Legalize The Medicinal Use Of Marijuana

[User]

The federal government's refusal to acknowledge that marijuana in small, prescribed quantities has well-documented medicinal uses began long before former president George W. Bush launched his war on science. But because no truce has been declared in that war, countless people are suffering needlessly and dying in pain that might have been alleviated.

Last week, Lancaster Rep. Evalyn Merrick, a victim of myeloma, described for her fellow lawmakers how even a minute amount of marijuana, in her case one puff, was enough to allow her to hold down food and drink for the first time since her illness worsened. Merrick is again sponsoring a bill that would allow physicians to prescribe marijuana for qualified patients under strict and careful guidelines. Her 2007 version of the bill easily passed the House, but it died from a threatened veto by Gov. John Lynch. This time, it deserves to sail through.

Marijuana, for reasons that are still being researched, sometimes works to alleviate symptoms of illness and the effects of chemotherapy and other treatments when nothing else does. Synthetic versions of the banned drug's active ingredients have not worked as well, though that could change.

At last count, 13 states have passed laws permitting the prescription, possession and use of medical marijuana, but all those laws are superseded by outmoded federal laws that are more a product of fear than science. Among the fearful are lawmakers who worry that if they vote to legalize medical marijuana, they will be seen as soft on drugs and crime and thus vulnerable come election. Some courage in the face of suffering.

The New England Journal of Medicine endorsed the use of medical marijuana more than a decade ago, and thousands of people have been helped, often through the use of illegally procured supplies. The reality is that marijuana is readily available, and when someone is in great pain or dying, fear of prosecution is a small barrier. Only the ill who are old or isolated have difficulty obtaining it.

It's wrong to make criminals of people who had the terrible misfortune of being struck down by disease. As Belmont Rep. James Pilliod, a physician, says, marijuana is much weaker and less dangerous than many pain relievers doctors can prescribe legally.

Since the strength of the drug varies widely, it's currently impossible to administer a standard dosage. And smoking anything negatively impacts health. But since overdosing is virtually impossible, patients should, within reason, be allowed to determine what dose works for them.

Enforcement of anti-marijuana laws by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has been a problem, but unlike Bush, President Obama sees the issue as one of states' rights. He has said that he intends to stop the raids on medical marijuana facilities and the arrests of patients who use the drug.

If, as we assume, Merrick's bill passes the House again, we hope that the medical profession and other sufferers who benefit from using the drug will meet face-to-face with Lynch and state senators to let them know that a "no" vote will condemn some of their constituents to needless pain and suffering.


News Hawk: User: http://www.420magazine.com/
Source: Concord Monitor
Author: Monitor staff
Copyright: 2009 Concord Monitor and New Hampshire Patriot
Contact: http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dl...TATICPAGES0603
Website: Concord Monitor - Legalize the medicinal use of marijuana

[Dloo420]

Any word on Obamas plans to stop the raids?