MEDICAL MARIJUANA: PART II - INFORMATIVE AND ACTIVISM

Every complex issue presents a variety of viewpoints, and the use of
marijuana for medicinal purposes is no different. While anecdotal evidence
is growing that there may be legitimate medical use for the drug, the
federal government has determined that marijuana is illegal under any
circumstance.

The Physician: When blackness is a virtue And the road was full of mud.

Just after the voters of California passed Prop. 215, the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) sent letters to California physicians, which stated
that marijuana was an illegal drug by federal law and that they may not
prescribe it.

A family practice physician in North County, who asked to remain anonymous,
said that two patients have approached her regarding medical marijuana. Her
response to the patients was that the federal government had determined
that it was illegal and that she does not prescribe it.

When taking a medical history, this doctor will ask her patients about
marijuana use, but she does not note their response in their medical
record. About the issue of recommending medical marijuana, the doctor said,
"I'm undecided," although she felt that the risks of smoking marijuana
outweighed any benefits her patients might gain.

Compared to available anti-anxiety drugs, the doctor said, "I thought [that
marijuana] was less toxic than taking anti-anxiety medications and [that
the patient] hadn't responded to any other medication." She directs some
patients to the magazine The Reader, where classified ads list sources for
marijuana. At the same time, she tries to dissuade patients from trying
marijuana and encourages them instead to try an alternate medication.

The Federal Government: I came in from the wilderness A creature void of form

The focus of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the safety and
regulation of food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and electronic
devises that emit radiation. While the FDA approves products for use,
based on the reports of clinical trials submitted by manufacturers, it is
not a research and development organization.

The FDA also has legal jurisdiction over interstate commerce, but it does
not enforce laws that are enacted by individual states. The FDA does not
license doctors or pharmacies, nor does it police restaurants or health spas.

In the case of new drugs or pharmaceuticals, the FDA approves them for
marketing. Their goal is to protect patients from the risks associated with
unapproved or insufficiently tested drugs. Marijuana, along with cocaine
and heroin, has been labeled a "schedule one drug," which means it is one
of the most restricted. The FDA has determined that marijuana has a high
potential for abuse and no medicinal value.

The DEA has taken the same stance and has prosecuted "cannabis clubs," a
co-operative of growers in California who grow marijuana specifically for
distribution to patients who are seeking the plant for medicinal use.
However, the DEA website contains a news release from November of 2001,
which announced that the DEA would allow researchers to register with the
agency in order to develop "studies with smoked marijuana in human subjects."

While the government continues to maintain that growing and using marijuana
for any reason is illegal, it is allowing limited and closely regulated
research in order to determine whether there is, in fact, any medicinal use
for marijuana.

What's Next: Come In, she said, I'll give you shelter from the storm.*

The controversial issue of medical marijuana continues to be debated. On
one side, there is the government, at the federal, state, and local levels.
Local law enforcement and some citizens are worried about an increase in
crime if marijuana use becomes legal, widespread, and acceptable. On the
other side, there are patients seeking relief from debilitating, and
sometimes life-threatening pain. In the middle are the physicians, who are
caught between wanting to treat their patients and not wanting to risk
losing their licenses by prescribing or procuring an illegal drug.

While patients can try to lobby drug companies to produce medication that
is as effective as marijuana without the risks, that takes time and money.
Often, time and money are what these patients don't have.

*"Shelter From the Storm" Bob Dylan copyright 1974