Pubdate: Sun, 02 Mar 2003
Source: Ocean County Observer (NJ)
Copyright: 2003 Ocean County Observer
Contact:  http://www.injersey.com/observer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1212
Author: Kim Hanna 
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n309/a08.html

MEDICAL MARIJUANA SERVES A HUMANE PURPOSE

Terrence Farley, first assistant Ocean County prosecutor, should know that
practicing medicine without a license is a crime.

I'd like to book him.

One day somebody he knows or loves might need marijuana for medicine and
he'll wish he had it legally.

This article is replete with fabrications.

Your newspaper should have a higher standard than printing Farley's
"job-protecting" rant.

As a brief reply, I'll state that marijuana is wrongly scheduled by the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Agency in Schedule 1.

To be in Schedule 1, a substance must be dangerous.

Neither Farely or the DEA can document a single fatality from using
marijuana -- not one -- therefore, it can't be in Schedule 1.

There are 100,000 deaths per year from legally supplied and FDA-approved
prescription drugs.

Neither Farely nor the DEA can document a single case of lung cancer from
smoking only marijuana. Not one.

People do not smoke marijuana like tobacco (packs per day) cigarettes.

Most medical marijuana users take just a few puffs of cannabis (marijuana)
to relieve their symptoms.

There is hardly a cancer risk there.

When you're on your death bed or sleeping in your own vomit from
chemotherapy, it is incumbent upon a just society to provide you with
anything that will help you deal with your illness.

Unfortunately, America is a highly unjust country, as evidenced at every
turn of our nation.

KIM HANNA Worcester, Mass.
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MAP posted-by: Josh