Wednesday, April 25, 2007

We need some disclosure

Companies try to comply with medical marijuana law
On a typical weekday, stockbroker Irvin Rosenfeld has a marijuana cigarette before work, then goes to his firm's smoking area for another after he gets to the office. By day's end, he usually has smoked more than a half-dozen joints -- and handled millions of dollars' in clients' holdings.

There's nothing illegal about it. Rosenfeld, 54, of Fort Lauderdale, has a condition that causes benign tumors in the long bones of his body. After trying to control pain by taking narcotics such as Dilaudid, he persuaded the U.S. government to put him in a test program that gives marijuana to people with certain illnesses. His pain is now manageable, he says.

This guy lives in Florida but the news story talks about Oregon as well. When did we become such a backwards society where these people aren't shunned? This man should be mocked and ridiculed at his work until he quits.

Granted he probably has no sense of shame so the quiting thing might not work but he should be ostracized and his clients should be made aware of his drug use.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

When did we become such a backwards society ..?

A question that comes to mind every time I read Daniel's political musings ...

BEAR said...

The backwards slide started the day the first male junior high school student got sent home to get a haircut in 1964. His father and their lawyer came back the next day proclaiming that the student's "rights" were being violated. When we all stopped laughing at the absurdity of the inmates running the asylum, we found out that the school district had caved. We wondered how far the nonsense would go, and watched our peers shake down the institutions more and more as we "progressed" through school. We still don't know where it will end. Just when we hope the bottom has been reached, the guv'ner excavates a deeper level in the basement. No wonder the libs want drugs legalized....they crave an escape from their own sewer.

Anonymous said...

The backwards slide started the day the first male junior high school student got sent home to get a haircut in 1964 ...

Bear, your intellectual might and analytical skills continue to shock and awe.

Democrats, in case you haven't been paying attention, have traditionally been among those who insist on ramping up the "War on Drugs." It's Libertarians who dissent from that policy, who want drugs decriminalized, and are motivated by what I'd think a conservative would see as a principled stand: They don't believe the government has the right to tell citizens what they can do to their bodies. They sure as hell aren't motivated by the prospect of facilitating some alleged desire by "the libs" to "escape from their own sewer."

And, in case you haven't been paying attention, Libertarians don't exactly have a majority in Congress. Or in any state Legislature. Or anywhere.

Anonymous said...

Gee, a guy should be mocked and ridiculed because he's chosen a mild drug that works over a much more potent, debilitating drug that doesn't work?

With all due respect, that's just plain crazy.

Now, I'll agree that pot can be overused (so can alcohol, so can tobacco--it usually is, so can aspirin), but it turns out that it really does have medicinal purposes.

Who the hell are you to tell someone they can't have the medicine that actually works for them. This from somebody that claims he wants government out of people's lives. Except, of course, when he doesn't.

Anonymous said...

Dan you take that bible an shove it up your ass!!

Anonymous said...

Seems to me that Daniel and Bear have consistently shown a lack of basic intelligence and critical thinking skills, and at times, a total absence of these qualities.

When did we become such a backwards society where these people aren't shunned? These men should be mocked and ridiculed at his work until they quit.

Granted they probably have no sense of shame so the quiting thing might not work but they should be ostracized and their co-workers and/or customers should be made aware of their stupidity.

Anonymous said...

Quote from Daniel:

"...his clients should be made aware of his drug use."

Maybe you should try to read the whole article next time.

He specifically states in the third paragraph that all of his clients know he uses medical marijuana.

Anonymous said...

It's bizarre that it's okay for companies to fire people because they use a legal drug to deal with a medical condition.

Can you imagine the outcry if, say, a naturopathic clinic fired an employee for undergoing chemotherapy?

So-called "conservatives" claim that they are in favor of personal freedom, yet they want to deny people the freedom to use certain medicines.

I'm not even sure why righties hate marijuana so much. It's actually a pretty benign drug. Sure, it can be harmful if misused, but it causes far less harm than legal drugs such as alcohol and nicotine.

The Cheezer said...

We would fire an employee for drinking on the job. No judge would require it.
Pot isn't much different and shouldn't be allowed to be used in the work place. I would leave any business that allowed the person handling my account to be stoned.

Anonymous said...

Cheezer, you're missing the point. He's not getting stoned, he's using it to relieve pain (many drugs that can have psychoactive properties don't when the person is using it for pain relief).

Would you fire an employee who broke their arm and came back to work quickly, even though they were still on pain relievers?

Anonymous said...

So... marijuana is the only pain relief that works for him... oookay, say that's true.

And say... oh... methadone is the only pain reliever that works for me...

If I legally shot up methadone at work to relieve my pain, I'd, at the VERY LEAST, expect to be removed from a position where my altered state won't jeopardize myself, the customer, or the company (and please, cut the crap about "if you're in pain, marijuana doesn't get you high"... show me authoritative studies on that one.)

The idea that this man is smoking 6 joints a work day without it affecting his judgement is a bit hard to swallow.

Anonymous said...

His employer doesn't seem to mind.

And I'm sure there are plenty of people who take methadone who are gainfully employed.

Would you really rather that people who treat their symptoms with marijuana would be better off on the street, unable to find employment?

Bobkatt said...

Leaning a little to the Libertarian side I don't have a problem with someone needing to ease their pain in order to be more productive. I do have a problem with them driving while on marijuana and find it hard to believe that an insurance company would underwrite that liability.

Anonymous said...

9:49 AM, Daniel doesn't let facts prevent him from a good rant. Prediction: He will ignore the inconvenient truth that you pointed out, and move on triumphantly to the next ridiculous post.

Anonymous said...

BEAR said...

The backwards slide started the day the first male junior high school student got sent home to get a haircut in 1964. His father and their lawyer came back the next day proclaiming that the student's "rights" were being violated.

It's funny how CONservatives talk about valuing freedom, but whenever anyone tries to actually exercise their freedom, they oppose it. They seem to only be for freedom they themselves might use (and sometimes they oppose freedoms they use sureptitiously, such as anti-abortion activists who get abortions.)

Anonymous said...

Maybe you should try to read the whole article next time.

A confession: This is what keeps me coming back for more: the likelihood that Daniel will step on his own tongue and fall on his ass.

BEAR said...

You libs remind me of the group...Drunks Against Mad Mothers. L.O.L.

Anonymous said...

Non-response # 2,394 from Bear, and counting.

rickyragg said...

Non-response # 2,394 from Bear, and counting.

The fact that you're counting speaks volumes - above your range of hearing, no doubt.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, Ragg, your awkward writing does not "speak volumes".

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, Ragg, your awkward writing does not "speak volumes".

If you want to get technical, the proper sentence structure would be as follows:

Unfortunately, Ragg, your awkward writing does not "speak volumes."

3H said...

So what would be the difference between smoking marijuana for pain management, or taking any of the other prescription pain meds?

repsac3 said...

"So what would be the difference between smoking marijuana for pain management, or taking any of the other prescription pain meds?"

Medical marijuana be de boogeyman o conservative tinkin' on drugtaking. It dat slip'rey slope... Next ting you know, we all be on acid at work...

According to them, the guy ought to just suck it up & be a man, not a damned pansy... Send him to Iraq, that'll teach him.