Pubdate: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 Source: Boston Weekly Dig (MA) Copyright: 2002 Boston Weekly Dig Contact: http://www.weeklydig.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1515 Author: Mark Lehrer Note: headline by newshawk DRUG COMPANIES WANT TO KEEP MEDICAL MARIJUANA ILLEGAL Dear Dig, Your article titled "Medical Marijuana, Myth or Miracle?" is excellent. The key factors with medical marijuana and government approval are obviously political, not scientific. A huge percentage of government budgets are allocated for drug war funding, and marijuana is the No. 1 enemy. Therefore, every government department has an innate resistance to any letdown in marijuana enforcement. Also, consider that the most profitable industry of the last decade, pharmaceuticals, doesn't want to see cheap medicine available. Instead of allowing cancer patients to grow their own marijuana for close to $0, they want to force them to spent $200/month for less effective Marinol. Rather than allow patients and scientists to discover the benefits of marijuana, they want to patent each cannabinoid while keeping the source plant illegal. The lobbying ability of these companies is amazing, and they have especially close ties to the Bush family. There is no way that they will let marijuana drop to schedule 2 without a fight. Mark Lehrer, Salt Lake City, UT - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D