MARIJUANA IS NOT AN ACCEPTED REMEDY, AND THERE ARE SUBSTITUTES

While Minnesota's law enforcement leaders have compassion and
sympathy for persons suffering from serious diseases and afflictions,
we strongly oppose the adoption of a law legalizing marijuana for
medical purposes for many reasons.

First, marijuana is not an accepted medicine. Marijuana remains
classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, which is illegal to
possess or sell under federal and state law. Schedule I includes
substances that have a high potential for abuse and the lack of any
accepted medical use. Additionally, the use of smoked marijuana has
been rejected by the American Medical Association and, perhaps even
more importantly, by the major medical organizations representing the
groups of patients proponents say need it the most, such as the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the American Academy of
Ophthalmology and the American Cancer Society.

What the proponents of this ill-advised proposal don't want the
public to know is that there are many medical substitutes that have
gone through the necessary and rigorous testing procedures of the
Food and Drug Administration to ensure safety for patients suffering
from cancer and other serious debilitating diseases. In fact, there
already exists a legalized form of "medical marijuana" in America.
It's called Marinol, and it can deliver accurate and safe dosages of
THC (the most active ingredient of marijuana) to patients in the form
of a pill. (It also is currently being studied for suitability by
other delivery methods, such as an inhaler or patch, for those too
nauseous from illness to take pills.)

More than 20 other FDA-approved medications exist for persons
suffering from cancer (including the side effects of chemotherapy),
glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and other serious ailments. Unlike other
FDA-approved drugs, the potency or THC strength of marijuana (which
has increased significantly in recent decades) cannot be regulated or
monitored. No drug in America, by the way, is approved for delivery
to a person through smoking, for obvious health-related reasons.

Because marijuana will remain illegal to possess under federal law,
legalizing it for medical purposes will place Minnesota law
enforcement officers in an untenable position when attempting to
enforce the criminal law.

Testimony last year by the bill's authors and supporters referred to
it as a "tightly crafted" proposal that would impact only 150-200
sick and dying persons in Minnesota. Nothing could be further from
the truth. This proposal would allow "registered organizations" to
grow 12 marijuana plants for an unlimited number of "patients." Each
plant can produce 1-2 pounds of marijuana, and many plants can
produce four yields a year. One ounce of marijuana can produce up to
23 joints; one pound could produce 448 joints; and 8 pounds could
produce 3,600 joints. If this proposal becomes law, these "registered
organizations" will be producing large quantities of "medical"
marijuana which will make them easy and likely targets for theft.

As to the number of patients likely to use marijuana under this
proposal, one need only check the statistics of the state of Oregon,
which enacted a virtually identical law to that proposed in
Minnesota. As of April 1, 16,635 persons have been issued medical
marijuana cards in Oregon, 14,599 of whom were authorized to use it
for "severe pain." This is hardly a small number of seriously ill and
dying persons.

For all these reasons, Minnesota's law enforcement leaders strongly
oppose the adoption of a law legalizing marijuana for medical purposes.