Pubdate: Thu, 31 Jul 2014
Source: Houston Chronicle (TX)
Copyright: 2014 Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst Newspaper
Contact:  http://www.chron.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/198
Author: Jack Elam
Page: B8

SPEAKING OF CANNABIS

Regarding "Marijuana isn't necessarily safe to treat what ails us" 
(Page B13, Sunday), before David Murray, the senior fellow in the 
Center for Substance Abuse Policy Research, condemns using marijuana 
medically, he should ask, "What is marijuana?" The federal definition 
of "marihuana" is over 100 words long, but does not mention either 
THC, CBD or smoke.

He should know that there has been a bait-and-switch to advance a 
political agenda. It occurred about 44 years ago, when that 
definition was enacted into law, then temporarily placed into 
Schedule 1, thus precluding the studies he requires for validation.

A definition most compatible with the U.S. Constitution would 
identify a single thing, reflect common sense and be scientifically 
provable, such as this: The term "marijuana" means all parts of the 
smoke produced by the combustion of the plant Cannabis sativa L.

It is remarkable how cannabis originally entered the federal 
definition of "marihuana" sporting red, white and blue, but now exits 
that definition wearing black and white prison stripes. A true 
definition wouldn't do that.

Jack Elam, Houston
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom