Pubdate: Fri, 06 Dec 2013
Source: Patriot-News, The (PA)
Copyright: 2013 The Patriot-News
Contact: http://www.pennlive.com/mailforms/patriotletters/
Website: http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1630
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n559/a08.html

LEACH IS RIGHT, CORBETT WRONG ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Kudos to Senator Daylin Leach for calling Gov. Corbett out for
refusing to support medical marijuana legislation. While there have
been studies showing that marijuana can shrink cancerous tumors,
medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug. If a doctor
recommends marijuana to a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and
it helps them feel better, then it's working. In the end, medical
marijuana is a quality of life decision best left to patients and
their doctors.

Drug warriors waging war on non-corporate drugs contend that organic
marijuana is not an effective health intervention. Their prescribed
intervention for medical marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells
and criminal records.

This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors should not be
dictating healthcare decisions. It's long past time to let doctors
decide what is right for their patients; sick patients should not be
jailed for daring to seek relief from marijuana.

ROBERT SHARPE, Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy,
Washington D.C
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