Pubdate: Wed, 25 Nov 2009
Source: Oshkosh Northwestern (WI)
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/kGGzeQnS
Copyright: 2009 Gannett Co., Inc.
Website: http://www.thenorthwestern.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2640
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n1033/a09.html
Author: Robert Sharpe

MEDICAL MARIJUANA QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE

Regarding your Nov. 19 editorial, while there have been studies 
showing that marijuana can shrink cancerous tumors, medical marijuana 
is essentially a palliative drug.

If a doctor recommends marijuana to a cancer patient undergoing 
chemotherapy and it helps them feel better, then it's working. In the 
end, medical marijuana is a quality of life issue best left to 
patients and their doctors.

Drug warriors waging war on non-corporate drugs contend that organic 
marijuana is not an effective health intervention. Their prescribed 
intervention for medical marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells 
and criminal records. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug 
warriors should not be dictating healthcare decisions. It's long past 
time to let doctors decide what is right for their patients; sick 
patients should not be jailed for daring to seek relief from medical marijuana.

Robert Sharpe,

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy, Arlington, Va. 
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