Pubdate: Tue, 27 Apr 2010
Source: Sonoma State Star (Sonoma State U, Edu)
Copyright: 2010 Sonoma State Star
Contact: http://www.sonomastatestar.com/home/lettertotheeditor/
Website: http://www.sonomastatestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4862
Author: Lauren Hopson

MEDICINAL MARIJUANA CARDS LET PUBLIC SMOKE LEGALLY

Although marijuana is currently illegal, anyone over  the age of 18
with a doctor's note can get their hands  on it.

Cannabis clubs, companies that sell medical marijuana,  have been
popping up all over northern and southern  California, since medical
marijuana was legalized in  1996.

Even here in Sonoma county, billboards line the highway  advertising
the easy access to these marijuana clinics.  Dial a 1-800 number and
anyone can have the information  at their finger tips about how to
purchase marijuana  legally.

However, in order to even enter a club, each person  must possess a
medical marijuana card or a doctor's  recommendation in order to
receive a cannabis card.

Finding a doctor to write a letter of recommendation  for use of
marijuana can be difficult because of its  illegal nature, but there
are some doctors who believe  strongly in the power of medicinal marijuana.

"Therapeutic use of marijuana has a history spanning  over 4,500
years," said Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D and  professor of psychology at
SUNY.

Marijuana has been popular throughout the years for its  recreational
uses, but the medicinal purpose seems to  be just as popular because
of its natural healing  powers.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders believes  that marijuana is
less toxic than many of the drugs  that physicians usually prescribe.

Many of the people who possess a cannabis card do so  because they
would rather smoke an herb than take  prescription drugs that are
sometimes accompanied by  harsh side affects.

A close friend of mine who had constant headaches took  prescribed
medication but never got the same relief as  he did from smoking marijuana.

After he came to the conclusion that smoking "weed"  helped way more
than any pill did, he went straight to  his doctor and pleaded for a
note of recommendation for  a medical marijuana card.

After he got a doctors note and received his cannabis  card, he can
now purchase marijuana legally, get relief  from his migraines, and
discontinue his use of  prescription drugs.

Other students say that they wanted a cannabis card so  that they
could smoke without the worry of getting in  trouble with cops.

The treatment of headaches and back pain with marijuana  is still very
taboo and although some doctors are  willing to recommend marijuana
usage, others are still  very skeptical about whether the patients'
pain is  truly helped with marijuana, or if they want it simply  for
recreational use.

For the most part, doctors recommend marijuana use to  patients
suffering from more serious conditions and  diseases, such as cancer
or AIDS, but the fact that  this herbal remedy has proven to take away
a migraine,  nausea from chemo therapy, or harsh symptoms of AIDS,
shows how helpful and powerful this herb really is.

This herbal remedy has been proven to not only reduce  nausea and
increase appetite for cancer patients but  also relieve pain.

Although there are prescription drugs that can also  help, most of
these patients are already consuming  various toxins due to chemo
therapy, and marijuana is a  more natural way to reduce the side
affects of chemo.

Not only has marijuana been proven to be less toxic  than prescription
drugs but there has also been no  proof that it has any negative side
affects.

According to Lester Grinspoon M.D. of Harvard Medical  School,
inhaling a days' dose of poor quality city air  poses more of a threat
than inhaling a days dose of  marijuana.

There are hundreds of positive qualities for medical  marijuana use,
as well as hundreds of cons.

The cons believe that medical marijuana can be a  gateway to hard
street drugs, that it is addictive, and  that there are other options
to treat the ill other  than smoking or ingesting marijuana. However,
the pros  insist that marijuana is not a gateway drug, but it is  just
easier to find.

Legalization of marijuana may appear on the ballots  within a few
years time but until then, if you're going  to be smoking a blunt-you
better have your cannabis  card handy! 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D