SUN'S POSITION ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS MISGUIDED AND HEARTLESS

The Sun's editorial on medical marijuana is misguided at best and
heartless at worst ("Md. should go slow on medical marijuana," Jan.
3). It's clear that the reports of the medical marijuana work group
were not reviewed carefully, and so the editorial fell prey to unfair
and inaccurate characterizations.

Both plans recommended by the work group are "go-slow" approaches. One
only has to view the experiences in other states, like California or
Colorado, to see what "go-fast" looks like. Those of us who have
proposed the medical use of marijuana in Maryland have studied the
experiences in those states, and nothing in our plan is like that. We
have also looked at the more balanced approaches adopted in our
neighbor states of New Jersey and Delaware and learned from them as
well.

The editorial's statement that our plan would "immediately have given
doctors wide latitude to prescribe the drug" is completely wrong.
First, nothing would happen immediately because a new oversight board
(either quasi-independent or under the auspices of the Department of
Health) would set up various parameters for use. Second, any physician
who would want to recommend (the use of the word "prescribe" shows the
Sun's unfamiliarity with the issue, as no physician can "prescribe"
medical marijuana) would first need to be approved by this board and
complete a comprehensive training program, and then provide full
clinical information about any patient, the reasons for use, response,
side-effects, etc. Third, there would not be "wide availability" as
stated, but rather carefully monitored use. Further, all the other
concerns raised by The Sun are all addressed by strict oversight and
tracking, background checks on all involved, and frequent reports.

These are detailed in our plan.

There are several problems with the approach The Sun mistakenly
prefers. First, it requires all physicians who might consider
recommending medical marijuana to work at academic research
institutions with physician residency training programs.

This would leave out many perfectly competent and caring physicians
currently working at clinics and offices throughout the state (e.g.
Anne Arundel, Frederick, Carroll and Harford counties, the Eastern
Shore, Western Maryland, and many in Baltimore City and County) from
participating on behalf of their patients.

Under our plan, these physicians would still be able to participate,
but only after successfully completing a training program and being
approved by the oversight board.

Second, the plan only allows patients to obtain marijuana distributed
directly through academic medical centers like Johns Hopkins or the
University of Maryland. Given that it is a federal crime to distribute
marijuana, it is highly unlikely that such centers would jeopardize
substantial federal funding by illegally dispensing marijuana, thereby
failing to achieve the work group's primary objective to "facilitate
patient access to marijuana for medical purposes." Our plan allows for
a tightly controlled, highly structured system of growing and
distribution (including enhanced criminal penalties for any violators)
that is nonetheless feasible and realistic.

The Sun writes, "there is precious little in the way of vigorous
scientific study" about medical marijuana.

In fact, a quick review of the medical literature would reveal that
thousands of studies have been done. We agree that much more research
is needed, but let's also acknowledge that the FDA has itself made
numerous mistakes: just look at Vioxx or Nesiritide-Natrecor, both
billion-dollar FDA goofs that caused irreparable patient harm.

Health Secretary Dr. Joshua Sharfstein's plan might look like it would
do something.

The reality is that it would do nothing, except continue a flawed
status quo. It reflects a basic distrust and disrespect of Maryland's
physicians and patients.

In practice, it does not recognize that there are patients who - after
all conventional treatments have failed (another provision of our
approach) - could get some relief from serious symptoms.

It won't even allow for those who are near death and in hospice
programs to get medical marijuana.

And that's just heartless.

Medical marijuana legislation will be introduced again on a
bi-partisan basis.

We urge Marylanders to read the bills carefully, and we think they
will find that our responsible, sensible, and practical "go-slow"
approach is far better than any others.

Del. Dan Morhaim and Sen. David Brinkley, Annapolis