MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS FUNNY?

To those severely ill patients who need medical cannabis to keep their AIDS
medications down or to those with chronic pain trying to avoid narcotics,
the medical marijuana laws are not funny. The law should be a life saver,
but confusion rules due to the lack of "guidelines." Attorney General Bill
Lockyer has told the counties it's up to them to assist implementation of
this necessary but vague law.

I sat on a panel with District Attorney Mike Ferguson at the Arts Center
last year during our "medical marijuana" school. He is working hard to
separate the good guys from the bad guys. He is getting expert help in
establishing local guidelines, which we hope will be adopted soon. Local
patients and caregivers are assisting Mike and the sheriff in establishing
these guidelines.

Such guidelines should be based on science and reason like the ones in
Sonoma, Del Norte, and many other counties. The Board of Supervisors should
assist in maintaining an open dialogue on this issue, and the sheriff needs
to train and instruct officers appropriately.

Many patients are too sick or otherwise unable to grow their own medicine
and thus rely on caregivers. Let the DA inspect, permit, and protect such
patient cooperatives while directing law enforcement to the serious
problems of hard drugs and crime.

Jay R. Cavanaugh, Ph.D.

National Director

American Alliance for Medical Cannabis