MEDICAL MARIJUANA MEASURE IS ABOUT GREED

Ballot Measure No. 8, "Allowing Medical Use of Marijuana," before Alaska
voters in November, would be a bad law. All Alaskans concerned about the
future of this great state should vote no on Ballot Measure No. 8. It
creates a large new "bureaucratic Agency" in the department of Health and
Social Services.

Ballot measure No. 8 requires a confidential registry of drug user
patients. It requires the state to police the medical use of marijuana
.Ballot measure 8 allows the drug user patient or the caregiver to
cultivate, grow, possess and distribute marijuana for the patient. The
patient and/or caregiver may grow and possess the following amounts of
grass. 1. No more than 1 ounce of marijuana in usable form. 2. No More than
6 marijuana plants, with no more than three mature flowering plants
producing usable marijuana at any time.

Basically, the patient drug user is allowed to grow his own pot. There is
absolutly no quality control provisions in Ballot Measure No. 8. The
pateints physican would be prescribing "street- grade grass" for an alleged
"debilitating condition.

"Debilitating" is so broadly defined in the bill as a medical condition
that it can easily be misused by the patient, caregiver and or the
prescribing physician.

The psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, tetrahyrocannbinol, is commonly
referred to as THC. Today the THC or psychoactive ingredient in high
quality-street grass is 50 to 100 times stronger than the pot of the 1960's
smoked at the Filmore West, Golden Gate park and the Haight- Ashbury
district of San Francisco. Many of the 1960s free-thinkers are now trying
to push legalization nation wide

Within 50 miles of Anchorage, marijuana with the highest THC content ever
recorded is cultivated, grown, distributed and smoked. This is a very cash
rich crop that sells in the area of $7,000 to $8,0000 per pound. This pot
is raised in ideal indoor growing conditions and grafted to the best
strains worldwide to achieve its exceptional quality.

The grass growing business is do cash rich that individuals are willing to
risk everything to receive the high economic benefit. . Those at the top of
the marijuana distribution chain do not use the product. They know the
effects of marijuana on the mind, body, and soul. It destroys motivation,
understanding and growth in all users, especially Alaska's youths.

Marinol (Dronabinal) is an approved drug that contains the principal
psychoactive substance in marijuana. Physicians prescribe this approved,
quality-controlled drug for symptoms ranging from anorexia in AIDS patients

to nausea associated with Cancer chemotherapy. Street-grade grass is not
needed, nor is it a substitute for Marinol.

The psychoactive effect of marijuana is parallel to Marinol on drug users:
decreased cognitive performance and memory, decreased ability to control
drives and impulses and alteration of reality, including distortions in
perceptions of objects, sense of time, and hallucinations. In addition,
drug users experience mood changes of euphoria, detachment, depression,
anxiety, panic and paranoia. Street pot with no quality control is bad for
any drug user.

Marinol is a controlled substance with high quality control requirements.
Ballot Measure No. 8 has no quality control guidelines. The drug user can
grow his own street grass of unknown psychoactive or THC content.

Ballot measure No. 8 is simply a bad law that creates another large state
bureaucracy. Basically, Alaskans will be forced to pay for the ill advised
control of illegal drug users. In addition, drug user patients, their
caregivers and physicians prescribing the street grass are held harmless
for the consequences of pot use. Alaskan society as a whole must bear the
burden economically and socially of pot users.

How can a well meaning, professional and competent physician prescribe a
psychoactive drug that has not been tested and has no quality control
criteria? The answer is that he or she cannot in good faith and in the best
interest of the patient prescribe psychoactive marijuana without knowing
the potency. Ballot measure No.8 is so poorly conceived and drafted that it
is even a disgrace to the marijuana-legalization movement nation wide. It
appears that the author of ballot measure No. 8 may have been smoking the
product he or she endorses during drafting the bill.

Do not be fooled. Ballot Measure No. 8 is not about helping debilitated
patients, the sick, the infirm or the dying. The act is about crime and
economic greed. Ballot Measure No. 8 is an attempt to misuse the alleged
individual rights to protect individuals and entities that grow,
distribute, sell, transport, possess or use marijuana.

Legalization of marijuana tells Alaska youths that adults believe an
illegal, non controlled street drug can be used responsibly. No drug can
used responsibly when the "prescribing physician" has no knowledge of the
strength of the psychoactive ingredient or THC.

Alaska youths need your support. Vote no on ballot measure No. 8. Approval
of this bill would make it difficult, if not impossible, to reach Alaska's
youths and convince them doing drugs is bad.

Checked-by: Richard Lake