Pubdate: Sat, 16 Oct 2010
Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Copyright: 2010 The Commercial Appeal
Contact: http://web.commercialappeal.com/newgo/forms/letters.htm
Website: http://www.commercialappeal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/95
Author: Beverly Marrero, Special to Viewpoint
Note: State Sen. Beverly Marrero, a Memphis Democrat, represents 
senate District 30.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?253 (Cannabis - Medicinal - U.S.)

TIME FOR REAL TALK ABOUT MEDICAL CANNABIS

In Aiding Sick, We Should Consider All Resources.

There's an old public service announcement that features a father and 
his son sitting at the breakfast table, eating and not saying a word.

"Another missed opportunity to talk to your child about marijuana," 
the screen reads.

Today, it's time to have a talk with Tennesseans about marijuana, 
albeit within a much more serious context. Thousands of Tennesseans 
suffering from cancer, HIV/AIDS, neurological diseases and 
degenerative muscle disorders are faced every day with a choice:

Try to force down prescription medicines that can be difficult to 
ingest amidst raging nausea or turn to a proven, nontoxic drug that 
is easier to take, often more effective -- and 100 percent illegal in 
Tennessee.

The drug is marijuana, or cannabis, and it has sparked a debate 
across the country concerning its controlled, medical use for 
patients with chronic pain and illness.

In Tennessee, I have sponsored a bill (Senate Bill 2511/House Bill 
2562) with state Rep. Jeanne Richardson to legalize medical cannabis 
in Tennessee under what would be the strictest regulation in the 
country. The drug would be administered by the state Department of 
Health, distributed through Tennessee pharmacies and used only by 
patients with severe and often terminal diseases.

The original bill has received commendation from governments across 
the country and around the world for its thorough look at how to best 
regulate and legalize medical cannabis.

Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have already legalized 
medical cannabis and another 14 states are considering it. Of all of 
them, Tennessee's proposal has been hailed by medical professionals 
and medical cannabis advocates as a model worth following.

The effects of medical cannabis are real, measured and, in many ways, 
unparalleled.

Some opponents to medical cannabis argue that a synthetic form of THC 
known as Marinol already serves as a legal alternative. Marinol's 
limitation to a single ingredient, however, makes it vastly inferior 
to natural marijuana, which contains 60 other cannabinoids that 
alleviate pain and work more effectively to control nausea and 
stimulate appetite.

Some patients cannot even take Marinol, as it must be administered 
orally, an impossibility for severely nauseated patients.

Other opponents oppose medical cannabis on legal grounds. They point 
to lax regulation in California that has, in part, led to a measure 
to allow voters to decide whether to legalize and tax the sale of 
cannabis for adults 21 and older. (California's unprecedented 
economic crisis has also played a major role in the push for legalization.)

But I am sure my Republican colleagues in the Senate will agree when 
I say that we can do better than California. Our proposal, unique to 
Tennessee, would provide strict oversight of a medical cannabis 
program that would both undercut illicit drug sales and earn millions 
in state revenues at a time when our schools, roadways and rural 
communities could desperately use them.

There is, of course, a stigma attached to cannabis use in any form, 
especially in a conservative state like ours. Some find it easier to 
make jokes about marijuana abuse than to hold a serious discussion 
about its proven medical benefits.

Those attitudes changed among some lawmakers, however, when they 
heard the testimonies of Tennesseans like John Donovan, a 25-year-old 
whose juvenile rheumatoid arthritis renders him unable to walk some 
days. Donovan smokes marijuana daily to alleviate severe lower body 
pain because his prescription painkillers leave him unable to eat due 
to nausea.

If we are truly dedicated to loving our neighbor and caring for the 
sick and affirmed, we should consider every resource available to us.

It's time to have a serious conversation about medical marijuana. 
Let's not miss the opportunity.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake