Pubdate: Fri, 30 Nov 2012
Source: Pantagraph, The (Bloomington, IL)
Copyright: 2012 Pantagraph Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.pantagraph.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/643
Author: Paul Swiech

MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL COULD BE VOTED ON NEXT WEEK

BLOOMINGTON - Medical marijuana is a proven pain reliever and its
legalization won't turn thousands of Illinoisans into stoners, argue
people who favor medical marijuana legislation that could be voted on
next week in the Illinois House.

"Medical marijuana has been shown in numerous studies to work," said
Pete Guither, faculty adviser to the Illinois State University chapter
of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy. "Let's leave it up to the
doctors and patients to work out what medicine brings pain relief."

But opponents argue legalizing cannabis use opens the door to abuse by
people who don't need it for pain relief and to potential harmful
interactions with prescription medication.

"I don't believe that we should send a message to our kids that it's
safe to use when there's evidence to the contrary," said State Rep.
Dan Brady, R-Bloomington.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, proposes to legalize
medical marijuana in limited amounts for pain relief for people with
specific illnesses. The bill could be called for a vote as early as
Tuesday when House members return to Springfield.

Brady, who said this week Lang was a couple votes short of the 60
needed for passage, opposes the bill because he's concerned it could
lead to abuse by people who don't need marijuana for pain control. He
said Marinol - marijuana in pill form - is available by
prescription.

But Guither said Marinol doesn't work for everyone and smoking
marijuana makes it easier to adjust doses. "It should be up to the
patient and doctor what works best," he said. As to the misuse
argument, Guither said, "Get with the real world - people are using it
anyway when it's not legal.

"What you have are sick people who want to be law-abiding citizens and
who want treatment, but it is being denied. That's the sad part."

If medical marijuana is legalized, a few people may abuse that,
Guither acknowledged, but "The sky isn't going to fall. People won't
drop out of school and become zombies."

Brady also opposes the legislation because it doesn't require that
medical marijuana be dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. If it's a
legalized medicine, "why should it be treated differently from other
medicines?" he asked.

Dr. Ben Taimoorazy, a pain management specialist with Guardian
Headache & Pain Management Institute in Bloomington, said marijuana
has proven medical properties, including reducing nausea from
chemotherapy and discouraging loss of appetite in HIV/AIDS and cancer
patients.

But Taimoorazy said he and other physicians are concerned about how
smoking marijuana could interact with prescription medicines.

"It's premature," he said of legalization. "More studies are needed."
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