Source: Chicago Tribune (IL) Contact: http://www.chicagotribune.com/ Forum: http://www.chicagotribune.com/interact/boards/ Copyright: 1998 Chicago Tribune Company Pubdate: 24 Dec 1998 Author: Peter B. Bensinger, Former administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Section: Sec. 1 POT'S HAZARDS CHICAGO -- The editorial "Groundswell for medical marijuana" (Nov. 8) represents a serious misperception of what is best for America. The editorial reports that there is growing recognition that marijuana may have therapeutic value as medicine and that our government ought to move in this direction. Such advice does a disservice to the public and is very ill-advised. Why isn't marijuana medicine? Because federal law requires a substance must be shown to be scientifically safe and effective and must be approved for use by the Federal Drug Administration. Marijuana does not meet these criteria. Marijuana contains an unstable mix of more than 460 chemicals. Smoking marijuana produces 2,000 chemicals. Known carcinogens in marijuana include napthalene, benzene and nitrosamines. Are there other drugs available for chemotherapy patients? Yes. Marinol is a synthetic pill with THC-active ingredients. Zofran is another approved medication that has fewer side effects than marijuana, and it has been found to be more effective as an anti-nausea agent. Since when is burning leaves good medicine? Since when are the voters responsible for determining what prescription drugs get stocked in our pharmacies? In the early 20th Century, Congress passed the Food and Drug Act to protect the public from snake oil salesmen, many of whom, in fact, were selling opium and heroin and other products that failed to meet the medical claims advertised. Now very carefully we watch what type of beef, salad oil and pills are made available to the public. Does the public know if a new drug is safe for heart disease or arthritis? Scientists do, health experts do, the surgeon general does, the World Health Organization does, the Food and Drug Administration does. Marijuana does not qualify as safe or effective medicine in the views of any of these professional organizations. The fact that marijuana can pass in a referendum sponsored by the pro-marijuana lobby is no basis to establish it as safe medicine. If this were the case, then anytime someone wanted some smoking product to be made available and was able to muster an adequate voting block to pass a referendum, then we would have that new product on the shelf that could lead to short-term memory loss, reduced immune system efficiency, loss of motivation and vigilance, and at the same time could be as carcinogenic, dangerous and unproven as marijuana. The editorial board members have been leaders in molding public opinion and reinforcing the need for justice. The Tribune's leadership and its editorial opinions have been impressive. But I am disappointed that in this case, the views expressed on marijuana are neither helpful nor safe. Peter B. Bensinger Former administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration - --- Checked-by: Richard Lake