MEDICAL MARIJUANA: A USER'S SMOKESCREEN

I write in response to the guest opinion article "Medical marijuana:
Opening Pandora's box?" (Jan. 20) by Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini, who
is right to question the unintended consequences of this New Jersey
legislation which seeks to allow medical use of marijuana. Times readers
should know that most people with fatal diseases are not smoking pot --
they are under the care of legitimate doctors and are receiving valid
medicines to treat their ailments. This dangerous bill would allow
widespread marijuana use and fraudulent claims of illness for all drug users.

In cities like San Diego, where this issue has been closely examined, only
2 percent of those smoking marijuana under the guise of medicine have
serious conditions such as AIDS, glau coma or cancer. A full 98 percent are
"treating" minor conditions such as back and neck pain, anxiety, muscle
spasms, insomnia, headaches and other less significant conditions. But even
more troubling is that 12 percent of the users are under the age of 21.

Crude marijuana is not prescribed by a doctor because it has not been
approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Crude marijuana can
never pass FDA standards for several reasons: It is neither safe nor
stable. In fact, it is particularly dangerous to patients in an already
weakened condition. Even marijuana in its FDA-approved pill form is a
third-tier medication and not often prescribed by doctors.

After researching the efficacy of marijuana for medicinal use, the
Institute of Medicine concluded that although there may be value to some
compounds found in cannabis, there is no future for smoked marijuana as a
medicine.

As a drug policy expert with more than 25 years experience in the field, I
can assure you that for every symptom of every illness, there is a better
medicine, a bet ter therapy than so-called medical marijuana. Please ensure
that your legislators are not misled -- it is much more compassionate to
ensure sick people are not being exploited by those who just want to make a
quick buck peddling snake oil.

- -- CALVINA FAY, St. Petersburg, Fla.

The writer is executive direc tor of Save Our Society From Drugs.