PATIENTS DON'T NEED GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION WITH MEDICINE

Editor: Recently, some guy from Madison felt the need to share his concern
with readers regarding the "potential liability for physicians who
recommend marijuana as medicine". He claims to be worried that the FDA has
not approved medical marijuana. The attempt by the government to insure
consumers against the risk of using drugs and medical devices has failed
all too often. FDA regulations have often prevented consumers from gaining
access to new life-saving drugs. The costs of FDA regulation of these
markets has likely run into possibly hundreds of billions of dollars and is
composed of higher drug prices, fewer drugs, and more and lengthier
illnesses and earlier deaths for hundreds of thousands of Americans.
(www.cato.org/dailys/1-29-97.html) Congressman Obey has visited the
district recently, concerned about the costs of prescription drugs. Perhaps
it is time that he take a hard look at the FDA. Obey deserves credit for
voting to end federal interference with state laws on medicinal marijuana.

Studies indicate that marijuana provides symptomatic relief for a number of
medical conditions, including nausea and vomiting, stimulating appetite,
promoting weight gain, and diminishing intraocular pressure from glaucoma.
Patients and physicians have also reported that smoking marijuana provides
relief from migraine headaches, depression, seizures, insomnia and chronic
pain, among other conditions.

A simple drug price reform would be to legalize medical marijuana in
Wisconsin so some patients could grow their own medicine. Polls indicate
that a huge majority of Wisconsinites favor having the option of medical
marijuana. More churches have taken positions of compassion regarding the
Government and the Drug War. (www.uudpr.org/) When this issue comes up
again in our Legislature, let's get the grassroots behind it so
politicians, physicians, and patients know we want the government to get
out from between patients and their medicine.

Jim Maas

Stevens Point