WHY DO WE JAIL PEOPLE FOR USING MARIJUANA TO MEET MEDICAL NEEDS?

Regarding "Medical marijuana advocates' hope renewed" (Oct.
21):

It should be noted that marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug
by Ohio and the federal government.

A Schedule I drug is defined as one that fits all the following
criteria: a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical
use in treatment in the United States and a lack of accepted safety
standards for its use under medical supervision

The last criterion is interesting. It says even a doctor could not use
marijuana safely. Thus, marijuana is considered deadly, addictive and
with no medical use. I challenge Ohio Senate President Bill Harris, an
Ashland Republican who opposes the proposed bill, to prove any one of
those criteria.

The real question is what moral or ethical justification we have for
putting people in jail simply for possessing or using marijuana for
their own medical needs.

Robert Ryan

Ryan is president of Ohio Patient Network.