Source: The San Francisco Examiner April 9, 1997 NEWS; Pg. A18 Contact: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Copyright (c) 1997, The Hearst Corporation Doctors and marijuana As a physician who has been a member of the California Medical Association for over 25 years, I am frankly disgusted by the pusillanimous attitude of current leadership toward medical marijuana. Their latest idea that a physician be allowed to "discuss" use of medical marijuana with a patient in his office but not, heaven forbid, recommend it or do anything to further the patient's acquisition, is ludicrous. The idea that such an inane position could be endorsed by anyone as "progress" is nothing short of nonsense. The obsequious plea of AMA and CMA to the parties in the lawsuit to accept these "guidelines" as a basis for settlement is disgraceful. All the government has conceded thus far is that we still have a First Amendment. It has refused to back down from threats to prosecute physicians. No settlement short of rescheduling marijuana to Schedule 2 or an ironclad guarantee of immunity for physicians who recommend its use in appropriate cases should suffice. One of the fears expressed by the drug prohibition lobby in opposition to Proposition 215 was that it would further the cause of "legalization" of marijuana and other drugs. It has worked that way, but hardly in the manner predicted. Instead, 215 has been a giant canopener exposing the worms hidden within our national policy of drug prohibition. It is a policy completely lacking moral, logical or scientific support. Thomas J. O'Connell San Mateo