LEGAL MARIJUANA SMOKER TOUTS 'GOOD MEDICINE'

DRUGS: Nine states -- Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine,
Nevada, Oregon and Washington -- allow medical use of marijuana.

DENTON--When George McMahon picks up his pain relief medicine, he has to go
through two sets of locked doors and, once home, store it in a locked safe.

He's just done a drug deal, but it's legal.

McMahon, who smokes 10 marijuana cigarettes a day to ease chronic pain, is
one of a handful of patients in the government's little-known medical
marijuana program.

McMahon, 54, was a guest speaker at a public forum Wednesday at the
University of North Texas on the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The
event was hosted by the school's Department of Rehabilitation, Substance
Abuse and Addictions.

The forum, attended mostly by students, was designed to give an overview of
marijuana and research on medical uses of the drug but not be a debate on
the issue.

McMahon, who has a genetic degenerative disease, was an enthusiastic proponent.

"I want to tell you, marijuana's good medicine," McMahon said.

The discussion Wednesday comes amid mixed signals from government agencies
throughout the country.

Nine states -- Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine,
Nevada, Oregon and Washington -- allow medical use of marijuana. However,
it is still illegal under federal law to grow, sell or possess marijuana.
In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against medical marijuana clubs,
stating that there is no medical exception to the federal law against
marijuana.

Then last week, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to let the federal
government revoke doctors' federal licenses for recommending or discussing
the benefits of pot to their patients. The justices declined without
comment to review a lower-court ruling that said doctors should be able to
speak frankly with their patients.

Jess Cline, a UNT psychology student who is taking a drugs and alcohol
class, said government officials need to take a final stance on medical
marijuana.

"I think it shows some of the stupidity of the drug policies that we have,"
said Cline, 22, of Kilgore.

McMahon, who lives near Tyler but declined to give his hometown because of
security concerns, frequently travels to advocate for medical marijuana
legalization. He recently co-wrote a book with former UNT student
Christopher Largen called Prescription Pot: A Leading Advocate's Heroic
Battle to Legalize Medical Marijuana.

The federal government supplies McMahon with 300 prerolled cigarettes per
month at no charge.

McMahon has a rare neurological disease called nail patella syndrome, a
genetic condition that disrupts major organs and causes bones to become
brittle and break easily.

After years of illness, he applied in 1990 to the National Institute on
Drug Abuse to get the drug under the Investigational New Drug Applications
program, he said.

The program was canceled in 1992, but the government continues to supply
seven patients with marijuana, officials said. Eight others in the program
have died, McMahon said.

Research shows that marijuana can relieve pain, stimulate appetite and ward
off nausea. It is used by patients with cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, multiple
sclerosis and other illnesses, said Jim Quinn, a UNT professor of
addictions, corrections and criminology.

"It is a drug that helps some people with chronic illnesses and
disabilities lead full lives," he said. "I think we've got a pretty good
case for this drug's usefulness."

He noted, however, that many experts believe the findings don't merit
further research.

Quinn also detailed several effects of marijuana that can be dangerous to
patients, including cancer, respiratory problems and accelerated heart rate.

McMahon said marijuana helped him become active again and no longer
confined to bed. Traditional medications did not relieve his symptoms, he said.

"I can't take a pill and stop my nausea; they tried," McMahon said. "I
can't take a pill and stop my pain; they tried."

Marijuana information

The main ingredient in marijuana, Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, can
help treat some medical conditions. THC is the main ingredient in a
medicine that relieves nausea for cancer chemotherapy patients.

Marijuana use can impair short-term memory, attention, judgment and
learning skills. Long-term use can lead to addiction and cause increased
risk of chronic cough, bronchitis, emphysema and cancer of the head, neck
and lungs.

SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Forum

A teaching forum "Head, Fed and Med: Views on Marijuana Legalization" is
set for 7:30 to 9 p.m. today at Tarrant County College Northeast Campus,
Student Center.

ONLINE: www.drugabuse.gov

www.trvnet.net/ mmcmahon