Congressman Mark Souder "Indiana"

[LegalGanjaNow]

I emailed him the NormL Letter for H.R. 5843, also the one for H.R. 5842 I got the exact same response for both, for the 5842 I sent him links and information on how his facts were proved untrue. He responded somthing even more stupid, but ill post that a little later.

Dear Shawn:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the legalization of marijuana. As former chairman of the congressional subcommittee with jurisdiction over anti-narcotics programs, I appreciate hearing from you.



I am strongly opposed to efforts to legalize marijuana. Marijuana is addictive, it adversely affects the immune system, and leads to the use of other drugs, such as cocaine. Marijuana also causes cancer, including cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat, lips, and tongue; respiratory diseases and mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and other psychoses, depression, panic attacks, hallucinations, paranoia, hostility, depersonalization, flashbacks, decreased cognitive performance, disconnected thought, delusions and impaired memory. Since marijuana impairs coordination and judgment, it is a major cause of accidents. Babies born to women who smoke marijuana during pregnancy have an increased incidence of leukemia, low birth weight, and other abnormalities.



Despite these effects, legalization advocates often promote medical use as a legitimate reason for the legalization of marijuana. This argument, however, is simply a red herring for the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Studies have continually rejected the notion that marijuana is suitable for medical use because it adversely impacts concentration and memory, the lungs, motor coordination and the immune system. Even though some states have passed measures to legalize marijuana for medical use following multimillion dollar campaigns financed entirely by special interests, such legalization generally has overwhelming opposition.



While some argue that marijuana may help to relieve some of the pain associated with some chronic illnesses, there is only one ingredient, THC, in the drug that has any reported medical use. Furthermore, there are safer and more effective medications that are preferred by physicians. Scientists at the National Institute of Health have declared that there is no evidence to suggest that smoking marijuana is superior to any currently available therapy for glaucoma, weight loss associated with AIDS, nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, or muscle spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis or intractable pain. In addition, the American Cancer Society, the American Glaucoma Society, and the American Medical Association, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society all oppose using marijuana for medical purposes.



Some argue that by decriminalizing marijuana, we would be actually taking the profit out of production and sales. However, I believe that legalizing this drug would lessen the stigma of the dangers of its use. We also would most certainly attract new first time "experimenters
who otherwise might not have even had thoughts about trying marijuana. The side effects of this drug, which include those mentioned above, are reasons enough for keeping marijuana illegal. In addition, those who currently make outrageous profits from marijuana will merely move to possibly even more dangerous drugs.



The war against drugs has been, and continues to be, a very difficult one. Statistics show that drug use is up an alarming amount-especially among teenagers-and Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana are not immune to this increasing trend. As you may know, I have worked hard to fight against this trend. In addition, I have worked to bring a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) office to downtown Fort Wayne to help with both local and national drug enforcement efforts. I will continue to fight to keep marijuana illegal and combat the abuse of other drugs.



Thank you for keeping in touch with me on this issue. If I may be of assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me again. I also encourage you to visit my Web site, which may be found on-line at United States Congressman Mark Souder :: Welcome (http://www.Souder.House.gov).

Sincerely,

Mark Souder
Member of Congress

Please be advised, I cannot guarantee the integrity of the text of this letter if it was not sent to you directly from my Congressional Email Account. If you have any questions about the validity of this message, please contact me via my website at United States Congressman Mark Souder :: Welcome (http://www.Souder.House.gov) or you can call my Washington, DC office at: (202) 225-4436.

[LegalGanjaNow]

Here is the second email for H.R. 5842 after I sent the links to the facts about marijuana.

Dear Shawn:



Thank you for contacting me to express your support for medical marijuana. As former chairman of the congressional subcommittee with jurisdiction over anti-narcotics programs, I appreciate hearing from you.



As you may know, under the Controlled Substances Act, marijuana is considered a Schedule I drug, or a drug with a high potential for abuse, and no generally accepted medical use. Schedule II drugs may also have a high potential for abuse but do have generally accepted medical uses (e.g., morphine). Approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be required for marijuana to become a Schedule II drug. Most clinical investigations generally require testing protocols that are randomized, blinded and placebo-controlled. However, it is difficult to research accurately the medical effectiveness of natural marijuana with placebos because of the discernible taste and smell of the marijuana smoke. Adding to the difficulty is that researchers require a supply with an accuracy to-the-milligram of the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is difficult to obtain in natural form.



The FDA alleviated these complications by approving the marketing of a synthetically derived form of THC, under the name Marinol. Substantial evidence was shown that THC was safe and effective to treat chemotherapy patients who suffer from nausea and vomiting and do not respond to conventional treatments. This allowed Marinol to be transferred to a Schedule II drug. Additional evidence, which suggested the drug's effectiveness in combating weight loss and concomitant malnutrition in AIDS patients from HIV-wasting syndrome without evidence of misuse, led to another reclassification of Marinol as a Schedule III drug in 1999.



While some claim that natural marijuana is more effective than Marinol because of its rapid symptomatic relief, efficient absorption through the lungs, and patients' control over dosage, health experts and government officials see smoking as a harmful drug delivery system without substantial benefits. Smoke from the marijuana cigarettes contains a variety of toxic chemicals that could be harmful, especially for those in need of strict medical attention. Moreover, health officials do not see a medical advantage in the natural form and would advise patients to seek a doctor's prescription for the synthetic version of the drug.



Despite this evidence, there has been an effort to legalize natural marijuana for medicinal use. On April 17, 2008, Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts introduced H.R. 5842, the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act. This bill would change the classification of marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug. H.R. 5842 was referred for further consideration to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.



I am strongly opposed to all efforts to legalize narcotics such as marijuana. Marijuana is harmful to more than just the user. It impairs judgment and has proven links to fatal accidents and harmful injuries. For the user, marijuana is addictive, it adversely affects the immune system, and it leads to the use of other drugs, such as cocaine. In addition, today's marijuana is more potent and its effects can be more intense. Marijuana causes cancer, including cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat, lips, and tongue; respiratory diseases; and mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and other psychoses, depression, panic attacks, hallucinations, paranoia, hostility, depersonalization, flashbacks, decreased cognitive performance, disconnected thought, delusions and impaired memory. Since marijuana impairs coordination and judgment, it is a major cause of accidents. Babies born to women who smoke marijuana during pregnancy have an increased incidence of leukemia, low birth weight and other abnormalities. Moreover, I believe that the legalization of so-called medical marijuana is a back door to the general legalization of this drug.



Thank you for keeping in touch with me on this issue. If I may be of any assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me again. I also encourage you to visit my Web site, which may be found on-line at United States Congressman Mark Souder :: Welcome (http://www.Souder.House.gov).




Sincerely,

Mark Souder
Member of Congress

Please be advised, I cannot guarantee the integrity of the text of this letter if it was not sent to you directly from my Congressional Email Account. If you have any questions about the validity of this message, please contact me via my website at United States Congressman Mark Souder :: Welcome (http://www.Souder.House.gov) or you can call my Washington, DC office at: (202) 225-4436.

[beachguy in thongs]

Dreher criticized the media response to research, which tends to focus on alleged negative aspects of use. "Peter Fried himself has said 'very little impact up to three years old. Beyond that age, no impact on IQ. No relationship of marijuana use to miscarriage, to Apgar status, to neonatal complications, physical abnormalities, no impact on cognitive outcomes' until, he says, age four. His tremor and startles findings did not hold up," said Dreher, "neither did [his findings of differences in] head circumference, motor development and language expression. None of those data are really in the literature for people to see. This results in a lot of misunderstanding on the part of the public."


When they controlled for the household ratings, Dreher recounted April 8 at the Patients Out of Time Conference in Santa Barbara, her team "found absolutely no differences" between the children whose mothers were non-users and the children from the three groups of users. "No differences at all."

Latest News - Dreher's Jamaican Pregnancy Study (http://www.november.org/stayinfo/breaking06/DreherStudy.html)

[NineInchNails]

Well ... the FDA approves drugs every day that causes:

Anal discharge, dependency/addiction, dizziness, heart failure, dry mouth, headaches, loss of breath, depression, etcâ?¦

Politicians are full of *&^$

Perfectly Legal Tobacco Producs:
cancer, including cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat, lips, and tongue; respiratory diseases and increased incidence of leukemia, low birth weight, and other abnormalities.


What about alcohol? ... Ohhh I know ... I forgot ... tobacco and alcohol are all taxed big time. The FDA is just a government stooge/front to advocate what they want you to have. Remember the Chinese scandal? Their food products containing the deadly chemical called melamine? Well our FDA says â??not to worry, itâ??s in your babyâ??s formula, but itâ??s okâ?� even though nearly 53000 people had become ill, with more than 12800 hospitalizations and four infant deaths.

From what I understand ... most states will tax you on your weed and paraphernalia by selling you a 'tax stamp'. When an individual is busted for possession of a joint ... that person can be prosecuted criminally and for tax evasion. The penalty for NOT possessing a marijuana tax stamp is 200% of what the tax would have been if you did pay to begin with.

[roninwithnoname]

I just can't believe he actually mentions flashbacks. Pretty much everything he's tagging on cannabis is bs (hostility? hah!), but really, flashbacks? What the hell?

[Markass]

He's a fucking bone head...Pumping people full of scare tactics is something he's done for a long time. He'd be a person you'd definitely have to meet in person to get your point across..

[LolaGal]

He's a fucking bone head...Pumping people full of scare tactics is something he's done for a long time. He'd be a person you'd definitely have to meet in person to get your point across..

Fifty bucks sez we could put our point in carved marble, beat him over the head with it and he would STILL not get the point!

It's a good thing we have all those politicians to make decisions for us, for I am unable to think for myself!;)

What are we a bunch of 3rd graders? It is MY decision whether or not to expose myself to carcinogens etc., not theirs. Damn, makes me so mad...I need a cigarette and a drink.:D

[wonderjoint]

Well, thanks for managing our lives for us Mr. Souder, and deciding what personal liberties should be accessible to us.

Gee, I wonder what might happen if you go to prison for marijuana? That may not be too good for your health, or state of mind. :(

I wonder how he feels about alcohol?

[LolaGal]

I decided it would be better to carve our point in a stick of butter.........was speaking figurally of course. ( G-men types: Poster of these comments is not a psycho killer)