AREA PHARMACIST BELIEVES DRONABINOL CAN HELP CANCER PATIENTS

Some believe prescriptions containing marijuana may help relieve the pain
of people suffering from severe and life-threatening illnesses.

John Forlenza, a pharmacist and owner of Forlenza's Nutritional Wellness
Center and Compounding Pharmacy in Edwardsville, said Dronabinol, which
contains marijuana, may help improve the appetite of cancer patients.

Forlenza does not have this drug at his pharmacy, but believes it may
relieve the fatigue and pain cancer patients may endure when undergoing
chemotherapy.

"If people are bad enough off and a doctor feels they need it or they are
on their way out, I feel they should do whatever they could do to keep them
comfortable and manage their pain," Forlenza said.

Forlenza cautioned that Dronabinol is "very addictive," however, and noted
there are other alternatives to help cancer patients.

One alternative he recommends for cancer patients is Propax, a dietary
supplement which provides essential nutrients found in a multi-vitamin
complex, a multi-mineral complex, an antioxidant complex and an essential
fatty acid complex.

Forlenza insisted Propax may help cancer patients maintain their energy
level and may reduce fatigue, gastrointestinal distress and other adverse
effects of chemotherapy.

He believes that cancer can even be a "curable disease" with proper
nutrition, including organic foods, fruits and vegetables.

He often recommends that cancer patients juice carrots and celery to keep
enzymes, which help the immune system fight infection.

A number of physicians, however, do not believe Dronabinol should be
prescribed for cancer patients.

Dr. James Jiunta, a family practitioner in Wilkes-Barre, does not believe
prescriptions containing marijuana should be legal.

He noted there are numerous other medications, such as Zophran, which can
help reduce the adverse effects cancer patients experience when they
undergo chemotherapy.

Jiunta noted that marijuana can damage lung tissue and destroy brain cells.

"Marijuana does lead to other drugs and I do believe it is physically
addicting and psychologically addicting," Jiunta noted.

Forlenza noted that one prescription which may be even more addicting is
Oxycontin, which also is prescribed to relieve severe pain. Tablets range
from five milligrams up to 160 milligrams.

"Some people are crushing it or snorting it and getting the same high as
they do with heroin," Forlenza said. "It is one of the most addictive drugs
out there."

The United States Supreme Court soon will decide whether state voters can
sidestep the Food and Drug Administration to determine which drugs may be
beneficial as treatment for various medical conditions, even those that are
severe and life-threatening.

According to the Drug-Free America Foundation, some states have passed
ballot initiatives that allow individuals with ailments as slight as
athlete's foot to possess marijuana and other illegal drugs to treat their
maladies.

These propositions also contain features that legalize marijuana and other
drugs.

Law enforcement officials have criticized these measures because they blur
what is legal and what is illegal. These officials complained that the
initiatives would allow drug deals to escape prosecution by claiming to be
medical providers.

Forlenza cautioned that some prescription drugs can be just as addictive as
street drugs like heroin, and are intended to be short-term.

Heroin is the number two drug of use in Luzerne County, according to
Wyoming Valley Alcohol and Drug Services. Alcohol is number one, cocaine is
number three and marijuana is number four.

The National Institutes of Health released a report stating there are
better, safer drugs available than marijuana for cancer chemotherapy, AIDS,
multiple sclerosis and pain.

Once people receive high feelings from drugs, however, Forlenza stressed
"it's hard for them to quit."

"A significant number of people don't realize what they are doing to their
bodies," Forlenza noted

Forlenza frequently speaks to his customers about nutrition, eating right,
taking vitamins and leading a healthy lifestyle. Recently, he burned all
the cigarettes he had in his pharmacy as an incentive to stop people from
smoking.

Noting that health care and prescription costs these days are as high as
home mortgages, Forlenza concluded, "Something has to be done and the
answer is preventative care."