Pubdate: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 Source: Las Vegas City Life (NV) Copyright: 2004Las Vegas City Life Contact: http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1653 Author: Christopher Largen Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1730/a02.html THE MEDICAL BENEFITS OF THE NACKY WEED Regarding "Smokin' issue" [Dec. 2]: If federal officials are correct in maintaining that marijuana has no medical value, then why has the federal government been growing and distributing it to sick and dying people? On the other hand, if marijuana is medicinal, then why are federal authorities arresting patients, closing clinics and violating the rights of states to resolve this issue independently? My best friend and co-author would not be alive today without federally grown marijuana. After enduring 19 major surgeries and being given 17 pharmaceutical substances on a daily basis, he was close to death. For the past 14 years, he has smoked 10 government-issued joints a day. During this time he's had no surgeries or hospitalizations, and he no longer takes any pharmaceutical drugs. He is living proof that marijuana has medical value. And yet the federal government has never commissioned or published a study on this patient. It's as if they don't want confirmation of what they already suspect. It's too late, though. The genie is out of the bottle. Christopher Largen Co-Author of Prescription Pot Denton, Texas - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake