MEDICAL MARIJUANA INFO WAY OFF BASE

Editor, The News:

Dr. William Marrone's ignorance regarding medical marijuana is
appalling ("First pot cards OK'd," April 24).

His claim that "there is nothing in marijuana that is not available in
other medications" is plain false. Marijuana contains more than 70
unique compounds called cannabinoids, several of which have been shown
to provide medical benefit above and beyond the effects of THC, the
chemical that produces marijuana's "high."

For example, cannabidiol has been shown to be a potent anti-
inflammatory and anti-convulsive agent to protect nerve cells from
damage and to moderate the unwanted psychoactive effects of THC.

Marrone touts Marinol, the THC pill, despite the fact that experts
have found oral dosing of cannabinoids to be the worst possible route:
Absorption is slow and erratic, making dose control nearly impossible.
And the American College of Physicians has noted that the psychoactive
effects of the THC pill are "more severe" than inhaled marijuana.

Finally, Marrone seems utterly ignorant of the fact that marijuana
need not be smoked to be used as medicine. Vaporization provides the
fast action of inhalation but without smoke and without the tars and
so forth, that smoke contains.

Readers deserve better than for such ignorance to go
unrefuted.

Bruce Mirken, director of communications, Marijuana Policy Project,
Washington, D.C.