MISINFORMATION ABOUNDS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

I am writing in response to proponents of "medical marijuana." Let me begin
by stating that I have a great deal of respect for Nelson Randolph and that
which he accomplished during his law enforcement career. Further, let me
express my sympathy for Jim and Cheryl Miller -- which I have done before
- -- for Cheryl's suffering. But also let me state that the incorrect and
dangerous information that they all disseminate does great harm to the
public and only leads to more confusion regarding the drug marijuana.

For some unexplainable reason, Nelson appears to have gone from a tough,
hard-lined, unbending defender of our traffic laws to the standard bearer
for the Libertarian Party -- any government is too much government. How he
can make such uninformed statements as the following is beyond my
comprehension.

"Whether or not the prevailing medical community accepts marijuana as
having accepted medical use is of little or no consequence as it does, in
fact, work for some people who suffer from a plethora of medical
afflictions" ... "even now doctors and medical professionals are unable or
unwilling to prescribe sufficient analgesics or pain medication to
suffering patients because of the thuggish (emphasis added) practices of
the Drug Enforcement Administration" ... "maybe the effects of Nelson's
unexplained urologic procedure went beyond its purpose.

Perhaps a recitation of the true facts about marijuana might give Mr.
Randolph and the general public a clearer view:

One recent study involving roadside checks for reckless drivers, of those
not impaired by alcohol, 45 percent tested positive for marijuana.

Of the 5.6 million Americans suffering from illegal drug dependence, 62
percent are dependent on or are using marijuana.

More young people in drug treatment are there due to marijuana dependency
than for dependence on alcohol and for all other illegal drugs combined.

As a factor in emergency room visits, marijuana has risen 176 percent since
1994 and now surpasses even heroin.

Smoked marijuana contains three to five times more tar and carbon monoxide
than tobacco.

Marijuana abusers are four times more likely to report symptoms of
depression, and have more suicidal thoughts than those who never used the drug.

Marijuana smoke will damage the lungs 20 times faster than smoking ordinary
tobacco. Smoked marijuana weakens your lungs' antibodies, leading to a high
incidence of upper-respiratory problems.

Smoked marijuana weakens your immune system.

Marijuana smokers develop cancer 15 to 20 years younger than expected.

HIV carriers who smoked marijuana progressed to full-blown AIDS twice as
fast as non-smokers.

Marijuana affects your ability to perform even simple tasks more so than
any other drugs and lasts up to 24 hours.

The results of recent studies show that long-term memory loss is linked to
marijuana use; marijuana ups heart attack risk; cancers of the head, neck
and mouth are linked to marijuana use; marijuana use compromises fertility
of both men and women; chronic marijuana use may increase risk of stroke.

And finally, we are constantly being told that marijuana not only cures a
number of serious illnesses, but at the very least relieves some distress.
Unfortunately, they never tell us that marijuana as a medicine has been
rejected by the American Medical Association, the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society, the American Glaucoma Society, the American Academy of
Ophthalmology or the American Cancer Society. They do, however, often cite
incompletely the ongoing research of the Institute of Medicine. Although
they often reference the fact that the IOM endorsed further clinical trials
on the efficacy of marijuana as a medicine they never speak of how the IOM
discusses the dangers of smoked marijuana. In fact, the IOM indicates that
if some of the chemicals in marijuana prove useful as medication, they
should develop a new delivery system that does not involve inhaling harmful
smoke.

This information is withheld simply because most of those who champion
medical marijuana want to smoke it -- if not they would already be using
the available, medically approved and prescribable pill Marinol, which is a
pill that contains synthetic marijuana. This whole medical marijuana
argument is and has been a hoax to try to get public support for legalized
drugs!

TERRENCE P. FARLEY, Director, Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force