MEDICAL USAGE DIFFICULT ISSUE

The medical use of marijuana is a ticklish subject in a state with
notoriously harsh drug laws. Surely, however, there is a strong case to be
made for taking the side of compassion and allowing closely regulated use
of marijuana for medical purposes rather than rigidly making its use and
possession a crime in all cases.

There is plenty of medical evidence that some maladies, involving some that
involve chronic pain, respond better to marijuana than to conventional
pharmaceuticals. There is also plenty of concern that allowing the medical
use of marijuana would undercut the anti-drug messages aimed at youth.

"If the medical community makes a statement that this should be used to
treat a certain illness, then that gives credibility to a drug that is
mind-altering and would be abused," said Dr. Marsha Raulerson, president of
the Alabama chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Others in the medical community contend the benefits to patients outweigh
any such risks. Dr. Michael Saag, professor of medicine at the University
of Alabama at Birmingham and director of the AIDS center there, says the
blanket ban on marijuana use is "anachronistic" and reflects a century-old
view of marijuana as having no possible useful purpose.

There are some obvious concerns with creating a lawful use for an unlawful
substance, but House Bill 703 by Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, appears to
address them in a responsible manner.

It would allow medical use of marijuana upon diagnosis by a doctor "in the
course of a bona fide physician-patient relationship" that the patient has
"a debilitating medical condition and the potential benefits of the medical
use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for the qualifying
patient." The Department of Public Health would issue an identification
card for the qualifying patient.

Concerns about possible abuse cannot be discounted. At the same time, it is
hard to argue against alleviating the suffering of people for whom
conventional pharmaceuticals are not effective. Striking the balance
between compassion and proper protection from criminal drug activity is a
tricky challenge.