List Archives

Wed, 12 Jun 2002 02:01:43 -0400

Russ,

There are several laws I personally don't agree with, though for obvious
reasons I won't list them here.  They range in severity from citations
to felonies, and in general are mala prohibitum in nature.  However,
I've cited and arrested those who violated those particular statutes.
I'll continue to do so.

In short, I don't have to agree in substance or in theory with every
law.  What I have to do is enforce it, and let the system work.  What
you, and every other citizen in a civilized world, must do is obey it
until such change as you can exercise lawful methods to have the statute
stricken.  If I wanted to write the laws, my signature file would read
Senator instead of Sergeant or EMT-P.

You doubt marijuana is the reason someone snaps?  Perhaps, if it's pure
marijuana.  Of course, that's the big problem with street drugs, isn't
it?  Purity is never assured, nor is the exact composition of the drug
known.  However, I'll say this- while there certainly may be another
reason for a marijuana user to become assaultive other than simply their
THC level, it's certainly a contributing factor since it affects
judgment.

Dave Adler, EMT-P
Editor, Prehospital Perspective Magazine
www.prehospital-perspective.com
adler@prehospital-perspective.com 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: trauma-list-admin@trauma.org
[mailto:trauma-list-admin@trauma.org]
> On Behalf Of Russ Pasley
> Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 3:30 PM
> To: trauma-list@trauma.org
> Subject: RE: Drug (ab)use in Medicine?
> 
> Dave,
> 
> As a "cop" would you enforce a law that you found to be morally wrong?
> What about one you just didn't agree with?  I don't doubt that you can
> wreck your car while stoned. You can also do that if you've been up
all
> night or trying to unwrap that burrito.  Those assault cases you speak
of?
> If someone is upset or unbalanced I doubt if the "weed" is what set
them
> over the edge.  I know someone who has AIDS and cancer.  They were
> suffering from "wasting" dropping an alarming amount of weight.  He
> started
> on some medicine that seemed to help.  The problem  is that it's
> expensive
> and he had to take periodic blood tests to make sure his liver (and
> kidneys?) weren't being damaged.  Turns out this medicine was pretty
toxic
> stuff.  Then he got a medical marijuana card, started smoking, threw
his
> pills away, and gained his weight back.  So Dave, would you pop him
for
> smoking?  For possesion?  What if he didn't live in California and
instead
> resided in your "neck of the woods"?  I'm not saying you have to like
pot
> or even agree that it should be decriminalized.  However there are a
> multitude of things harmful to us that are legal, like eating too many
> donuts (and of course tobacco and booze).  I would never advoacte
driving
> while under the influence and certainly not working under the
influence.
> BUT how unfortunate that all those EMS personel out there that like to
> occasionally  have a toke on their own free time, as mature adults in
a
> free society, those who put their lives and health on the line daily
in
> order to save others,  well it's a cryin shame that they have to sneak
> around as dirty little criminals risking freedom and career.
> 
> Freedom all the way baby (as long as you don't hurt others)!!
> 
> Russ
> 
> 
> 
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