Pubdate: Fri, 18 May 2001 Source: USA Today (US) Copyright: 2001 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc Contact: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nfront.htm Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466 Authors: Tricia Marrapodi Tucson, Ariz.; Richard L. Levine Columbus, Ohio; Toni Anzalone Zirker Greensboro, N.C.; Joel Feirman Brooklyn, N.Y. MARIJUANA BAN MAKES PATIENTS 'VICTIMS' OF U.S. GOVERNMENT I see that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to ban the manufacture and distribution of marijuana for medical purposes ("Court bars medical marijuana: U.S. law trumps health claims," News, Tuesday). I wonder when the government will accept the fact that patients benefit tremendously from the use of marijuana to control nausea. Does the government fear addiction for dying patients as well? The United States lost the "war on drugs" a long time ago. We have a president who had a drinking problem and decided to "grow up" and "choose my wife over Jack Daniels" at the age of 40, and prisons that are commonplace for drug trading, not to mention the availability of drugs on the streets of this country. Now we have the Supreme Court ruling against a drug that will help the severely ill, such as cancer patients. Perhaps these patients are not victims of cancer and other merciless diseases, but they are certainly victims of our government. Tricia Marrapodi Tucson, Ariz. *********************************** COURT MERELY BACKS CONGRESS USA TODAY and virtually all other media outlets do a disservice to the American people by reporting that the U.S. Supreme Court "bars medical marijuana." The Supreme Court decision upheld a law passed by Congress when it found that that law did not violate the Constitution. The reporting seems to have confused the roles of the various branches of government and implies that the Supreme Court made a value judgment on the underlying question. On this issue, the focus should be directed to Congress, not the court. Richard L. Levine Columbus, Ohio **************************************** NO 'LEGAL' RELIEF FROM PAIN I can only hope that Justice Clarence Thomas and his colleagues who sided with his opinion never find themselves in the position of having an illness or condition in which there is no "legal" relief from intolerable pain. Having been in a serious auto accident this past summer, I can knowledgeably report that the "legal" drugs patients receive in the hospital hardly take the edge off the extreme level of pain such as what I experienced for a prolonged period of time. In addition, these drugs often cause the side effects of severe nausea/vomiting, headaches, constipation and other such negative consequences, which ultimately increase the amount of misery the patient has to endure. I have the deepest empathy for anyone who is dealing with these issues on a more long-term or terminal basis. While our society is quick to criticize those such as Dr. Jack Kevorkian, it is incredibly ignorant of what it is really like to experience such an overwhelming degree of pain for an indefinite period of time. Having been in such a position for only a temporary period of time, I can understand how a patient would reach the conclusion that this kind of life is no longer worth living and resort to extreme measures to end his or her own suffering. As a mother of teenagers, I am a vocal advocate against illegal drugs for recreational purposes. However, using some of these same drugs to aid in pain relief for which "legal" drugs are not effective is a different issue entirely. For all of our high-mindedness about what is right and wrong, our society, as reflected in the decisions of our justices, lacks what is needed to make a truly informed opinion on this subject: experience and compassion. Toni Anzalone Zirker Greensboro, N.C. *********************************************** SHAMEFUL COURT DECISION The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on medical marijuana hurts the weakest of the weak and the sickest of the sick ("Medical marijuana backers vow to continue their battle," News, Tuesday). The court says there are no proven medical benefits in its use. But it knows that a federally funded study several years ago determined that, indeed, marijuana showed significant medical benefits and recommended that it should be legalized for patients who need its benefits immediately to reduce their suffering. Shame on the Supreme Court. Joel Feirman Brooklyn, N.Y. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom