MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The drug war casualty count continues. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this
week that Congress does not recognize a medical use for marijuana and has
made no exceptions for that use. Those cancer and AIDS sufferers with
nothing better to do, according to some, than push legalization of
marijuana, will no longer be able to seek solace in the demon weed.

The court is correct. Congress, however, may not be.

The career politicians in Washington, D.C., looked at the issue of
medicinal marijuana in 1988 and they are still firm in their belief that
marijuana has no legitimate use, despite studies to the contrary. Congress
is certain that those doctors advocating medicinal use are just quacks,
bent on undermining the highly successful war on drugs by supporting potheads.

The 8-0 ruling of the Supreme Court against the Oakland Cannabis Buyers'
Cooperative is indicative of how clear Congress' intent is on this issue.
There is no exception in the Controlled Substances Act for medical
necessity. The court's 5-3 split, however, over whether a terminally ill
patient who possesses marijuana is a criminal suggests that perhaps even
the justices recognize the moral dilemma.

Congress says there is no general acceptance of medical marijuana, but some
patients with cancer, AIDS, anorexia, glaucoma or arthritis have found
relief from marijuana when other therapies have failed. Politics has
rendered neutral study impossible. Both sides of the debate pick and choose
results to support their position.

Congress has used the excuse that there is a lack of general acceptance in
the medical community for the use of medicinal marijuana. General
acceptance has not been possible, however, because of a lack of extensive,
and neutral, clinical trials. If a lack of acceptance is the reason, allow
clinical trials and definitive testing to prove once and for all whether
there are medical benefits to marijuana.

If the studies prove the claim, however, that marijuana has a beneficial
use with fewer side effects and at less cost than the synthetic products of
the drug companies, there is no justifiable reason for denying this relief
to the terminally ill.

Opponents of medicinal use have used scare tactics, suggesting that such
use will open the floodgates of drug use. Wake up, folks, the floodgates
already are open.

Meanwhile, Canada is establishing guidelines for medical use and a legal,
controlled supply. Perhaps America's northern neighbors know something
Congress doesn't.