While illegal drug abuse is certainly a problem, it is the fault of inadequate enforcement of those laws. We do not ban drugs like Vicodin or Oxycontin because they are appropriate medicines with proper applications, even though they are subject to illegal abuse.”
There are laws and regulations currently in place to address prescription drug abuse, and the same laws and regulations would apply to medical cannabis. While illegal drug abuse is certainly a problem, it is the fault of inadequate enforcement of those laws.
ILN: “Some people will say this is a gateway to legalizing marijuana completely. Do you personally support the complete legalization of marijuana? Why or why not?”
CL: “To support such a theory would be like saying the legal prescription of morphine leads to its legalization for recreational use. It is an absurd suggestion. Legalizing the use of any substance (like alcohol) for recreation is a question better answered in terms of morality, and shouldn’t be confused with healthcare. While complete legalization would certainly lead to access to cannabis as medicine, I don’t personally see it the other way around.”

ILN: “Who would have rights to grow and sell medical cannabis?”
CL: “Just as it is the right for anyone to grow a variety of herbs for medicinal purposes, patients and their caregivers should be able to grow medicinal cannabis. Those without the resources to do so should be able to access the medicine via licensed retailers, just like prescription medications. Cannabis growers would have an obligation to secure their gardens against theft and access by non-patients.”

ILN: “Do you think allowing cannabis for medical purposes will enter into the workplace?”
CL: “In each state with medical cannabis laws, workplaces are allowed to discriminate against any employee who tests positive for marijuana metabolites, even if they use cannabis legally. No employer fires an employee for testing positive for prescribed medicine, and the same should hold true for medical cannabis. Medicine is medicine.”