CurtisLow
10-31-2007, 07:24 PM
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR)
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee
In Short
The former governor of Arkansas has stated publicly that he does not support ending the federal raids on state medical marijuana patients.
What Former Gov. Huckabee Has Done:
Gov. Huckabee has neither cosponsored nor voted on any legislation specifically addressing medical marijuana.
What Former Gov. Huckabee Has Said:
At a private house party in Francestown, New Hampshire, on June 4, 2007, Huckabee was asked if he would end the federal raids on medical marijuana patients. He responded, "Well, you know, I think I'd leave that to the DEA. Let me just be very blunt. I don't support the idea. I think there are better ways to treat medical illnesses than the use of a drug that has really caused so many more people to have their lives injured than it has to necessarily have their lives helped. There are so many different ways in which, whether it's pain or other ways, I think we can deal with medical issues. I'm just not convinced that smoking marijuana is a great idea right now, given the culture of drugs in this country and how many lives it's destroyed. Even if a person says, 'but this is going to be a legitimate use,' for every legitimate use, there are many others. So, I'm probably not one who that's going to be real sympathetic toward relaxing drug laws, having seen what it's done in families and seen what it's done in our economy. I would just like to think that we could find better solutions to alleviating pain and suffering."
He was then asked by GSMM staff: "Until we do, what is the benefit to arresting people with cancer and AIDS and multiple sclerosis for using something that their doctors approve of?" Huckabee responded, "Well, you know I'm going to leave it up to the DEA whether they feel like there is a person who is being arrested because they are suffering from AIDS or because they really are doing something to significantly violate drug laws. But it comes down to laws are laws for a reason and if we don't change the laws, we don't have a right to break the ones we don't like. That's one of the reasons a lot of people are angry about the immigration laws. Its not because they don't think there ought to be something done to make them better, but they really don't like that there's been a complete sense of ignoring the laws we have. Then they wonder how you ever establish if we get to start picking and choosing the laws we agree with, the laws we like, the ones we can abide by, the ones we can't, do we become a nation of anarchy? And so the greatness, the genius, the brilliance of our system was that our founding fathers gave us the capacity to do something that's far more civil than to break a law that we don't like, is to change the law so that we like them better."
During a campaign event on June 7, 2007, in Contoocook, New Hampshire, Gov. Huckabee was asked if he would end the federal raids on medical marijuana patients. He responded, "You know, I don't support the idea of legalizing marijuana, so I want to be honest about that. I don't think there are as many wonderful things to come from it as there are some dangers to come from it. You know, if they're targeting people, I'm not sure that makes good sense, but I wouldn't go and say that you shouldn't follow the law. Many people at this rally today believe that we ought to be following immigration laws, we ought to be following Second Amendment constitutional rights and laws. And I wouldn't want to go say that I'm going to ignore a law. So I think the issue is, if folks like you believe in it, get the law changed. That's what ought to happen."
GSMM staffers then explained that supporters and legislators have changed the laws in states to protect ill residents but the federal government is intervening. He responded, "I probably just wouldn't make that a major priority one way or another." GSMM continued to push, repeating the question, "So you wouldn't end the raids?" Gov. Huckabee answered, "Probably not."
On September 29, at a house party in Londonderry, seriously ill New Hampshire resident and GSMM volunteer Linda Macia asked Gov. Huckabee if he would stop the federal raids on medical marijuana patients like herself in the 12 states that have passed laws protecting medical marijuana use. Gov. Huckabee responded, "Linda, let me just say I'm certainly sympathetic to anyone's pain and it's a terrible thing for anyone to have a debilitating disease of any kind. You've asked me the question about medical marijuana. My concern is that as much as I want to see something happen that can ease your pain, I'm not sure, and I have not been convinced with medical evidence by independent research. Again, I know that the people who are advocates are certainly very strong about it, but I have not seen independent research that clearly says that it is more effective than other forms of pain medication, whether it's narcotic or analgesic. And so what I want to do -- if somebody can present it to me, scientific and objective -- then I will certainly give it different consideration. But I know how much pain..."
Linda Macia stopped Gov. Huckabee and asked, "So you want to put me in jail? That's what they are doing, they are putting people in jail -- the sick and dying." To which Gov. Huckabee responded, "No, no, no, I'm not going to put you in jail, Linda. That's not the point we would do. But I think the question is whether I would favor legalization at a federal level, and until there is stronger scientific evidence, I am reluctant to do that."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtprTFgcdAI
.
