PRESCRIBED POT GOOD MEDICINE

State Rep. Mark Cohen identified the principal obstacle to passage
of his bill to legalize medical marijuana, when he announced the
effort last week.

The problem is broad public identification of the drug with its
illegal use rather than with its potential as a legitimate
therapeutic drug for people suffering from several types of cancer,
Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma.

If marijuana wasn't called marijuana, but was introduced anew as an
inexpensive pain reliever or appetite stimulant that is effective
under medical supervision and less addictive than many other
prescription drugs, it easily would be included among the roster of
regularly prescribed drugs.

Already, 13 other state governments don't care that the drug is
called marijuana; they have approved it for regulated medicinal use.

A great many Pennsylvanians share that view. Mr. Cohen cited an
independent Franklin & Marshall College poll of the 2006 Senate race
between Sen. Bob Casey and then-Sen. Rick Santorum, which asked
about medical marijuana, among other issues. It found that 76
percent favored state-regulated use of marijuana as
prescribed medicine, while only 20 percent opposed it.

Mr. Cohen's bill, unfortunately, was treated in Harrisburg as
something of a curiosity, but it should be treated as serious
medicine in behalf of patients who could benefit from its legitimate use.

New York and New Jersey also are considering regulated legal use of
medicinal pot. Pennsylvania should approve it.