John McCain Quotes on Medical Marijuana

"I believe that there is some possibility that quote 'medical marijuana' could spread into other areas and that the definition of medical could expand rather dramatically. You've seen that in other cases." (July 14, 2007, town hall meeting in New Hampshire)

"I don't think marijuana is healthy, I don't think that it is good for people, and I also, there is a large body of medical opinion that says there is plenty of other medications that are more effective and better and less damaging to one's health to use to relieve pain." (July 14, 2007, town hall meeting in New Hampshire)

"I think there's other ways to relieve pain ... I do not believe in legalizing it because I think there's other ways of relieving pain and applying medical help than that, and that’s my position." (August 9, 2007, town hall meeting in Merrimack, New Hampshire)

"I believe that marijuana is a gateway drug. That is my view and that's the view of the federal drug czar and other experts, although that is also a debatable question. I think that there is much more effective ways of relieving pain and suffering than the use of marijuana, and so therefore I view it as something that I do not support. That's just my considered opinion, I'd be glad to receive additional information." (August 11, 2007, house party in Milton, New Hampshire)

"No town hall meeting in New Hampshire is complete without some young man who has been sent here to talk to me about medical marijuana ... The fact is I do not approve of the medical use of marijuana, I never have and I never will, and you all keep coming to the town hall meetings. I'm always glad to see you, it helps with the attendance." (September 29, 2007, house party in Exeter, New Hampshire)

"Every medical expert I know of, including the AMA, says that there are much more effective and much better treatments for pain than medical marijuana ... I still would not support medical marijuana because I don't think that the preponderance of medical opinion in America agrees ... that it's the most effective way of treating pain." (September 30, 2007, town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire)

"The law is the law, and I do not believe it's going to be changed, and it's not going to be changed by me." (October 23, 2007, town hall meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire)

"The will of the people, my friend, is that medical marijuana is not something that the quote 'people' want. Certain people feel strongly about this issue, and they show up at most town hall meetings, obviously feel very strongly about it. There is no convincing evidence ... there’s evidence, but no convincing evidence to me that medical marijuana relief of pain and suffering cannot be accomplished by prescriptions from doctors." (Nov. 14, 2007, McCain blogger conference call)

"There may be times when the will of the people, for example Iraq, the will of the people, unfortunately is that we withdraw from Iraq immediately or very very soon. I don't share that view of the will of the people. And I think the will of the people was that we get out of Korea when Harry Truman was president of the United States, but then he decided to do what he thought was best for the will of the country. Now, I don't compare this issue with Iraq or Korea, but, look, I'll be glad to continue this discussion, and read the stuff about it, but I am not changing my position on quote 'medical marijuana,' okay?" (Nov. 14, 2007, McCain blogger conference call, said upon being reminded that the will of the people in California was to make medical marijuana legal)

Posted by Tracy on November 26, 2007 12:52 PM | DIGG | del.icio.us | furl

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