MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Marijuana use has been shown to affect short-term memory, disrupt
cognitive functions and lead to depression and anxiety. Studies have
also demonstrated links between massive marijuana usage to
occurrences of heart attack, stroke and abnormalities in the brain.

Despite these dangerous consequences, a national survey by the
Department of Health and Human Services showed that nearly 95 million
Americans over the age of 21 have tried marijuana at least once.
Roughly 7.1 million Americans abuse illegal drugs, and more than 60
percent abuse marijuana. In fact, our country is currently struggling
to control this substance and make it very clear that policies must
be initiated that will further restrict access to the drug versus
granting permission to obtain the substance.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which opposes the use of
smoked marijuana, is the federal agency that certifies what drugs are
safe and those that have a medicinal benefit. It is critical that
scientific research be conducted to determine the ramifications of
smoking a potentially dangerous substance. In 2006, the FDA declared
that marijuana has a high potential for abuse and that there is a
lack of accepted safety for its use, even under medical supervision.
The very idea of ingesting a "medicine" by smoking it is counter-intuitive.

On Dec. 15, the New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior
Citizens Committee approved the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical
Marijuana Act by a 6-1 vote, with two abstentions. The proposed bill
would permit patients, who are diagnosed by a physician as having a
debilitating medical condition, to smoke marijuana either by
cultivating up to six plants themselves or having it provided by a
state-authorized personal caregiver. The legislation would also
empower the Department of Health and Senior Services to establish
alternative treatment centers to produce and dispense marijuana for
medical purposes to those possessing a registry identification card.

This legislation is reckless public policy. I empathize with the
stories described by the bill's supporters of the relief that smoking
marijuana gives those with debilitating diseases, but I fear that New
Jersey would be making a mistake bearing unforeseen and unintended
consequences if we think we can systematically control who will have
lawful access to a controlled and dangerous substance. The pitfalls
associated with this policy are many and the opportunity for misuse
and abuse are plentiful.

The Senate committee stated that medical research suggested that
smoking marijuana may alleviate pain or other symptoms associated
with certain medical conditions. Yet, there have been no studies
conducted by the FDA to substantiate this claim.

In fact, the Greater North Jersey chapter of the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society weighed in on the issue in 2003, when, in its
newsletter, it stated that "it is important for everyone to realize
that we still do not have the necessary scientific information to
determine the safety and efficacy of marijuana for medical use in MS."

Further, the Multiple Sclerosis Society's Information Sourcebook,
which was last updated in 2005, advised that "based on studies to
date, it is the opinion of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's
Medical Advisory Board that there are currently insufficient data to
recommend marijuana or its derivatives as a treatment for MS.
Long-term use of marijuana may be associated with significant serious
side effects."

New Jersey, like the other 13 states, is in the process of
sidestepping the protocol for approving medications. Questions
regarding the use and effectiveness of medicine are for the FDA to
answer, not special-interest groups, not individuals and not the
state Legislature.

I am sensitive to the pain that individuals endure from disease, but
that does not make it appropriate to sanction the medical use of
marijuana. The ends do not justify the means. The implications of
this legislation are far-reaching, with an increased opportunity for
abuse. In addition, I am not convinced that a secure system can be
put into place that ensures the responsible production, delivery and
monitoring of medical marijuana.

Allowing either the patient or their caregiver to possess six
marijuana plants for harvesting, or creating alternative treatment
centers to dispense this product should raise a red flag to those
concerned with executing sound public policy. The average marijuana
plant can produce anywhere from one to five pounds of smokeable
materials per year, resulting in a total harvest of anywhere between
six to 30 pounds of marijuana. Who will oversee its output and ensure
that patients do not over-medicate, or that the excess production is
not diverted to those who use marijuana for recreational purposes? I
would argue that New Jersey is opening a Pandora's box by traveling
down this road.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lists marijuana as
a Schedule I drug as classified by the Controlled Substances Act,
which defines drugs in this category as being the most restrictive
for use due to their high potential for abuse and addictiveness.
Products in this category are also found to have no currently
accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. It is not
surprising that the DEA does not endorse the use of smoked marijuana
for medical purposes.

What is troubling about this legislation is the message that it sends
to our youth. I have seen firsthand the devastation that drugs and
alcohol bring not only to the individual who uses these products, but
to their families and friends, as well. We should not be in the
position of trying to justify to young people that smoking marijuana
under certain circumstances is permissible, but unlawful and harmful
under others.

While we strive to be a compassionate society, there must be a
balance between alleviating or managing pain and creating a system
that potentially does more harm than good. The road that medical
marijuana legislation is traveling is laden with potholes. There are
too many unanswered questions regarding this serious public policy
issue to justify its becoming law. And once the box is opened, it
will be difficult to return its contents and close the lid if things
do not work out.