Pubdate: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 Source: Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ) Copyright: 2010 Arizona Daily Star Contact: http://www.azstarnet.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/23 Author: Andrew Myers YES: ALLOW THOSE WITH CANCER, MS, CHRONIC PAIN TO GET This guest opinion was written by Andrew Myers, campaign manager for the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project: Why should Arizonans not be concerned about possible increased crime associated with medical marijuana dispensaries? Proposition 203 would make the medical use of marijuana legal and safely accessible to patients through state-licensed dispensaries. It would establish a tight and sensible system of regulation for the cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana. We have learned a great deal since initiatives in California and Colorado passed about the kinds of regulations that are needed. Unlike the California law, the Arizona initiative restricts the use of medical marijuana to patients with a limited number of serious "debilitating medical conditions." The Arizona law also would limit the number of dispensaries in the state to one for every 10 pharmacies. This means there will only be 124 dispensaries throughout the entire state. How do you respond to the the fact that the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society and the Federal Drug Administration do not endorse marijuana as a treatment for any medical condition? As most people know, medical marijuana provides a real benefit to cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments. It reduces their nausea and allows them to eat so they can maintain their strength and fight to survive. Medical marijuana is also beneficial to multiple sclerosis patients, as it helps reduce muscle spasticity and diminishes neuropathic pain. People with chronic and severe pain also find relief from medical marijuana. In many cases, the use of medical marijuana allows these patients to reduce their dependence on opioids like OxyContin, which are far more dangerous and addictive. The AMA actually put out a statement earlier this year recognizing marijuana's medical efficacy and endorsing increased research with the goal of rescheduling marijuana into Schedule II. For the most conservative medical association in the country, this is a very significant step and a recognition that marijuana has significant medical benefit. Moreover, many other organizations, including the American Public Health Association, the American Nurses Association and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, endorse medical marijuana. Our opponents are cherry-picking and trying to convince voters that marijuana is rejected as medicine by the medical community. That is utterly false. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt