LETTER OF THE WEEK

MANY SUPPORT MEDICAL POT

By Bruce Dunn

On June 30, there was a letter from Dr. Nicholas Pace of New York
University expressing concern about young people thinking marijuana
harmless if a medical marijuana bill is enacted. Doctors prescribe
methamphetamine, cocaine and morphine. Do teens think those drugs
are harmless?

Moreover, a study by Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D, associate professor of
psychology at the State University at Albany, and others reviewed
all public data about teen use of marijuana before and after the
enactment of the medical marijuana law in 10 states. In every state
there was a decrease, more than 50 percent in some cases, in
youthful use after implementation of the law.

Pace says academic medicine does not support the medical use of
marijuana. Recently the student section of the American Medical
Association voiced its support, and they are the future of medicine.
Before that, the American College of Physicians expressed support
and suggested the drug be rescheduled so it can be prescribed.

Other support comes from:

* The Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences report,
1999: "Nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety... all can be
mitigated by marijuana";

* American Nurses Association, 2003: "Marijuana/cannabis has a wide
margin of safety for use under prescribed supervision, and is
effective for numerous conditions";

* Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. Surgeon General, 2004: "The
evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of
pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by illnesses like
multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS _ or by the harsh drugs
sometimes used to treat them"; and

* DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge Francis Young, 1988:
"Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest,
therapeutically active substances known. It would be unreasonable,
arbitrary, and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between
those sufferers and the benefits of this substance."

Bruce Dunn

Morris

Pubdate: Tue, 8 Jul 2008

Source: Daily Star, The (NY)

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n000/a049.html