Brushfires of Freedom

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K.K. Forss does not claim medical marijuana solves all his problems.  His pain from a ruptured disc in his neck is debilitating.  He is unable to go to work or to the First Baptist Church he used to attend because of the pain and muscle spasms.  Taxpayers through Medicare spend over $18,000 a year on his various medications.  Half of those drugs are strong narcotics.  The other half address the various side-effects brought on by the first half, such as nausea, heartburn, heart palpitations, difficulty sleeping, and muscle spasms. 

No, marijuana would not completely address all his pain, but it made a tremendous difference in the quality of his life when he tried it for over a year.  It helped him regain 38 pounds he had lost.  It calmed his muscle spasms and helped him sleep. In short, it alleviated many side effects and greatly reduced his need for other expensive medications.  Mr. Forss estimates that being allowed to use medical marijuana would save taxpayers at least $12,000 a year in medications he would no longer need.  He would also be able to work occasionally and attend some church services.

Scientists at the University of California at Davis recently completed a study that backs up Mr. Forss’s experience, finding that cannabis demonstrates significant relief of neuropathic pain.  Many in government call for more studies while people like K.K. Forss suffer.  More studies will not change what many patients already know, and that is for some, medical marijuana helps their pain.  But over-reaching government gets in the way.

K.K. Forss lived in constant fear of federal and state officials so he eventually stopped taking medical marijuana and switched to his more rigorous and expensive pill regimen.  Presently, twelve states have passed legislation allowing marijuana, under certain conditions, to be prescribed legally by doctors for patients who could benefit from it.  K.K. Forss lives in Minnesota, where it is not yet legal.  However, even if it is legalized by the state, Mr. Forss will still have plenty to fear from the Federal government, as cannabis dispensaries and clinics that operate under these state laws are still under fire from the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

In other words, the federal government sees fit to use our tax dollars to raid state sanctioned healthcare clinics, to imprison and fine patients and operators, in order to compel people like Mr. Forss to be bedridden and overmedicated at great taxpayer expense every single day.

The Federal government should recognize that states have the authority to decide these issues.  This affords all states the opportunity to see which policies are most beneficial. As a Congressman and a physician, I strongly advocate that healthcare decisions should be made by doctors and patients, not politicians or federal agents, which is why I am an original co-sponsor of the recently introduced “Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act” which would bar the Federal government from intervening in such doctor/patient relationships that violate no state law.

The bottom line is that K.K. Forss should be treated as a free American.  Mr. Forss is one of many who would like to use marijuana medicinally because it helps him.  Politicians and bureaucrats have no right to interfere.

- Ron Paul 

I am currently reading Ron Paul’s new book, The Revolution: A Manifesto. Wow. This book is a must read for anyone with an open mind in America that is more interested in the America than their political party.

It is mind-blowing how much money we are blowing on our empire. Dr. Paul puts it all on the table for those who care about the real issues and not the fake game played by the establishment of both political parties. Why do we have troops in 130 countries? What are we still in Korea 55 years after the war? This was not meant to be permanent! Why do we borrow from Europe in order to help protect Europe? Why do we borrow from Japan to help protect Japan?

Dr. Paul also shows how Al-Qaeda and the terrorists around the world are playing us like a fiddle and pulling us towards THEIR goal of bankrupting us. (we were actually doing a pretty good job of that ourselves, but we are speeding up this trip to the brink, with illegal wars and our foreign policy). We are helping create more terrorists by the bushel and are making our country LESS safe.  Did you know that was late as 60 years ago, they had a HIGH regard for the United States throughout the Arab world? Ron Paul is right. When a murder is committed, we look for a motive.

All in all great book. Get one for yourself and get another for friend or family member. SUPER great deal at Amazon.

Even if true, has John McCain lost his ever-loving mind? He spoke in front of a near shut down steel plant about the benefits of NAFTA. He tells people that the economic problems being experienced first hand by a large number of Americans are “psychological” and that Americans should just work a second job.

All of that is fine and dandy and what I would expect to hear coming from Dave Ramsey.

The problem with Senator McCain is that he is a hypocrite. He cozies up to lobbyists while pretending to be the lobbyists worst nightmare. He jumps thru campaign finance loopholes in laws he helped create. He tells people to get a second job while he is the 8th richest senator and is personally worth over $13 million himself. Add in his wife’s riches and John McCain is living the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, while expecting Americans to listen to his straight talk.

Sorry, I dozed off. That was my dream headline for the day.  I wish Dems would decide already.

I love it that Ron Paul still draws a crowd even with the nomination fight over.  Why?  Dr. Paul sums it up nicely.

‘What is it about the people of Montana that likes what you’ve been saying?’

“Well, maybe they love liberty in Montana,” he said.

It is not the folks who voted for Ron Paul who threw away a vote this year.  It’s the masses who still think their candidate or their party will actually change things in Washington D.C.  Those people missed the real change bus and don’t even know it.