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September 29, 2011 in Idaho
Groups urging no on marijuana laws
Anita Kronvall, of Kootenai County Substance Abuse Council, talks about the symbols consistent with drug and alcohol use and their street-level meanings at her home in Rathdrum on Wednesday.
(Full-size photo)
Anticipating both a November 2012 ballot initiative and state legislation to legalize medicinal marijuana, social services agencies in Coeur d’Alene are organizing to educate the public about what they call the dangers of drug legalization.
“Our whole goal is we want our people educated so we can put pressure on the legislators not to pass it. We don’t want it. I know there’s a lot of people that do want it, but there’s a lot of people that don’t,” said Anita Kronvall, director of the Kootenai County Substance Abuse Council, which is supporting the Kootenai Alliance for Children and Families in hosting two mid-October events.
The keynote speaker will be Monte Stiles, a former assistant U.S. attorney for Idaho who retired early to make fighting medical marijuana his full-time job. He’ll speak to police, public officials, drug education groups and others on Oct. 13, then at a luncheon open to the public on Oct. 14.
Stiles spent 28 years as a state and federal prosecutor and supervised Idaho’s organized crime and drug enforcement task force. He said legalizing marijuana as medicine is ridiculous and creates a “circus” when it’s legalized at the state level but remains illegal at the federal level.
“There’s nothing medical about smoke. It’s ironic in America where we’ve been fighting cigarette addiction for 30 years,” Stiles said. “There’s no such thing as a smokable medicine. To me that’s as ridiculous as saying chew this pile of gravel because there’s iron in it.”
State Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, disagrees. He points to Idaho citizens suffering from diseases including cancer and multiple sclerosis who he said would be helped by medical marijuana. It’s less addicting than opiates for pain control, he said, and doesn’t require additional medications to combat side effects. Idaho citizens with severe chronic pain are moving over the border to Oregon where they can access the drug legally, he said.
“We have to ask ourselves the question: Is this a humane way of treating our citizens who are suffering from extreme pain or not,” Trail said. Increasing numbers of Idahoans appear to agree with him, he said, pointing to a recent Boise State University study that found that 74 percent of state residents say they support allowing “terminally and seriously ill patients to use and purchase marijuana for medical purposes.”
The legislation Trail is sponsoring with state Rep. Roy Lacey, D-Pocatello, calls for the creation of state-registered “alternative treatment centers” that could grow or distribute marijuana to registered patients with prescriptions. Patients could receive 2 ounces every 28 days. The drug would be made available only to terminally or seriously ill people.
A ballot initiative seeking to gain 47,432 signatures by April 30 would allow patients to get up to 2.5 ounces every 14 days and would also let patients grow their own or have a primary caregiver do it for them. Each primary caregiver could supply up to four patients.
Two Fernwood residents dead after Monday accident 
JBlim on September 29 at 6:59 a.m.
I was intrigued by what the groups urging no would argue about the evil weed. Is this all they got? They have the legal circus and smoke, not very compelling arguments really.
fishinjay on September 29 at 7:33 a.m.
Let’s see, the argument is that it shouldn’t be legal because of smoke? Then he goes on to compare it to cigarrettes, which are legal. What a seriously weak and self-contradictory argument.
Here’s a free tip for the anti’s: You are undermining your own argument when you compare marijuana to things that are already legal. The fact that such comparisons are the best you can come up with speaks volumes about the
Leo_Z on September 29 at 7:34 a.m.
Sadly, in Idaho, compelling arguments aren’t really needed sway the public opinion. All the fear-mongering will persuade the fundies to anything the suits tell them.
fishinjay on September 29 at 7:35 a.m.
…. the posting window cut me off.
The last sentence was: The fact that such comparisons are the best you can come up with speaks volumes about the insanity of criminalizing marijuana.
Diana on September 29 at 8:09 a.m.
When the pain, vomiting and retching from chemo and radiation made my father’s life a living hell, the only thing that helped him was marijuana.
While I hope Superhero Crimefighter Monte Stiles is never in that position, if he ever finds himself walking in those shoes, I’d be interested to hear if he continues to bleat about smokable medicine and pebbles.
terrymr on September 29 at 8:32 a.m.
Is there anybody on the “No” side that doesn’t benefit financially from continued prohibition ?
socialchange on September 29 at 8:39 a.m.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=n31Nuj_AvTg No medical value?
