Pubdate: Tue, 05 May 2009
Source: Pantagraph, The  (Bloomington, IL)
Copyright: 2009 Pantagraph Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.pantagraph.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/643
Author: Paul Swiech
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEBATE GOES LOCAL: COMPASSIONATE OR TOO RISKY?

BLOOMINGTON -- Legalizing marijuana use for chronic pain relief would be a 
compassionate move and its time has come, supporters said. But opponents 
argue that allowing marijuana -- even for medical reasons would open the 
door to all sorts of abuse.

Thirteen states allow marijuana use for medical reasons. Illinois 
legislators are considering a bill that has more support this year than 
when it was defeated in the Illinois Senate in 2007.

Senate Bill 1381 says when a person is diagnosed with a debilitating 
medical condition, the patient -- with his or her physician's permission -- 
would be allowed to have up to seven marijuana plants and two ounces of 
cannabis for medical reasons.

Advocates -- such as the Marijuana Policy Project, a nationwide group argue 
that marijuana may provide pain relief from cancer, HIV/AIDS and other 
diseases because it reduces inflammation and relaxes people, and may help 
control spasticity associated with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis 
and Parkinson's disease, and agitation associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Marijuana also may reduce nausea from chemotherapy because the primary 
active ingredient in marijuana has a calming effect on the stomach, and may 
discourage loss of appetite in HIV/AIDS and cancer patients because 
marijuana encourages people to eat, supporters said.

Opening Pandora's Box?

Detractors argue that the risks of legalizing marijuana use outweigh the 
benefits.

Are we going to open a Pandora's box?" asked state Rep. Dan Brady, 
R-Bloomington.

Brady opposes the legislation because -- though well-intentioned -- the law 
would be difficult to enforce. If marijuana became legal for medical 
reasons but remained illegal for non-medical reasons, how would police 
enforce the law?

People would abuse it," Brady contended. "Some people would get the drug 
legally and use it for illegal means or would take it from someone using it 
for medical reasons."

State Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, also opposes the bill, saying 
"Illinois is not equipped to monitor medical marijuana."

Dr. Ramsin Benyamin, medical director of Millennium Pain Center in 
Bloomington, treats chronic pain patients for whom conservative treatments 
have not worked. Most of his patients have chronic back pain. Some of his 
patients are on opioid medicines delivered by pill, patch or pumps 
implanted into a patient's body. For most patients, those medicines provide 
some relief, Benyamin said.

As far as the benefit (of medical marijuana), there is no good scientific 
evidence to prove a major advantage of marijuana over currently prescribed 
and legally used pain medicines," Benyamin said.

Any benefit would be outweighed by the risk of the marijuana being abused, 
he said. In addition, many patients would smoke the marijuana after the 
medical community has been successful in getting people to quit smoking 
cigarettes.

My opinion is the risk outweighs the possible benefit," Benyamin said.

Dr. Robert Sawicki, medical director of OSF Home Care Services, said 95 
percent of symptoms for patients seeking pain relief are managed with 
available therapies, such as medicines, implantable pumps and surgeries.

In the studies I have read, the evidence in favor of medical marijuana is 
not very compelling," Sawicki said. "If it would be no better or worse than 
what is already out there, why bring it to market?"

But Gregg Brown, a Bloomington environmental activist who favors 
legalization of medical marijuana, pointed to an Illinois Nurses 
Association position paper that says cannabis has been used throughout the 
world for medicinal purposes for centuries and may be used safely under 
doctor supervision. The paper further argues that marijuana use does not 
lead to morphine, cocaine or heroin addiction and that there is a growing 
body of scientific evidence supporting cannabis use.

Seth Satorius, an Illinois State University student and secretary of the 
ISU chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy, said the U.S. 
government has not allowed clinical trials of marijuana and that's why 
there isn't more scientific evidence. But small scale research indicates 
relief of symptoms from AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis.

Legalizing marijuana for medical reasons won't encourage people to smoke 
cigarettes, Brown said. Medical marijuana also may be breathed using a 
vaporizer or baked into cookies or brownies and eaten, he said.

As for the risk-of-abuse argument, advocates said that exists with any 
medicine.

With states that have approved it (medical marijuana), the social order is 
not falling apart," Satorius said.

A survey by the Marijuana Policy Project showed 68 percent of Illinoisans 
support allowing seriously and terminally ill patients to use medical 
marijuana if their doctors recommend it.

The public is right on this," Brown said.
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