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
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D