# Mitt Romney and medical marijuana **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 17, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072 "2011-08-17T20:04:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072/21 "2011-08-17T22:39:57Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I am open to correction, but I have not seen much more than anecdotal evidence that marijuana does any better than standard painkillers - synthetic, natural, or any other kind. I just looked on Wki and see that one of the uses is a analgesic. This is suprising to me. I smoked for a lot years but never noticed a painkiller effect. Relaxing, yes. Increases appetite, yes. Eliminates nausea, yes. Painkiller??? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072/22 "2011-08-17T22:54:13Z")
Possibly it works like morphine - it still hurts, but who cares? Or maybe for the MD guy in the Youtube clip, it is an anti-spasmodic. IANAD. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072/23 "2011-08-18T04:56:03Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > I just looked on Wki and see that one of the uses is a analgesic. This is suprising to me. I smoked for a lot years but never noticed a painkiller effect. Relaxing, yes. Increases appetite, yes. Eliminates nausea, yes. > > Painkiller??? You ever spark up when you’re in pain, or do you tend to wait until you are in a better mood? Maybe there’s a reason you’ve never noticed any analgesic properties. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072/24 "2011-08-18T05:08:25Z")
It’s excellent for hangovers, and it’s gotten rid of headaches for me. ---
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072/25 "2011-08-18T06:14:22Z")
It’s the best thing I’ve ever found for menstrual cramps. Every month for four days I mourn the absence of weed from my life. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072/26 "2011-08-18T06:18:19Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > He distinctly said “I’m not in favor of medical marijuana” and moved on. You can approve or disapprove of that position, but he didn’t equivocate; he didn’t ignore the man; and he didn’t vary his position by audience. And I am not a Romney fan. > > I am not a Palin fan either, but I think people put much too much emphasis on silly “Gotcha” questions. Romney has a position and stuck to it. Where’s the news story? Agreed. But what’s the ideal way to respond to that set-up? Mitt Romney or any other non-fringe candidate for President isn’t going to climb on to such a hobby-horse. I suppose that Romney could have been better briefed… though he did mention word Marinol, which I couldn’t have done. If anybody wants to argue that Romney should have changed his position on the fly after conversing with a stranger for 30 seconds, well I disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072/27 "2011-08-18T06:34:07Z")
Let’s review. Romney didn’t turn his back at the guy. He didn’t taunt him. And he engaged with him for 30 seconds+. Romney made no false statements. His reply was informed, if not comprehensive. [Contrast with Rick Perry](http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/08/iowa-2012?fsrc=rss). This one is a 27 second clip. Grinning Rick Perry is factually dubious, and more than a little in the guy’s face. His opponent is certainly more polite than the Romney exchange, although the question was sharply pointed: ““Considering state debt has nearly tripled and spending has increased by two thirds since you were governor, and also that ACORN considered your help their ‘proudest moment,’ what were the differences between him and the current liberal president?” Perry called his questioner misinformed as he walked away, but didn’t substantiate. > **[An intimate moment with Rick Perry](https://www.economist.com/democracy-in-america/2011/08/17/an-intimate-moment-with-rick-perry?fsrc=rss)** > > A brief exchange at an Iowa diner shows Rick Perry's flesh-pressing chops and a critique from his right In this case the underlying issue is not at all fringey (aside from the Acorn stuff), so Perry has a challenge on his hands. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072/28 "2011-08-18T15:00:02Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Possibly it works like morphine - it still hurts, but who cares? I’m not a regular user, but I’ve done it a coupla times in the spirit of ‘research’ as much as anything else. I’ve got a bad spot in my neck–might be a bulge or something, I dunno–but it hurts me when I move my head a certain way. Every time, all the time. I’ve changed how I move because of it: I never turn my head more than 45 degrees or so to the right, when I really need to look to the right I turn my whole upper body. On pot I noticed the problem was gone. I’m sure I looked like a complete dumbshit impersonating an owl the way I was twisting my head to the right as far as it would go while wearing a bewildered look. But the pain was _gone_. That said, I still wouldn’t consider pot as a viable analgesic because being stoned is more inconvenient to me than just dealing with the issue the way I normally do. Now if I were dealing with chemo or something without a simple workaround, it might be better to be high, I don’t know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romney-and-medical-marijuana/593072.md?page=1)