Pubdate: Sun, 08 Jun 2014
Source: Gainesville Sun, The (FL)
Copyright: 2014 The Gainesville Sun
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/yMmn4Ifw
Website: http://www.gainesville.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/163
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n480/a02.html

LET DOCTORS DECIDE

Dr. Joseph Rosado is to be commended for making the case for medical
marijuana in Florida (column, June 1). 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,

Policy analyst,
Common Sense for Drug Policy,
Washington, D.C.
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