WAR ON DRUGS PICKS WRONG TARGET IN MARIJUANA

The Obama-appointed "drug czar" Gil Kerlikowske, a former Seattle
police chief said, "Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal
benefit." His July 22 press conference was reported in the Fresno (Calif.) Bee.

This is a rather startling statement, given the fact that the
Institute of Medicine, American Nurses Association, American Public
Health Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine and many other
medical organizations recognize marijuana's medical value. Even
President Obama's own statements about marijuana's medical efficacy
run counter to Kerlikowske's assertion.

In November 2004, 62 percent of Montana's voters approved Montana's
medical-marijuana act. Montana was the 10th state to approve medical
marijuana. As of July 21, 2,975 patients and 935 caregivers have
signed up with the Department of Public Health and Human Services to
obtain a medical marijuana card, and 204 physicians have given
recommendations to patients.

A case study of an actual patient who used medical marijuana will be
instructive: The patient suffered an industrial accident four years
ago that injured three lumbar vertebrae. Until beginning the use of
medical marijuana six months ago, the patient had lost 10 pounds and
was largely confined to the house. Upon beginning use of marijuana,
the patient was able to discontinue Neurontin (for nerve pain),
Flexeril (for muscle spasm), Restoril and Phenergan (for sleep),
lorazepam (for anxiety) and Percocet (for break-through pain). Use of
Oxycontin has been cut in half, and increased appetite has made
possible the gaining back of her lost weight. The patient has been
able to resume a more normal life although isn't able as yet to go
back to work.

Despite the overwhelming evidence of the effectiveness of medical
marijuana as in that case, the U.S. government - mainly through the
National Institute on Drug Abuse - has routinely blocked and
discouraged any scientific inquiry into the medical effectiveness of
marijuana. Alan Leshner, Ph.D., has been the head of the Institute
since 1995. Portions of a letter to him from Donald I. Abrams, M.D.,
professor of clinical medicine at University of California-San
Francisco may be instructive regarding the attitude of NIDA.

"I was not only disappointed by the flat-out rejection of the
request, but also by the way this matter has been handled by your
institute. .. To receive the first communication from your office
nine months after we sent the initial submission is offensive and
insulting. ... Obviously, your letter leaves no door open for further
discussion as to how this pilot study could be modified. In the words
of the AIDS activist community: SHAME!"

In the 1990s, when Bill Clinton was president, Walter Cronkite
stated, "Just about every American was shocked when Robert McNamara
acknowledged that the war in Vietnam was 'wrong, terribly wrong.'
That's a mistake we must not make in this 10th year of America's
all-out war on drugs." Nineteen years later, we are still involved in
this needless, damaging and futile policy of drug prohibition.

Ultimately, legalization of marijuana needs to happen. As
spokespersons for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition affirm,
"Nothing which is illegal can be controlled."