NURSES GROUP SUPPORTS MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE

Regarding the letter, "Misinformation abounds on medical marijuana" (Ocean
County Observer, Feb. 24), below, is the text of the resolution on medical
marijuana that was adopted by the New Jersey State Nurses Association at
its last convention in Atlantic City. The New Jersey State Nurses
Association Resolution Concerning Therapeutic Marijuana:

A number of New Jersey residents would benefit from access to therapeutic
marijuana as a form of treatment for their health problems.

Whereas: Marijuana has been used medicinally for centuries, and marijuana
was widely prescribed by physicians in the United States until 1937, and;

Whereas: Marijuana has been reported to be effective in: a) reducing
intraocular pressure in glaucoma; b) reducing nausea and vomiting
associated with chemotherapy; c) stimulating the appetite for patients
living with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and suffering from
the wasting syndrome; d) controlling spasticity associated with spinal cord
injury and multiple sclerosis; and;

Whereas: Patients not helped by conventional medications and treatments may
find relief from their suffering with the use of marijuana, and;

Whereas: The relative safety of marijuana has been established and the
benefits associated with medical marijuana use would outweigh any potential
adverse effects, and;

Whereas: Nurses have a fundamental responsibility to promote health, to
prevent illness, to restore health and to alleviate suffering, and;

Whereas: Thirty-three states have passed legislation recognizing
marijuana's therapeutic value, and eight states have removed criminal
penalties for use, possession and cultivation of marijuana for medical
reasons, and;

Whereas: Ten State Nurses Associations, the American Nurses Association,
the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association
and various other health-related associations have favorable positions on
medical marijuana education and/or use, therefore;

Be it resolved that The New Jersey State Nurses Association:

Recognizes the therapeutic value and safety of medically recommended
marijuana; and,

Recognizes the effect of second-hand smoke on those in the immediate
therapeutic environment; and,

Supports legal access to medically recommended marijuana for patients in
New Jersey who are under the care of a licensed health-care provider; and,

Urges the Governor of New Jersey and the New Jersey State Legislature to
move expeditiously to make medical marijuana legally available to New
Jersey residents who can benefit from it.

A recent CNN poll indicated that 80 percent of the American public believes
that marijuana should be available to patients who can benefit from it,
despite the government's campaign of disinformation. The percentage of
nurses who believe in medical marijuana is somewhat higher. A Nursing
Spectrum poll from the tri-state area (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and
Delaware) a few years ago showed that 96 percent of the nurses who
responded had a favorable opinion of medical marijuana. The NJSNA
resolution in Atlantic City passed unanimously.

It is this nurse's opinion that marijuana is a safe, effective and
inexpensive therapeutic agent that should be available to anyone who can
benefit from it, but decide for yourself. An excellent resource, besides
those cited in the resolution, is www.marijuanainfo.org

KENNNETH R. WOLSKI, Trenton