Pubdate: Tue, 01 Apr 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: Stephen Heath GOVERNMENT MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS DRACONIAN Letter writer Terrence Farley's recitation of the Office of National Drug Control Policy propaganda points about medical marijuana greatly misleads your readers. No credible promoter of marijuana-law reform claims that marijuana 'cures' anything. What it clearly does, according to the testimonies of more than 30,000 registered patients and more than 1,000 physicians in California and Oregon, is provide varying levels of relief for symptoms related to a number of medical conditions, most notably cancer and AIDS. These patients have learned that, for them, marijuana can be more useful than those often addictive, heavy-duty FDA-approved narcotics. Additionally, he wrongly calls Marinol 'synthetic marijuana.' In fact, it is only synthetic THC, the primary ingredient of a plant with more than 400 active components. Chemotherapy and AIDS-wasting patients have great difficulty using oral medications and, because of Marinol's concentration, many patients tell us that they risk becoming too 'stoned' to successfully function in their regular home and work duties. Patients without insurance also must be able to afford the cost of Marinol, which can easily top $500 monthly. Most importantly, Farley totally ignores the most relevant question relating to medical marijuana. If patients and their doctors review Farley's long list of alleged effects relating to marijuana use and elect to use it anyway, should they be subject to criminal arrest, prosecution and confinement to a prison cage? Obviously, President Bush, Attorney General John Ashcroft and Farley believe the answer is yes. Thankfully, more than 80 percent of Americans disagree with such a harsh, Draconian policy. Readers who think likewise should contact their federal representatives and ask for support of a bill sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., that will call for the federal government to respect state laws on medical marijuana. STEPHEN HEATH Public Relations Director, Drug Policy Forum of Florida - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens