FACTS ABOUT POT WILL WIN OVER TIME

Pretty straightforward story but for one strange bit of
misinformation: It states that Schedule 2 drugs must be prescribed by
a physician, but this doesn't have to happen for cardholders under the
medical marijuana program (State gives marijuana a new classification,
July 1). Yet that's exactly how one becomes a "cardholder."

A physician must formally declare that a person has a medical
condition for which cannabis is effective treatment. In other words, a
physician prescribes cannabis for the individual, just as with any
other controlled drug. "Potential for abuse" is of course very subjective.

If we were starting today, without the baggage of distorted hysteria
from 80 years of marijuana prohibition, there's little question that
marijuana would be classified as Schedule 4 or, at most, Schedule 3.
But sometimes incremental steps are better than no steps at all, and
facts usually prevail over time.

Jim Gardner

Southwest Portland