POT PANACEA?

State Politicians Considering Legalization Of Marijuana

This is the second story in a series of ongoing articles exploring
various aspects of illegal drugs and their use in the United States.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The debate about medical marijuana isn't quite as divided as the
debate about overall legalization, but it is still a somewhat
polarizing issue. Twelve states have followed the lead of California
and adopted legislation to make marijuana available to patients in
need and New York may be the next state to do the same.

Currently, New York State politicians are considering a piece of
legislation (S-4041A) that would legalize marijuana for medicinal use
in accordance with the recommendations of a medical professional, and
different people have different opinions about that.

Jamestown Police Chief Rex Rater discussed the issue with The
Post-Journal recently, and said that although he is against the
general legalization of marijuana, he may be open to the idea of
medically prescribed marijuana use.

"I philosophically object to the overall legalization of marijuana and
believe that decriminalization has gone as far as it should," Rater
said. "But if I had a terminally ill loved one who had a limited time
left on this Earth, and the doctor told me that it would ease their
pain, I would not object. I'm not a doctor and don't know if it would
help, but if the doctor told me it would, I'd support it."

Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace said that he isn't in favor of
medical marijuana, and he believes that there are better alternatives
available to ill people.

"My gut reaction is that there are other substances which are FDA
approved which are a better tool than giving someone pot," he said. "I
just don't believe it is a good idea."

Dan Bernath, the assistant director of communications for the
Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington-based lobbying firm, said that
the medicinal use of marijuana can make a difference in the lives of
ill people and that its benefits outweigh any downsides.

"It's not a question as to whether marijuana is right for every
patient, it's more about giving a doctor a full range of tools to
choose from to treat their patients," Bernath said. "For some
patients, a manufactured pill may be the best bet but not all drugs
affect everyone the same, and for many people, marijuana simply works
better with less side effects."

TO EACH STATE THEIR OWN

Each state has the ability to make its own decision about the issue,
but as California learned under the Bush Administration, federal
agencies retain the right to raid distribution centers and growing
operations and sometimes incarcerate terminally ill patients in the
process, all to enforce federal laws.

"When Obama was campaigning, he had said several times that it was a
waste of federal money and resources to go after medical marijuana
states with the Drug Enforcement Administration," Bernath said. "And
recently, Attorney General Eric Holder vowed to end raids on medical
marijuana clubs in those states, which is a big change in policy from
the previous administration."

The 180 degree turn in attitude toward a state's right to choose was
characterized by Bernath as a "sign of respect," although Obama did
say that if state and federal laws are being violated in s similar
situation, it would warrant the use of federal resources.

"California is a different kind of animal with the way their medical
marijuana law is worded. Their law is much looser and only 11 lines
long, compared to the New York bill which is about 11 pages long,"
Bernath said. "New York follows the lead of the 12 other states and
builds upon a 15-year success record. Unlike California, the other
states who legalized medical marijuana have never really had a major
problem with federal interference. The New York bill is very detailed
and concise, and it truly protects the patients from arrest and limits
potentials for abuse."

MARIJUANA AND OTHER DRUGS

One argument against legalizing marijuana for medical use revolves
around the plant being smoked, as the health risks from smoking
cigarettes are well documented and a popular point of comparison. But
the jury is still out as to whether marijuana smoke is not as bad as
cigarette smoke or much worse, as there are studies funded by
different groups with very different conclusions.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana smoke
contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco
smoke, but not every study draws the same conclusions.

Bernath said that the debate about smoking marijuana is dated, since
there are a variety of different delivery methods a patient can choose
with their doctor's recommendation.

He explained that a vaporizer offers patients a clean delivery method,
as no combustion takes place.

"With a vaporizer, the marijuana is heated to the point where the
cannabinoids are released and inhaled in a vapor," he said. "It is a
clean delivery method as no ignition or combustion takes place and the
effect is immediate, like with smoking."

Cannabinoids are a group of substances or compounds found in
marijuana, some of which are known to provide the medical benefits
advocates argue for.

Marinol, a legal pharmaceutical derivative of marijuana, is basically
a synthetic THC, which is the main psychoactive substance in the
plant. It has been prescribed to patients with cancer and AIDS in an
effort to stimulate appetite and decrease nausea.

While some schools of thought feel that marinol is as far as American
society should go toward using the cannabis plant for medical
applications, Bernath said that there is a bigger picture to look at.

"THC is only one cannabinoid and there are at least 60 others which in
combination bring different therapeutic benefits," he said. "Plus,
it's difficult for chemotherapy patients to keep a pill down, so many
just struggle through the terrible nausea and vomiting."

Doctors may be the most-qualified people to decide whether marijuana
does indeed hold a positive medical potential, and there are a slew of
them on each side of the equation. As Bernath himself said, each drug
on Earth has its side effects and marijuana is no exception.

But when it comes to weighing out the pros and cons between marijuana
and other treatment options, there is a real possibility that doctors
in New York will soon be the ones making the decisions.