Pubdate: Thu, 06 Feb 2014 Source: Daily Citizen, The (Dalton, GA) Copyright: 2014 Robert Sharpe Contact: http://daltondailycitizen.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1929 Author: Robert Sharpe Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n123/a03.html DOCTORS AND PATIENTS SHOULD DECIDE MEDICAL MARIJUANA USE Regarding your thoughtful Feb. 2 editorial, 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 health care 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 Common Sense for Drug Policy - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D