LEGALIZE MARIJUANA FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES

Marc Hansen's May 3 column on the debate over the medical use of cannabis
outlined clearly something most Iowa lawmakers fail to understand: This
issue has nothing to do with children ("Human Suffering Gets Lost in
Medical Marijuana Debate").

Iowa Sen. Keith Kreiman will tell you we need to protect children by
denying cannabis to dying patients. The problem is there is no
justification for that position.

The research that has come back from states that permit the medical use of
cannabis overwhelmingly shows no increase in the teenage use of the plant.
And the belief that providing medication to terminal patients will imply
that the medication is OK for kids to use for fun is inherently flawed.

Does our culture condone child use of morphine or cocaine (both legal for
doctors to prescribe) or Xanax or Valium or any of the numerous
prescription meds to which we are exposed? Of course not.

No state has ever voted down a medical-cannabis initiative. No
public-opinion poll of which I am aware (I've looked at quite a few) shows
less than 50 percent support. Iowa recognizes the medical value of cannabis
in its own state code, and even the Democrats' party platform has a
provision of support.

Being opposed to medical use of cannabis doesn't mean you're protecting
children. It means you support pain, suffering and jail for friends and
family who suffer from cancer, HIV/AIDS, chronic pain or any other
condition for which cannabis has been proven medically effective.

George Pappas

Iowa City.