In her Oct.30 editorial page commentary "Medical Marijuana:
Research, Don't Legalize," Dr. Sally Satel implicitly asks for a
moratorium on medical marijuana initiatives until sufficient
research has been done on the drug in "a carefully controlled,
scientific setting. While proponents of medical marijuana
certainly encourage scientific study of cannabis, the reason
ballot initiatives were used to legalize the use of medical
marijuana in Arizona and California in 1996 (several others are
pending) is precisely because the fed-eral government has not
permitted any human studies in more than 15 years.

Meanwhile, there certainty has not been a moratorium on
imprisoning medical marijuana users. In Oklahoma last year
arthritis sufferer Will Foster received a 93 year sentence on a
first offense for growing his own supply of medical marijuana. In
Merced, Calif., Mike Oshorn currently faces 13 years for growing
marijuana for seven AIDS and cancer patients. In Seattle, medical
user Martin Martinez began serving a 90 day sentence for growing
marijuana on the very day Dr. Satel's opinion piece was printed.

Thousands of other examples could be cited.

Dr. Satel writes, "And make no mistake: These initiatives . . -
are stalking horses for outright legalization," and then decries
the fact that a doctor's "oral recommendation" rather than a
prescription would be all that's needed to authorize medical
marijuana use should the upcoming Washington, D.C., initiative
pass. As a doctor, she certainly must be aware that a
prescription cannot be written for a Schedule I drug -- it would
have no legal validity. Also, the "oral recommendation" she
decries may be verified by law enforcement. It's not the normal
route, but it certainly is a legitimate attempt to make the best
out of a sticky legal situation in which cannabis remains illegal
on the federal level, but has been legalized for medical use on
the state level, as in California.

People like me certainly are fighting for the general
legalization of marijuana for adult use, but it's depressing to
me that Dr. Satel thinks that we would hide behind wheelchairs to
achieve our goals. It was legalizers, after all, who
re-discovered and promoted cannabis as medicine, because we
recognized the healing capacity of the herb and wanted those who
might benefit to be aware of its medicinal potential. And that
potential may be greater than most people, even proponents,
recognize. "In my view as a doctor," suggests Dr. Lester
Grinspoon of Harvard, "I believe that this drug is ultimately
going to he seen as a wonder drug on the order of penicillin,
because of its inexpensive cost, its versatility and its
extremely low toxicity.'

If Dr. Satel would call for a moratorium on arresting and
imprisoning medical marijuana users while scientists perform the
studies she calls for, I'm sure both out-right legalizers and
medical-marijuana-only proponents would gladly call a moratorium
on ballot initiatives.

Peter Gorman
Editor-in-Chief
High Times Magazine
New York