MEDICAL MARIJUANA MAY SOON BE LEGAL IN CT

The movement across the United States to legalize medicinal marijuana has
finally reached Connecticut. Last week, a bill, proposed by State
Representative Cameron C. Staples (D-New Haven) was passed through a
Connecticut State Legislature committee that would allow doctors to certify
the prescription of marijuana to patients with debilitating diseases such
as cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma. The cultivation of marijuana by the patient
or caregiver would also be legal if the bill is passed into law.

Throughout the United States, a number of states have legalized medicinal
marijuana. These include Nevada, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii,
Alaska, and Maine. Should the bill pass, Connecticut would be one of the
few Eastern states to be a part of the group.

Keith Stroup, director of The National Organization for the Reform of
Marijuana Laws (NORML), said that several other states are also considering
similar legislation this year. According to Stroup, "Seven [states] have
passed such bills through voter initiative." He stressed that a recent poll
run by Time/CNN revealed that 80 percent of the population supports the
federal legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

NORML lobbies for the decriminalization of both recreational and medical
uses of marijuana. The organization, which does not have a local chapter in
Connecticut, focuses primarily on the overreaching decriminalization of
marijuana. Despite their general focus, Stroup emphasizes that NORML, as
well as other organizations, such as Efficacy in Connecticut, have become
deeply involved in the legislation for medicinal marijuana.

Opinions on the decriminalization of marijuana use for medicinal purposes
range from those who are in full support to those who are vehemently
against it. While those in the medical community have mixed opinions, some
medical experts do concede that marijuana is valuable as a medicinal drug.

"Marijuana is an anti-emetic [a drug that inhibits vomiting] and therefore
it can help people who have cancer and are on chemotherapy," Jeansok Kim, a
psychopharmacology professor at Yale, said. He also emphasized that
marijuana stimulates hunger and contains analgesic properties that
alleviate symptoms in patients suffering from chronic or acute pain.

Kim said that he would support a bill that legalized marijuana for
medicinal use. He worries, however, that the gates blocking the legal
access of the drug would be flooded with people who were not in true need.

Kim said that stringent regulation would be required to keep marijuana in
the hands of the right people because "individual doctors may have
differing opinions about what constitutes the need for marijuana."

Although many in the medical community have declined to take a strong
stance on the subject, there are several reports that state the use of
marijuana for the terminally ill is appropriate in certain cases. The
Institute of Medicine found that, in light of the effects marijuana
(anxiety reduction, appetite stimulation, nausea reduction, and pain
relief), the drug may be suited for treating some conditions, such as
chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and AIDS wasting.

Those who oppose such legislation believe that the addictive properties and
other psychoactive effects of marijuana should be considered and researched
further before legalization.

Although many Yale students may not be directly affected by the bill, the
legalization of marijuana is certainly a topic that sparks discussion.
Sharon Goott, SM '06, is enrolled in a political science course where drug
legalization and criminalization is a featured topic. She said, "The laws
regarding marijuana use are not enough of a deterrent for most users."

Goott believes that when considering the legalization of marijuana for
recreational use, the harm of smoking marijuana must be balanced with the
potential benefits of the state control and regulation of the drug.

"[But] for the terminally ill, if you have a doctor's consent, where is the
deviant behavior? I don't see the problem," Goott said.

The decriminalization of marijuana for recreation may be further off, but
legislation regarding its medicinal uses is clearly at the forefront of
lobbyists' agendas. Stroup, of NORML, emphasized that "elected officials
are nervous, confusing a public health initiative with crime legislation."