Pubdate: Fri, 01 Feb 2013
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR)
Copyright: 2013 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.
Contact: http://www2.arkansasonline.com/contact/voicesform/
Website: http://www2.arkansasonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/25
Note: Accepts letters to the editor from Arkansas residents only
Author: Chris Kell
Referenced: www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n045/a05.html

ONLY PART OF THE STORY

In a recent editorial, the author refers to a medical marijuana study 
that is riddled with flaws and contradictions. The writer points out 
that the study said 74 percent of teens treated in centers for 
substance abuse had used someone else's medical marijuana. What 
wasn't said was that some were in the centers in lieu of other 
punishment, were paid to participate in the study, and that the 
researchers had no way of knowing if the marijuana actually came from 
a legal prescription.

The study cites other studies with contradictory results. It says 
that the causality of the increase in use can't be determined, and 
that it cannot show that what happened in Colorado would happen 
anywhere else. It cannot determine if the subjects would otherwise 
use marijuana or how it was diverted from the legal patient.

Arkansans for Compassionate Care has taken strides in writing the 
Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act of 2014 to provide safe access to safe 
medication that works to patients who are suffering. Unlike 
Colorado's, the Arkansas law does not allow patients to grow their 
own; they must purchase it from a dispensary after receiving a 
recommendation from an Arkansas physician and Health Department 
certification. This medication should be treated like any other 
prescription drug and kept out of the reach of others.

Read the stories at www.arcompassion.com about how medical marijuana 
saved lives, and you may find that this really is a good thing we are 
doing here.

CHRIS KELL

Little Rock
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