Pubdate: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 Source: Capital Times, The (WI) Copyright: 2003 The Capital Times Contact: http://www.captimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73 Author: Jim Miller Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1543/a04.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) DEAN SHOULD TALK WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS I was the person that asked Howard Dean at his Madison rally if he could justify jailing patients who use marijuana for medical purposes. I was not a heckler, as your story characterized me. What I actually said was "Multiple sclerosis patients in England will have prescription marijuana (in the form of a sublingual spray) this year that MS patients here would be arrested for having." When Mr. Dean responded that his position on this issue "is a little complicated" I added "my wife died in June after battling multiple sclerosis for 32 years and marijuana was of great help to her." It was then that he decided to talk about medical marijuana for a couple of minutes. His comment that he would direct the Food and Drug Administration to do a yearlong review of all studies and abide by their decision is a sham. He is well aware that the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has already done a 1 1/2-year review -- at former drug czar Barry McCaffrey's behest -- which concluded that marijuana is medicine for a number of ailments, but smoking is not the best method of ingestion. Dean's best comment was saying he was reluctant to promise action of the issue "for the same reason I'm pro-choice: I don't like politicians making medical decisions." I couldn't agree with him more. It was the Congress that decided marijuana has no medical utility in 1970 when it passed the Controlled Dangerous Substances Act. Dr. Dean is right. That politically motivated decision should not stand. I was at the Dean rally to ask questions that dying Americans deserved to have answered. If we are the greatest country in the world, why do we have to look to England for the results of medical marijuana testing that is not allowed to be done here? Why will MS patients in England soon have less pain or spasticity than American MS patients? Why did Cheryl, the light of my life, have to die in more pain that was necessary? When will candidate Dean start talking to medical marijuana patients instead of talking about them? Jim Miller Silverton, NJ - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin