Mellowing on Marijuana?

CNN has been featuring the "Mellowing on Marijuna" debate this weekend. Quite interesting, yet infuriating! I am amazed at the selection of biased "professionals" that have stakes in making sure that Medical Marijuna in particular is not accepted by the majority.
13 States have now approved Medical Marijuana measures and more are soon to follow and this is being perceived as a huge threat to those that have motivations to prevent the free medical OR recreational use of Marijuana.
There were so many out right lies in today's presentation. The topic was hardly well represented and the ignorance was blinding! The research is OUT THERE CNN, please do more research and try again, with a balanced panel. This debate will not go away, nor will this plant be "eradicated" as one of the guests, Mr. Ron Brooks, Pres. National Drug Policy, a narcotics officer. Why??
Because this issue, at it's very core, is a CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE! That is the point I most want to make. To tell a person with a critical illness that they can't chose their own alternative medication, but must take a pill form that has been adulterated from the whole plant, and compounded by chemicals that DO have questionable effects on our over all health. As the Shamans and Healers of old knew thousands of years ago, this plant is a gift from the Gods and must be used in its pure, unadulterated state.
One of the arguments that's always thrown up is that with the whole plant, you do not KNOW how much THC is in the plant your are purchasing, or if you're lucky, growing. That comment shows true ignorance about the plant and its medicinal benefits and effects. As all "Potheads" know, you smoke til you feel it, then you stop, or you fall asleep or become hypnotic. That's what Marijuana is, a Hypnotic. For me, it might take just 1 or 2 puffs, but if I am in enough pain, it might take 8. Either way, even if I get some good stuff that's really high in THC, you smoke LESS! Your body knows when to stop! And even if you smoked non-stop 24/7, you could NOT overdose!! No person has ever overdosed on Marijuana. Fact!
Reason calls us to action now. To me, it is a civil rights crime that I can't get access to Marijuana legally unless I move to the right state; that I can't grow a couple of plants each summer to meet my needs for the entire year. Instead, I am FORCED to purchase illegally and to define myself as a "criminal" to my own 14 year old son who thankfully is more intelligent than many of the guests on today's show.
I am happy to see this topic gaining in media coverage. Since I began this blog site 1 year ago, and began working on my book, a huge amount of change has occured and President Obama's recent commitment not to go after State approved dispensaries plays a part in this new interest.
I am happy that we are finally moving forward in the debate but we still have a very long way to go.
I am making a new commitment to get my book finished and published in 2010 and will start posting more regularly with some information that will hopefully lead the reader to investigate for themselves. The power of change is on our own hands. And, I still believe that, "Yes, We Can!"