MEDICAL MARIJUANA MERITS STATE SUPPORT

At a time when researchers are plunging into the rainforest in search
of new medicines, there's growing consensus that a humble herb easily
cultivated here may help patients struggling with cancer, AIDS,
multiple sclerosis and other painful, difficult-to-manage conditions.

The herb, whose slim, multi-pronged leaf makes it instantly
recognizable, is marijuana. The Minnesota Senate has already approved
a measure that would make Minnesota the 13th state to legalize its
medical use. The House will likely vote this spring. Lawmakers, as
well as the governor, should give the bill careful yet open-minded
consideration and make it a reality.

For those in whom marijuana conjures up Cheech and Chong movies,
support for the measure may come from surprising corners. Well-known
Republican Steve Sviggum was a coauthor in 2007. Now leading the
fight is Andover Republican Rep. Chris DeLaForest, who rightly
believes it's a matter of keeping government out of the exam room.

There's solid and growing data on the medical benefits of marijuana
and its active compound for treating neuropathy (which causes
extremity pain), multiple sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and
chemotherapy-induced nausea and appetite loss. While other treatments
are available, there are situations in which marijuana may work best.
Doctors should be able to make this call.

The New England Journal of Medicine has editorialized in favor of
marijuana's medical use. In January, the nation's second-largest
group of physicians, the American College of Physicians, weighed in,
also in favor.

Still, some respected Minnesota law-enforcement organizations
vehemently oppose the measure. Among them: the Minnesota Chiefs of
Police, the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association and the state's County
Attorneys Association. A main objection is that unscrupulous
physicians will green-light virtually anyone's use of marijuana.
That's a valid concern. Reporters for "60 Minutes" found one
Californian who got the OK to smoke pot because of pain from high heels.

At the same time, California's original law was 11 lines long;
Minnesota's is nine pages, and written more tightly to limit abuse.
Unlike California, it requires qualifying patients to register and
carry an ID card. Patients, who must have a health professional's
approval to qualify, are also not allowed to grow their own; they'd
buy marijuana from a registered nonprofit. There's still potential
for abuse. But as Oxycontin illustrates, that can happen with any
prescription drug.

Most western states and a handful in the northeast protect patients
whose doctors have decided marijuana is the best treatment option.
For the most part, the laws have worked well, without the worst-case
scenarios feared by law enforcement. It's time for Minnesota to
ensure that its sickest patients have all the treatment options they need.