Pubdate: Fri, 03 Jan 2003
Source: Wisconsin State Journal (WI)
Copyright: 2003 Madison Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wisconsinstatejournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/506
Author: Gary Storck

ALLOW MEDICAL MARIJUANA

In your editorial commending the FDA for rescheduling the antihistamine 
Claritin so it can be sold without a prescription, "FDA sees clarity in 
Claritin case" (Dec. 5), you, without attempting to do so, make a great 
case for the FDA rescheduling another therapeutic agent: medicinal marijuana.

The fact remains that marijuana, or cannabis, has been safely used by 
millions of people over the past 10,000 years or longer. The side effect of 
rescheduling cannabis so physicians can at least prescribe it? It gives 
millions of Americans another tool to treat a wide variety of ailments and 
a little more control over their own health care.

Despite years of polling demonstrating Americans overwhelmingly support 
relegalizing medical marijuana, including a recent Time Magazine poll 
pegging support at 80%, the FDA remains too politicized and beholden to the 
pharmaceutical industry to admit the truth about medical marijuana. And 
millions of Americans pay the price because a dishonest and corrupt FDA 
would rather let Americans suffer and die needlessly than allow them to use 
a God-given nontoxic herb, cannabis, that remains safer than any drug the 
FDA ever approved.

- -- Gary Storck, Madison
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