Voters need to look at the larger picture. There are 435 Representatives and 33-34 Senators that will be up for re-election and/or open offices because the current incumbent is retiring.
We need to look back as to which “party” was in control when certain major pieces of legislation has been passed..
The Harrison Narcotic Act 1914 was passed by a Democratic Congress and Democratic Pres Woodrow Wilson…this created the “black drug market”
In 1965 a Democratic President Johnson and a super majority Democratic controlled Congress passed Medicare.. under Johnson’s “Great Society Program”
In 1970 a Democratic controlled Congress passed the Control substance Act.. and signed by Republican President Nixon creating BNDD/DEA and officially starting the war on drugs
In 2003 Republican controlled Congress and Pres Bush (43) passed the Medicare part D law.. effective Jan 1 2006. Almost totally OPPOSED by Democrats.
In 2010 the Democratically controlled Congress passed the ACA ( Obamacare) and signed by Democratic President Obama
A core belief of the Republicans is “right to life”.. except over the last century.. they seem to have little interest in your “right to life” in the form of providing healthcare once you “pop out of the womb” and take your first breath.
A core belief of the Democrats is a “woman’s right to chose” and if by chance you are able to “take your first breath” the Democrats are willing to provide some sort of healthcare.. as long as your healthcare needs are within a certain spectrum of healthcare.
If your chronic disease(s) fall under the “subjective disease categories” … with both parties it would appear that in regards to getting healthcare you are “persona non grata”
IMO… if the chronic pain community doesn’t get denial of care as part of this November’s election discussion. After the Republican/Democratic conventions – last one ends July 28th… Both parties will be kicking into high gear by Labor Day.
The next time that we have the opportunity to have two candidates for the Presidency – since the current resident of the White House has “tapped out” and is a lame duck will be a minimum of EIGHT YEARS…
If denial of care of treating subjective diseases does not become part of this election campaign.. the 8 K dying of Heroin use/abuse… will be small in comparison to those committing suicide or ODing on Heroin because they can’t get their prescribed pain meds.
If the chronic pain community does not change the conversation… the bureaucrats will continue to SILENCE THE CONVERSATION
Filed under: General Problems
Every election time the senate or congress brings a issue to the capital floor,,,,address their parties on the current problems in the USA. Never do they say about the amount of money they are getting or spending talking about issue,s that hurt Doctor,s trying to do there job,,,It is easy to attack a Doctor,,,,,,,why not a large Drug cartel,,,or bring it to attention to the world the amount of HEROIN is smuggled into the U.S.A.,,,,,,instead its the Doctor,s who have trained for Ten years or more,,,,,Why can,t the UNITED STATE SENATE,attack the MEXICAN govt,,about Heroin brought into this country………………
Thank you for the article,,and little history lesson on our govt,and who is in control of our life,,,sure isn,t the AMERICAN voters.We need to show congress and the senate,,,,that patients are not addicts,,,,
Thank you so much Steve! This is a wonderful article and I’m thrilled you wrote it! Thank you so much for using the chart!! It’s so important to get this information out there! I really appreciate it!! #PatientsNotAddicts
#PatientsNotAddicts admin
Thank you for posting this and not cutting off our hashtag! AWESOME READ THANK YOU
Not that I have any issue with Bernie, but why does it sound like he’s fine with Marijuana only? Why reduce the # perscribed if he wants to legalize and end drug war? This does not make sense or bode well with me.
This illustrates why litigation will be absolutely necessary to establish our rights at law. The politicians CAN ignore us, so they WILL ignore us.
Medical cannabis finally began making progress, when Colorado voters legalized all uses of cannabis, taxed recreational use, and their State began gaining revenue from the tax, instead of losing revenue on locking people up.
What caused that political progress to happen, is that Colorado’s AG has legal standing to sue the DEA in federal court, for interfering with collection of their cannabis tax.
The reason that’s important, is that DEA has no constitutional reason to exist. If sued for interfering in a state’s tax collecting, DEA could be held unconstitutional and the Controlled Substances Act right with it. No DEA, no Drug War.
When California allowed non-profit “collectives” to grow free cannabis and share it, DEA Marched right through them.
When Colorado made a tax revenue stream out of cannabis, DEA knew better than to attack.
That’s the power of litigation. We need to use it.