Pubdate: Wed, 31 Mar 2010 Source: Naperville Sun (IL) Copyright: 2010 Sun-Times News Group Contact: http://www.napersun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/853 Author: Stan White Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n190/a02.html CANNABIS A NATURAL CURE Ordinarily it may be true, "It's a bad idea to approve medication by popular vote" (Popular Opinion Shouldn't Rule On Marijuana, March 15). In the case of cannabis (marijuana) however, everything changes when all the facts come to light. The reason cannabis is prohibited is due to racism, lies and greed; it should never have been prohibited from the beginning. Medicinal use of cannabis is nothing new -- it's been documented medicinally for more than 5,000 years and was included in the U.S. pharmacopeia for more than 100 years. The reasons cannabis continues to be persecuted include lobbyists for groups which stand to lose profits if the God-given plant were relegalized, taxed and regulated. That may include pharmaceutical companies that produce man-made drugs which compete with cannabis but have more side effects including death. Further, cannabis prohibition is perpetuated due to police unions which stand to lose job security once the law changes. When doctors suggest patients use cannabis, it's not a measure of popular vote anyway, that's a dedicated medical professional extending educated advice to those who entrust their lives for their opinion. With these facts and others in mind, police, lobbyists and government have no legitimate business interfering with that doctor/patient relationship. Without illegitimate interference, there would be no need for "medication by popular vote." Man-made medications do not help all the people all the time. Cannabis has been shown without a reasonable doubt to help thousands and perhaps millions of human beings with various medical needs. It is inhumane, vulgar and sinful to continue caging humans for using what God indicates he created and said is good on literally the very first page of the Bible. Stan White Dillon, Colo. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D