Pubdate: Wed, 22 Sep 2010
Source: East Bay Express (CA)
Copyright: 2010 East Bay Express
Contact: http://posting.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/SubmitLetter/Page
Website: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1131
Author: Leonard Krivitsky

CANNABIS CURES

Those who oppose medicinal cannabis should be really ashamed of
themselves. There were several scientific studies published just
recently that confirmed cannabis' effectiveness in such diverse
conditions as chronic pain, muscle spasms, malnutrition, and glaucoma.

Cannabis is also being shown by the most current addiction medicine
research as a potential "exit" substance for former alcoholics, hard
drug, or even prescription drug abusers to help them stay off those
substances. A very recent study just published called the so-called
"gateway drug" theory "half-baked." I simply always called it a
fantasy. Both the American Medical Association and the Institute of
Medicine are in favor of medicinal cannabis, and the Canadian
government even pays for this natural remedy for their veterans!

There is growing evidence that cannabis may help prevent such
disastrous conditions as cancer and Alzheimer's disease, and a very
recent study just published denies any connection between smoking
cannabis and the risk for lung cancer!

According
to the prestigious Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook, 4th Edition,
cannabis use suppresses violent behavior and "only the unsophisticated"
think otherwise.

What we all need to do is reject these baseless, anti-scientific scare
tactics of the "opponents" and pass the medicinal cannabis legislation
all across the nation, not just in California or Arizona!

Leonard Krivitsky,
MD, Philadelphia
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MAP posted-by: Matt