MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS LEGAL, SO SAFE ACCESS NEEDED

Dr. Dora Ann Mills, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control
and Prevention has said that, "There are no valid studies that show
marijuana effectively treats the many conditions most proponents purport."

But over the past 10 years, 23 studies have appeared in peer-reviewed
journals demonstrating the efficacy of marijuana as a treatment for
conditions ranging from neuropathic pain in HIV patients to bladder
dysfunction in advanced multiple sclerosis.

Even if Mills disagrees with the conclusions of these studies, she
should respect the ability of other physicians to make their own
informed choices about the best ways to treat patients suffering from
debilitating diseases.

The people of Maine voted in 1999 to allow seriously ill patients to
have legal access to marijuana if their doctors believe it will help
them. The question before us now is how to provide those patients with
access to their medicine in the safest and most reliable way possible.

Maine's public health officer should be working to achieve that goal
- -- not using her position to disseminate a personal opinion with no
scientific basis.

Question 5 on November's ballot would provide for the establishment of
a system of tightly regulated non-profit dispensaries to provide
qualified patients with access to marijuana for the medicinal purposes.

People with diseases like cancer and multiple sclerosis shouldn't have
to rely on the black market for the medicine that will ease their
suffering. Vote "yes" on Question 5.

Sean Donahue

Sumner