STUDY POINTS OUT MORE BENEFITS OF MARIJUANA

A new University of California study, published in the Feb. 13 issue
of the journal Neurology, shows that smoked marijuana is a safe,
effective treatment for a type of debilitating nerve pain that
afflicts many HIV/AIDS patients. This landmark study is the final nail
in the coffin of U.S. government claims that there is "no evidence"
showing marijuana to be a safe, effective medicine.

It's time for our government to wake up and smell the data, and end
its pointless crusade against medical marijuana. Sadly, the Bush
administration's response was to dismiss this important study with
false claims about marijuana's alleged dangers.

If the administration is unwilling to let medical marijuana policy be
governed by science, Congress must act without delay.

Bruce Mirken

Washington, D.C.

Mirken is director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project