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1323/mikehuckabeetnpi8.jpg
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee
In Short
The former governor of Arkansas has stated publicly that he does not support ending the federal raids on state medical marijuana patients.
What Former Gov. Huckabee Has Done:
Gov. Huckabee has neither cosponsored nor voted on any legislation specifically addressing medical marijuana.
What Former Gov. Huckabee Has Said:
At a private house party in Francestown, New Hampshire, on June 4, 2007, Huckabee was asked if he would end the federal raids on medical marijuana patients. He responded, "Well, you know, I think I'd leave that to the DEA. Let me just be very blunt. I don't support the idea. I think there are better ways to treat medical illnesses than the use of a drug that has really caused so many more people to have their lives injured than it has to necessarily have their lives helped. There are so many different ways in which, whether it's pain or other ways, I think we can deal with medical issues. I'm just not convinced that smoking marijuana is a great idea right now, given the culture of drugs in this country and how many lives it's destroyed. Even if a person says, 'but this is going to be a legitimate use,' for every legitimate use, there are many others. So, I'm probably not one who that's going to be real sympathetic toward relaxing drug laws, having seen what it's done in families and seen what it's done in our economy. I would just like to think that we could find better solutions to alleviating pain and suffering."
He was then asked by GSMM staff: "Until we do, what is the benefit to arresting people with cancer and AIDS and multiple sclerosis for using something that their doctors approve of?" Huckabee responded, "Well, you know I'm going to leave it up to the DEA whether they feel like there is a person who is being arrested because they are suffering from AIDS or because they really are doing something to significantly violate drug laws. But it comes down to laws are laws for a reason and if we don't change the laws, we don't have a right to break the ones we don't like. That's one of the reasons a lot of people are angry about the immigration laws. Its not because they don't think there ought to be something done to make them better, but they really don't like that there's been a complete sense of ignoring the laws we have. Then they wonder how you ever establish if we get to start picking and choosing the laws we agree with, the laws we like, the ones we can abide by, the ones we can't, do we become a nation of anarchy? And so the greatness, the genius, the brilliance of our system was that our founding fathers gave us the capacity to do something that's far more civil than to break a law that we don't like, is to change the law so that we like them better."
During a campaign event on June 7, 2007, in Contoocook, New Hampshire, Gov. Huckabee was asked if he would end the federal raids on medical marijuana patients. He responded, "You know, I don't support the idea of legalizing marijuana, so I want to be honest about that. I don't think there are as many wonderful things to come from it as there are some dangers to come from it. You know, if they're targeting people, I'm not sure that makes good sense, but I wouldn't go and say that you shouldn't follow the law. Many people at this rally today believe that we ought to be following immigration laws, we ought to be following Second Amendment constitutional rights and laws. And I wouldn't want to go say that I'm going to ignore a law. So I think the issue is, if folks like you believe in it, get the law changed. That's what ought to happen."
GSMM staffers then explained that supporters and legislators have changed the laws in states to protect ill residents but the federal government is intervening. He responded, "I probably just wouldn't make that a major priority one way or another." GSMM continued to push, repeating the question, "So you wouldn't end the raids?" Gov. Huckabee answered, "Probably not."
On September 29, at a house party in Londonderry, seriously ill New Hampshire resident and GSMM volunteer Linda Macia asked Gov. Huckabee if he would stop the federal raids on medical marijuana patients like herself in the 12 states that have passed laws protecting medical marijuana use. Gov. Huckabee responded, "Linda, let me just say I'm certainly sympathetic to anyone's pain and it's a terrible thing for anyone to have a debilitating disease of any kind. You've asked me the question about medical marijuana. My concern is that as much as I want to see something happen that can ease your pain, I'm not sure, and I have not been convinced with medical evidence by independent research. Again, I know that the people who are advocates are certainly very strong about it, but I have not seen independent research that clearly says that it is more effective than other forms of pain medication, whether it's narcotic or analgesic. And so what I want to do -- if somebody can present it to me, scientific and objective -- then I will certainly give it different consideration. But I know how much pain..."
Linda Macia stopped Gov. Huckabee and asked, "So you want to put me in jail? That's what they are doing, they are putting people in jail -- the sick and dying." To which Gov. Huckabee responded, "No, no, no, I'm not going to put you in jail, Linda. That's not the point we would do. But I think the question is whether I would favor legalization at a federal level, and until there is stronger scientific evidence, I am reluctant to do that."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtprTFgcdAI
.
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1323/mikehuckabeetnpi8.jpg