Pubdate: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 Source: Macon Telegraph (GA) Copyright: 2014 The Macon Telegraph Publishing Company Contact: http://www.macontelegraph.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/667 Author: Robert Sharpe Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n296/a01.html LEAVE IT TO DOCTORS Georgia Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon is to be commended for making the case for medical cannabis. While there have been studies showing that cannabis can shrink cancerous tumors, medical cannabis is essentially a palliative drug. If a doctor recommends cannabis to a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and it helps them feel better, then it's working. In the end, medical cannabis is a quality of life decision best left to patients and their doctors. Drug warriors waging war on non-corporate drugs contend that organic cannabis is not an effective health intervention. Their prescribed intervention for medical cannabis 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 criminalized for daring to seek relief using cannabis. - -- Robert Sharpe, MPA Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom