LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Copyright (c) 1997, The Hearst Corporation
Doctors and marijuana

As a physician who has been a member of the California
Medical Association for over 25 years, I am frankly
disgusted by the pusillanimous attitude of current
leadership toward medical marijuana. Their latest idea
that a physician be allowed to "discuss" use of medical
marijuana with a patient in his office but not, heaven
forbid, recommend it or do anything to further the
patient's acquisition, is ludicrous. The idea that such an
inane position could be endorsed by anyone as "progress" is
nothing short of nonsense.

The obsequious plea of AMA and CMA to the parties in
the lawsuit to accept these "guidelines" as a basis for
settlement is disgraceful. All the government has conceded
thus far is that we still have a First Amendment. It has
refused to back down from threats to prosecute physicians.

No settlement short of rescheduling marijuana to
Schedule 2 or an ironclad guarantee of immunity for
physicians who recommend its use in appropriate cases
should suffice. One of the fears expressed by the drug
prohibition lobby in opposition to Proposition 215 was
that it would further the cause of "legalization" of
marijuana and other drugs. It has worked that way, but
hardly in the manner predicted. Instead, 215 has been a
giant canopener exposing the worms hidden within our
national policy of drug prohibition. It is a policy
completely lacking moral, logical or scientific support.

Thomas J. O'Connell San Mateo