IS ORTMAN'S OPINION BETTER THAN A DOCTOR'S?

Is Minnesota state Sen. Julianne Ortman a doctor? What makes her
think that politicians and police are qualified to make personal
health care decisions? While there have been studies showing that
marijuana can shrink cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is
essentially a palliative drug. If a doctor recommends marijuana to a
cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and it helps the patient feel
better, then it's working.

In the end, medical marijuana is a quality of life issue best left to
patients and their doctors. Federal bureaucrats waging war on
non-corporate drugs contend that organic marijuana is not an
effective health intervention. The federal government's prescribed
intervention for medical marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells
and criminal records. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug
warriors are not well-suited to dictate health care decisions.

It's long past time that Congress showed some leadership on the issue
and passed legislation reaffirming the Constitution's 10th Amendment
guarantee of states' rights. States that prefer to cage sick patients
for daring to feel better can continue to do so. The more enlightened
states that have passed compassionate-use legislation should not be
stymied by a federal government that really should have better things to do.

Robert Sharpe

Washington, D.C.

Sharpe is a policy analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy in Washington, D.C.