Pubdate: Tue, 24 Sep 2002
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)
Copyright: 2002 Santa Cruz Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/394
Author: James Wolke

THE POLITICS OF POT DEBATE

I can sympathize with those who use medical marijuana to relieve pain and 
possibly contribute, however, limited, to the quality or comfort of their 
life. But in leveraging the desire of most to help the sick, there are 
those, not necessarily by intent, whose own political agenda benefits from 
an alignment to the medical marijuana movement. If the real value of 
medical marijuana is cultural rather than medicinal, then time will define 
and resolve the argument through medical research. I do have some 
difficulty accepting the premise that inhaling smoke into one's lungs is 
beneficial.

It also seems that before medical marijuana user were patients, they likely 
participated in a little recreational marijuana. It's rather obvious that 
medical marijuana is an integral part of a person's life. I expect that 
those who have never used the drug would be knocking down the doors of the 
local marijuana farmer once they get sick. Clearly, those who promote 
medical marijuana are prejudiced by experiential use prior to their 
illness. My intent is not to trivialize the circumstance associated with 
those who depend so dramatically on the appropriation of medical marijuana, 
but I worry about exaggeration that camouflages motives predisposed to 
lifestyle self-preservation.

So let the folks smoke their pot if it helps keep the nausea down and the 
appetite up, but smoking marijuana should certainly be kept from young 
people and those susceptible to "snake oil" salesmen for all the purported 
reasons commonly associated with keeping marijuana illegal.

JAMES WOLKE

WATSONVILLE
- ---
MAP posted-by: Tom