DECRIMINALIZATION

Time To Recognize Marijuana's Medical Uses

The trend to decriminalize marijuana continues to gather momentum across
the country. In Columbus, Ohio, voters might get the opportunity in
November to decide on whether to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.

Decriminalization is long past due. Government and academic studies have
demonstrated that the naturally occurring plant is not addictive and is
less harmful than alcohol. It is virtually impossible to die from a
marijuana overdose.

Republican Gov. Gary E. Johnson of New Mexico makes that point clear. In a
speech last year he said, "How many people died from the health
consequences of doing alcohol? One-hundred-fifty-thousand. How many died
from tobacco? Four-hundred-fifty-thousand. From legal prescription drugs?
One-hundred-thousand. How many died last year from cocaine and heroin?
About 3,000. And no reported deaths from marijuana."

Claims by drug warriors that marijuana is a gateway drug to harder
substances such as heroin are simply not proven.

Most tragically, marijuana continues to be a Schedule I drug, meaning it
has no recognized medicinal value and is completely prohibited, even to the
sick and dying.

But a federally commissioned report by the National Academy of Sciences
dispels that myth: "Marijuana's active components are potentially effective
in treating pain, nausea, the anorexia of AIDS wasting, and other symptoms."

Marijuana is being used to successfully combat not only the symptoms of
AIDS but also of multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, arthritis, chronic pain,
paraplegia, epilepsy, quadriplegia and migraines. It is also helpful in
easing the side effects of chemotherapy and studies show that marijuana use
can be a powerful antioxidant and protect brain cells during strokes.

Clinically and anecdotally, there is a definite proven medicinal use for
marijuana.

At the very least, the U.S. government should immediately reclassify
marijuana as a Schedule II drug, recognizing its many medicinal values.
Also, Congress should pass House Resolution 1344, the States' Rights to
Medical Marijuana Act sponsored by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. That
bill recognizes the rights of states to allow the use of medical marijuana.

The government should not be telling people what they can or can't consume.
But since that is not likely to occur, at least not anytime soon, the
legalization or decriminalization of marijuana seems a reasonable step in
the right direction.