Our Opinion

READY FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA RESEARCH

Seven states have approved the medical use of marijuana since 1996,
including California, yet an unruly debate persists thanks to the
federal government's stubborn obstruction of the will of the people.

Attorney General Janet Reno has already "reminded" state Attorney
General Bill Lockyer that California's Proposition 215 is illegal
under federal law, Barry McCaffrey, the so-called federal drug czar,
agrees.

We remain strong advocates of medical marijuana and accept the
conclusion reached by a major study released last month that certain
compounds in marijuana do have some potential as medicine.

Opponents, on the other hand, contend that the harmful effects of
smoking far outweigh benefits for most patients.

Federal policy makes should separate the evidence of marijuana's
potential from society's larger concerns about its use, according to
investigators who produced the Institute of Medicine's study on the
medical use of marijuana.

In a paper titled "Separating Smoke from Science," two physicians
believe such a separation my be the key to a reasoned debate founded
in science.

The scientific realm has found a consensus that marijuana's components
have potential to relieve pain, nausea and vomiting, and the poor
appetite associated with AIDS or cancer.

There are other effective drugs for the sick and dying, but physicians
encounter patients who don't respond well to standard medications.
These patients could benefit from smoking marijuana or by taking new
drugs based on "cannabinoids," the active components in marijuana.

The drug Marinol, a THC capsule, is approved by the FDA, but patients
complain of its slow and variable effect. These patients deserve a
fast-acting medication that may arrive if clinical trails move forward
to develop a rapid-onset, nonsmoked system such as an inhaler.

It is understood that longterm, chronic marijuana smoking is itself a
health hazard, but we believe it should be available as a short-term
option, or for the terminally ill.

We urge Washington to support the concept of medical marijuana
research, especially the development of new drugs from
cannabinoids.

Science is ready and the people have spoken, but are the bureaucrats
ready?