Pubdate: Sun, 12 Jun 2005
Source: Tennessean, The (TN)
Copyright: 2005 The Tennessean
Contact:  http://www.tennessean.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/447
Author: Susan Harmon
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

DESPERATELY ILL PEOPLE DESERVE ALL TREATMENTS

To the Editor:

You may know someone who wears a copper bracelet for his arthritis, or
another who drinks vinegar and says it helps her. You may take vitamin
C or echinacea at the first sign of a cold. All "cures" that have
little to no scientific research to support them. Some doctors argue
that unproven cures, including marijuana, should not be used.

Certainly, marijuana presents many more concerns than vitamin C, but to
claim that it has no curative effects is to ignore one basic fact in
medicine - people are individuals and may not respond to the same
treatments. If this were not true, there would be no need for multiple
cures for diseases.

But back to the lack of scientific research to support the claims.
Some studies have been done in the past, but the government has a
difficult time investigating a forbidden drug while at the same time
putting money in "just say no" efforts.

Certainly we can't expect drug manufacturers to spend money
investigating a product that has little to no potential profit for
them - consumers can grow their own cure in the back yard.

I'm not advocating widespread use of marijuana. But those with severe
chronic pain, or those suffering from a fatal disease deserve to try
every approach possible to ease their pain.

Who is so unfeeling as to tell them to suffer in silence? Not
me.

Susan Harmon

Murfreesboro
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