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on September 29 at 8:50 a.m.
Brownies are also bad for your health. Because obesity is such an ever-present danger for cancer patients… um, yeah.
Squid on September 29 at 8:50 a.m.
Terrymr, just about every employer, but I guess they sort of benefit financially…. Or, more accurately, they will take a financial hit, if it is legalized. Insurance premiums will skyrocket. Insurance claims will be denied. Less productivity. More mistakes. That kind of thing.
socialchange on September 29 at 8:52 a.m.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXL7kOKckcM&feature=player_detailpage How about this!
fishinjay on September 29 at 8:57 a.m.
Squid, I’d be interested to see the data that indicates medical marijuana is linked to sky rocketing insurance premiums, denied insurance claims, decreasing productivity, and increasing mistakes. Or did you just make that up?
Squid on September 29 at 9:08 a.m.
Just my common sense and experience from having employees that were stoned on the job. You know…. The guys who have to get paid every night, want loans from their next paycheck, need rides to work, can’t get up to go to work, constantly need three day weekends, don’t show up the day after payday, have every excuse in the book for injuring themselves on the job doing dumb things, always make the dumbest mistakes, never complete anything within a reasonable time, always complain about everything, talk about inappropriate things, even around customers and their children, always find a better way to screw something up, never have money for lunch or gas, always have a new sob story every day, etc…
Hunterman on September 29 at 9:15 a.m.
Mr Stiles et el has either never tried mj and has some fantasy that it’s some big deal and has never experienced chronic pain or he is making a living off increasing the suffering of others which is sheer evil.
Also, medical mj doesn’t have to be smoked. I used it for a while and it kept me off opiates.
So, Mr Stiles, do something that will help people. Someday you may be the one in pain.
fishinjay on September 29 at 9:25 a.m.
Squid, that sounds an awful lot like employees I’ve known who were alcoholics. Do you also support criminalizing alcohol?
socialchange on September 29 at 9:27 a.m.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbNXQw8Xk2w&feature=player_detailpage Are you an FLP or BLP?
soccermomsusie on September 29 at 9:45 a.m.
Finally, a great analogy is made that shows the evil of this unsavory sassafras.
From scheduled speaker Monte Stiles:
“There’s no such thing as a smokable medicine. To me that’s as ridiculous as saying chew this pile of gravel because there’s iron in it.”
Of course there are some chewable medicines. Yet, ironically, graveling is the gateway to being stoned.
This coalition is going to get their money’s worth from such an astute observer of humanity. I would expect humor, science, biblical proclamations, racial asides and maybe even a musical number. I hope.
Now that I know that gravel is loaded with iron, I think I might try to use a magnet to move that pile I had dumped in my neighbors driveway last month. Maybe tomorrow. Right now, I need a G and G!!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
Squid on September 29 at 9:47 a.m.
My personal favorite sob story, was a guy that couldn’t afford to buy baby formula or food, and was actually crying, so I gave him $150, and bought a case of formula at Costco. Hand delivered to his door. He was so happy, that he pulled out a quarter ounce baggie, and offered to smoke me out. Very kind of him. He didn’t show up for a couple days after that.
I have lots of stories, like the time I lent an employee a truck to move, and he threw a rod in the motor, after he jumped it over a small hill, near Manito Shopping Center, which blew out the front suspension. He left a pipe in the truck that the cops were going to charge me with, after they found my abandoned truck. Cost me about $3600, plus $500 for my lawyer. Bunch of wasted time too. Didn’t know you could get that much air on that little hill on 30th and Aurthur.
I have no feelings about alcohol. I only drink about 3 or 4 times a year, and very little when I do. I don’t have any employee problems that involve alcohol. Have been around other subcontractors, who were drunks, that affected my job. Have to admit that I like the smell of weed better than alcohol. Most employees are smart enough not to show up drunk at work, but show up hungover every once in a while. Alcohol problems aren’t as easy to hide, and fortunately not as common in my employees.
I came real close to dying by a meth head subcontractor, one time. Purt near shoved me down a four story stairwell, that didn’t have stairs yet. He said it was my fault, because I didn’t get out of his way fast enough, while he was laughing. I suppose that’s the next medical thing to legalize. Helps counteract the lazeball effect of being stoned, right? Should help counteract the increased appetite side effect too. I hear it is good for fibromyalgia.
Marksman on September 29 at 9:51 a.m.
You anti -medical marijuana people are sadly misguided. If you really want to improve your communities,the real drug problem to focus your attention on is methamphetamine. Speed still kills!
“Child Protective Services took custody of a 7-year-old girl and 9-year-old boy while the two adults were being booked into jail on charges of possession of methamphetamine, said Sgt. Dave Reagan of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
The inside of the small home in the 12500 block of North Freya Street was filthy, Reagan said. Dirty clothes were strewn around, there was little food in the refrigerator and the septic system was backed up, apparently plugged for years, Reagan said.”
jway on September 29 at 9:59 a.m.
If these people can stop marijuana users buying marijuana then they should DO SO! But if they can’t, then all their effort to prohibit adult marijuana sales achieves nothing but enriches drug dealers and makes marijuana *more* accessible to minors.
The only way for parents to keep drug dealers away from children is for supermarkets to sell legally-grown marijuana to adults at prices low enough to prevent illegal competition.
Hunterman on September 29 at 11:02 a.m.
Didn’t we learn something from prohibition?
citizenX on September 29 at 11:02 a.m.
It is time to stop making marijuana users criminals. Prohibition has’nt worked. There’s ample evidence that it’s use provides an alternative for those who are suffering from conditions, treated by drugs that the pharmaceutical industry charges staggering costs, drive up insurance costs, while dragging those suffering souls through hell.
Conservative folk are still trapped in the 1930s notion that this herb is “evil,” thanks to their FOXNEWS gullible mindset. So much for their “christian” compassion for those looking for an alternative to opiates and other drugs that do have severe side-effects. It is time to stop this insanity [repeatedly doing the same thing over and again while expecting a desired result that never comes about?]. Those that say no-way to the end of this prohibition, are the real problem here. They operate under the notion of F.E.A.R. = False Evidence Appearing Real.
The real WAR on drugs needs to be fought against the pharmaceutical industry. They are holding the health of this nation ho$tage. The Feds are creating the black market, and job security for the justice system, creating criminals.
Squid on September 29 at 11:23 a.m.
Oh, almost forgot the time an obviously stoned employee inexplicably pinned his foot to a ladder, when he was coming down, with his finger on the trigger of a framing nailer. Told him about 100 times to keep his finger off the trigger, and almost fired him when he bounced the safety on things and let nails fly several times. He was VERY mad that I wouldn’t pay for his x-rays, when anyone could see that it went between the bones of his feet.
Should have heard him scream when I had to pull the nail out of his foot! They stick in aluminum and rubber soles, much better than you ever imagined. Luckily he wore leather boots, and the leather didn’t allow the nail to countersink into his skin. That would have created a whole new set of problems.
I didn’t fire him, because I had work stacked up too high. About a month later, he was nailing bracing in the trusses, while stoned, and bounced a nail off my back, when he had his finger on the trigger, again. Left the perfect impression of a sideways nail on my shoulder blade. Glad it wasn’t my eye.
Construction is no doubt, one of the most dangerous jobs you can have. Having a bunch of stoned employees just makes it worse.
Pretty sure he qualifies for a greencard now, due to chronic pain resulting from shooting his foot to a ladder, when he was stoned. That would make it perfectly legal for him to be stoned on the job. Loss of appetite would also make it legal to get high during lunch breaks. Since alcohol has no medical value, it’s not legal to use on the job.
johnclarke on September 29 at 11:30 a.m.
Squid I really don’t think this issue (medical) is about stoners at work. I don’t think anyone feels that is appropriate. Now tell me, this guy that shot his foot ironically - you said he qualifies for a “green card”. Does that mean he was illegal ?
Hunterman on September 29 at 11:33 a.m.
squid, you seem to have a really serious phobia about this marijuana herb.
Squid on September 29 at 11:49 a.m.
JC, at the time, there was no such thing as a medical MJ card. I call that card a greencard. No, he was an American born citizen.
Hunterman, yes I do. It has all the potential to cost businesses a great deal of money, that they can’t afford. It may just bankrupt a HUGE amount of small businesses that can’t afford insurance, as it is.
RedCedar on September 29 at 12:02 p.m.
You bet. We learned that prohibition is an excellent way for corrupt politicians and law enforcement people to make money, and it’s an excellent way for honest ones to become corrupt. We learned that gangsters can be brought into the political establishment and used as ward heelers. We learned that concentrations of power are naturally attracted to each other and that after an initial period of fighting each other, they find that their common interests (e.g. money) outweigh such petty differences as the legality or illegality of their professions.
