LEGALIZE THE MEDICINAL USE OF MARIJUANA

The federal government's refusal to acknowledge that marijuana in
small, prescribed quantities has well-documented medicinal uses began
long before former president George W. Bush launched his war on
science. But because no truce has been declared in that war, countless
people are suffering needlessly and dying in pain that might have been
alleviated.

Last week, Lancaster Rep. Evalyn Merrick, a victim of myeloma,
described for her fellow lawmakers how even a minute amount of
marijuana, in her case one puff, was enough to allow her to hold down
food and drink for the first time since her illness worsened. Merrick
is again sponsoring a bill that would allow physicians to prescribe
marijuana for qualified patients under strict and careful guidelines.
Her 2007 version of the bill easily passed the House, but it died from
a threatened veto by Gov. John Lynch. This time, it deserves to sail
through.

Marijuana, for reasons that are still being researched, sometimes
works to alleviate symptoms of illness and the effects of chemotherapy
and other treatments when nothing else does. Synthetic versions of the
banned drug's active ingredients have not worked as well, though that
could change.

At last count, 13 states have passed laws permitting the prescription,
possession and use of medical marijuana, but all those laws are
superseded by outmoded federal laws that are more a product of fear
than science. Among the fearful are lawmakers who worry that if they
vote to legalize medical marijuana, they will be seen as soft on drugs
and crime and thus vulnerable come election. Some courage in the face
of suffering.

The New England Journal of Medicine endorsed the use of medical
marijuana more than a decade ago, and thousands of people have been
helped, often through the use of illegally procured supplies. The
reality is that marijuana is readily available, and when someone is in
great pain or dying, fear of prosecution is a small barrier. Only the
ill who are old or isolated have difficulty obtaining it.

It's wrong to make criminals of people who had the terrible misfortune
of being struck down by disease. As Belmont Rep. James Pilliod, a
physician, says, marijuana is much weaker and less dangerous than many
pain relievers doctors can prescribe legally.

Since the strength of the drug varies widely, it's currently
impossible to administer a standard dosage. And smoking anything
negatively impacts health. But since overdosing is virtually
impossible, patients should, within reason, be allowed to determine
what dose works for them.

Enforcement of anti-marijuana laws by the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration has been a problem, but unlike Bush, President Obama
sees the issue as one of states' rights. He has said that he intends
to stop the raids on medical marijuana facilities and the arrests of
patients who use the drug.

If, as we assume, Merrick's bill passes the House again, we hope that
the medical profession and other sufferers who benefit from using the
drug will meet face-to-face with Lynch and state senators to let them
know that a "no" vote will condemn some of their constituents to
needless pain and suffering.