MARIJUANA IN MEDICAL USE ESSENTIALLY A PALLIATIVE DRUG

Regarding Loretta Nall's thoughtful Sunday guest column ("Drug war
politics hurt medical marijuana in state," Viewpoints), while there
have been studies showing 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 him feel better, it's working. In the end,
medical marijuana is a quality-of-life decision best left to patients
and their doctors.

Drug warriors waging war on noncorporate 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 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 marijuana.

Robert Sharpe

Policy analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, D.C.