MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE

As a community pharmacist, I found the editorial "Marijuana as medicine"
(Inquirer, April 10) quite intriguing. I have always advocated that any
pharmaceutical preparation that enhances the quality of life and eases
suffering be made available to the consumer. Therefore, I agree with your
editorial in philosophy.

The problem with making medical marijuana available for pain therapy is
summed up in the phrase allow individuals to smoke the drug. Now we are
talking about a never-before-used, drug-delivery system. If marijuana can be
produced to be an oral tablet, injectable, transdermal or any other
conventional dosage form, then we can anticipate FDA approval of medical
marijuana in the near future.

Bob Spera, Philadelphia