Pubdate: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 Source: Nevada Appeal (NV) Copyright: 2001 Nevada Appeal Contact: http://www.mapinc.org/media/896 Website: http://tahoe.com/appeal/ Author: Lee Eisenstein, Watsonville, Calif. Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n704/a02.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) ANTI-MARIJUANA COLUMN REPUGNANT Guy W. Farmer's states in his dishonest and morally repugnant piece, "Nevada lawmakers tackle medical marijuana," that voters, "saddled state lawmakers with a legal dilemma by approving a "medical marijuana" ballot initiative..." Frankly, Mr. Farmer, if Big Government, (in whose service you have worked), wasn't saddling the taxpayers and citizens with the vicious, counterproductive, fraudulent policy of marijuana prohibition, the voters wouldn't have to take matters into their own hands via the initiative process. For your information, peer reviewed research clearly shows that cannabis has profound medical applications, (including but not limited to), curing or putting into remission two types of "fatal" cancers, slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis, stopping epileptic seizures, relieving asthma attacks, Attention Deficit Disorder and arthritis. The U.S. Government's own Institute of Medicine review of this issue states that for many people, natural cannabis is the only medicine that works. Peer reviewed studies also show that heavy, lifelong cannabis smokers have the same rates of lung disease and levels of pulmonary function as non-smokers. A DEA Administrative Judge has written that cannabis is the safest pharmacologically active substance known to man. In point of fact, cannabis has been at the very center of the human pharmacopoeia, since the beginning of recorded history. Americans are being arrested, imprisoned and in the case of the late, best selling author Peter McWilliams, murdered, by "our" government's war on the sick and dying who use cannabis to ease their suffering and extend their lives. Here's a novel idea for you, Mr. Farmer. Take marijuana and illegal drugs out of the black market and into the light, where they can be regulated. Or would gutting the black market in drugs of it's financial value be bad for U.S. "diplomacy"? U.S. drug prohibition is racketeering, plain and simple. Interested readers, should visit the Media Awareness Project http://www.mapinc.org, http://www.marijunanews.com and http://www.pottv.net for accurate information regarding this important issue. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk