LETTER OF THE WEEK

MARIJUANA HELPED CRITICALLY ILL YOUTH

By Don McGrath

Regarding the recent article "Trenton is the next battleground in
marijuana fight," the two quoted opponents of legalizing marijuana
for medical use rely on arguments that are simply false.

While both Terrence Farley and David Evans maintain that this bill is
actually a ploy to legalize marijuana for recreational use throughout
the state, that is clearly not the case.

The bill in the N.J. Senate restricts use to seriously ill patients.

They also argue that only FDA tested and approved drugs should be
allowed for patients.

A few years ago, my youngest son was diagnosed with cancer at one of
the leading hospitals in New York.

After trying all available, but ineffective, FDA-approved medications
to relieve the pain and nausea of his cancer and associated
chemotherapy, his medical team recommended "off the record" that he
use marijuana.

He did, it was effective and it extended his life by 18 months before
he died in 2004.

While that was not an FDA-approved test, it certainly was not a "hoax."

Farley's and Evan's position that only FDA-approved drugs are
acceptable as medicine would change quickly if they had a child with
the same diagnosis.

It's unfortunate that only a bad dose of reality would likely open
either of their very closed minds to marijuana as a medicine.

DON McGRATH

Robbinsville

Pubdate: Sat, 03 Jun 2006

Source: Ocean County Observer (NJ)