RECOGNIZING MARIJUANA'S MANY MEDICINAL BENEFITS

Millions of Americans use marijuana on a regular basis - last year
alone 700,000 were arrested on charges related to the small,
benign-looking plant.

While the majority of cannabis smokers are recreational users, some of
them have turned to marijuana for its medicinal properties.

The current U.S. policy against medicinal cannabis is hypocritical and
needs to be reevaluated in terms of its benefits to society.

A study from a group of Australian researchers, published last month
in the Journal of the American Medical Association, claims that
long-term marijuana use impairs memory and concentration.

But according to Mary Lynn Mathre, a University addictions consulting
nurse, widely publicized studies "are mostly on the negative effects
of marijuana."

The health benefits of smoking cannabis must be explored as well, in
order to balance the preponderance of research that does not support
medicinal marijuana.

Mathre has had the chance to observe first-hand the long-term effects
of cannabis usage.

Of the few patients who were allowed long-term legal access to
marijuana under a federal program terminated in 1992, the only adverse
effects were minor ones such as bronchitis, Mathre said.

Many physicians and researchers claim that for patients who are likely
to benefit from marijuana usage, such long term side-effects are irrelevant.

Medical experts cite significant benefits to patients suffering from a
variety of diseases.

For example, experts say smoking cannabis can alleviate the negative
effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea and vomiting.

Marijuana also seems to be the only treatment that keeps glaucoma
patients from going blind.

The issue was brought to public attention in the 1970s and 1980s when
police arrested glaucoma patients for growing marijuana at home.

Defendants claimed they resorted to marijuana after all available
legal treatments failed.

Several synthetic marijuana derivatives such as marinol are available
by prescription. But these cannibis substitutes often are
prohibitively expensive and less efficient than actually smoking marijuana.

Furthermore, unreasonable federal regulations have made it difficult
for researchers to determine the efficacy of marijuana
derivatives.

Donald Abrams, clinical medicine professor at the University of
California-San Francisco, has been trying to compare the effects of
inhaling marijuana smoke with those of marinol, but "could never get
it done," because of restrictive government regulations.

Abundant anecdotal evidence, however, suggests marijuana can help
reduce the side effects of AIDS chemotherapy.

The "treatment we give often causes nausea and [marijuana] seems to
give some sort of relief," Abrams said.

Allowing chemotherapy patients to smoke cannabis would alleviate their
suffering and perhaps aid in their recovery.

Amid the controversy surrounding marijuana, many researchers and
physicians agree it is amazingly safe to use.

According to Denis Petro, a practicing neurologist and member of the
Patients Out of Time board of directors, there have been no reported
cases of fatal cannabis overdoses.

Petro claims in his book "Cannabis in Medical Practice" that
"considering that hundreds of people die each year of aspirin
overdose, one can only be impressed by the safety of cannabis."

For patients in advanced stages of diseases such as AIDS and cancer,
marijuana can provide a reasonable and effective solution.

Many Western European countries and Canada now allow medicinal use of
cannabis.

California and several other states, while not explicitly legalizing
recreational cannabis, exempt seriously ill people from prosecution
for its medical use.

This policy is highly appropriate, and lawmakers in all states should
follow the Golden State's example.

Last year the Supreme Court overruled the California law, however,
making it much harder for patients to obtain marijuana legally for
medical purposes. Justices showed a lapse in judgment by striking down
this progressive legislation.

Supporting legal access to medical marijuana should not be confused
with promoting illegal drug trade. Regulated access to cannabis only
will aid in eliminating its criminal market.

No matter what one's position is on the federal policy against illegal
drugs, however, we must all realize that allowing desperately,
sometimes incurably sick people access to medical marijuana is humane
and morally justified.