MEDICAL VALUE

I wholeheartedly agree with Tuesday's editorial that marijuana needs to be
made available for testing. There are more than 60 cannabinoids found in
marijuana. There is no question that these cannabinoids have medical value.
Why else would pharmaceutical companies be scrambling to create synthetic
versions of them?

These cannabinoids work in harmony to relieve pain and other medical
problems. The Supreme Court of Florida has already recognized medical
necessity as a defense to criminal charges in certain instances. Other
nations are distributing cannabis and cannabis-based medications via
prescription to those who benefit from its use. Originally it was the
pharmaceutical companies that lobbied against testing the natural plant
because it is easy to grow and there would be no way for them to capitalize
on the natural plant.

Jeff Brown, Clermont