We’ve even learned that prohibition provides lots of legitimate business opportunities, in detection, education, and treatment, but especially of course in law enforcement and prisons. At this point, there are so many people making money off of prohibition, not counting the actual dope dealers, that I can’t see drugs ever being legalized.
johnclarke on September 29 at 12:02 p.m.
oh sorry, misunderstood. Well, weed and nailguns…bad mix. Cheers.
Ed Byrnes on September 29 at 12:23 p.m.
It is obvious to even the most casual observer that the anti medical marijuana group is made of law enforcement and the “treatment” and “prevention” industries, who directly benefit financially from continuing prohibition.
Ed Byrnes
greenlibertarian on September 29 at 1:15 p.m.
Squid’s ignorance is showing again, not surprised he hired the worst of the worst employees, after all, they cost pennies on the dollar compared to Journeyman trades people. And then he wonders why the DOPES he hires, (probably under the table,) screw up; must be the maryjane. Laughable.
ALL evidence points to the prohibition of marijuana being a NEGATIVE net effect upon society. It’s a great money maker for law enforcement and the courts, not to mention black market dealers who are happy to “upgrade” a marijuana customer to something stronger and more dangerous, and highly physically addictive.
OH, btw, many marijuana users of all sorts do NOT smoke it, they use a vaporizer which eliminates 95% of the tar and carcinigens in smoking marijuana, and/or they consume by ingesting it in foods that contain marijuana.
Encouragingly, there ARE groups that are trying to end the prohibition madness.
http://www.leap.cc/
Desiderata319 on September 29 at 3:32 p.m.
Squid, first off, your own personal experience with ‘stoners’ is actually isolated and nearly irrelevant. As with any other substance, many legal like alcohol and prescription drugs there is a potential for abuse. If an individual lacks the responsibility and comes to work under the influence of ANYTHING, that is the fault of that individual. Carrying the opinion that all that use that substance are the same as the few that abuse it is tyranny.
I took Oxycontin, a legal prescription, written by my pain DOCTOR, for over eight years. I know how I felt on that, and over time, my dose needed to be increased many times. Until one day my primary doctor asked me if I had life insurance, because my liver was failing. I don’t drink, but my liver looks like I down at least a fifth of vodka a day. But the oxy is legal. Does legality make a substance safe?
As far as employer and financial losses, yes, there will be many. The first loss will be to the huge pharmaceutical companies since their poisons would be needed less. Next would be health care, cancer treatment centers, prison systems, and the best loss would be to the street dealers that would no longer be needed. That would mean no more gangs and Mexican murders. Imagine that.
As far as Monte Stiles comment, “there’s nothing medical about smoke”, apply that to inhaled substances. If there is nothing medical about inhaled substances, watch somebody have an asthma attack without their inhaled medication. Which, by the way, cannabis is very effective for. Not everybody that uses cannabis, whether inhaled or ingested are irresponsible stoners.
Call me when you are faced with a life or death medical issue with NO other options and NOTHING to lose. Cannabis and hemp are gifts from the Garden of Eden. It may be time to open your mind and close your mouth before you humiliate yourself even more.
Peace and healing
TVKnobs on October 03 at 10:15 a.m.
There have been a couple of articles about how alcohol sales are rising in Idaho, which seems that the state is pretty happy making tax revenues selling what by comparison to marijuana, is poison. Recently some Washington State liquor stores have begun giving out free samples to customers (about .25 ounces per sample) which by being stupid in of itself for promoting driving after drinking, is aimed at increasing sales. The hypocrisy is mind-boggling.
brentandrews on October 06 at 9:39 a.m.
It is very reassuring to see that the tide of comments here definitely favors medical marijuana, and that the antis have so little real ammunition to stop progress. I imagine the list of federal prosecutors willing to speak out against the ills of marijuana to be a long one, not for the improvement of society but for the protection of the prosecutors’ pocketbooks. Without medical marijuana patients to pick on whose property are they going to seize and auction to pay for weapons for their cronies, and over time for themselves. Let’s hope the trends toward smaller government and legalized marijuana hit the hidden army of federal agents and prosecutors very hard. Here is a billion dollars we could save on agents, and another billion in new industry for we the people. Y’all keep fighting, this is going our way.