ANXIOUS? TRY OREGON

Voters in both Washington and Oregon in late 1998 legalized medicinal
marijuana for certain painful diseases. Today, Washington's neighbor is
considering dramatically expanding the legal reasons for lighting up,
including anxiety, sleep disorders and depression. Whoa, dude.

As long as marijuana is considered an illegal drug, better to limit its
medicinal use to the current standard: to treat intractable pain unrelieved
by standard medical care.

Here in Washington, people with cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy,
glaucoma and a few other debilitating dieases can seek a doctor's
prescription to possess and use the drug. Oregon's current law has similar
standards.

Some patients in both states want to expand the accepted uses. Washington
recently added Crohn's disease to its list of approved diseases. Oregon
created an advisory group to study patients' requests to add post-traumatic
stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, bipolar disorder, insomnia
and other conditions.

The law will keep evolving as the body of medical research grows. The
American Cancer Society, for example, agreed last month to fund a
three-year study testing a "marijuana patch," similar to a nicotine patch,
that could deliver the drug without the risk of lung disease.

Broadening the list of ailments too quickly could threaten research's
progress and funding nationwide. Best to stay focused on the people whose
suffering made the medicinal-marijuana law sensible in the first place.