LET DOCTORS DECIDE ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

To the Times:

While there have been studies showing that marijuana can shrink
cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug.

If a doctor recommends marijuana to a cancer patient undergoing
chemotherapy and it helps them feel better, then it's working. In the
end, medical marijuana is a quality of life issue best left to
patients and their doctors.

Drug warriors waging war on non-corporate drugs contend that organic
marijuana is not an effective health intervention.

Their prescribed intervention for medical marijuana patients is
handcuffs, jail cells and criminal records. This heavy-handed approach
suggests that drug warriors should not be dictating health care decisions.

It's long past time to let doctors decide what is right for their
patients; sick patients should not be jailed for daring to seek relief
from medical marijuana.

ROBERT SHARPE, MPA

Policy Analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.