Pubdate: Sat, 28 Apr 2012
Source: Times Union (Albany, NY)
Copyright: 2012 Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation
Contact: http://www.timesunion.com/forms/emaileditor.asp
Website: http://www.timesunion.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/452
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n222/a08.html

MEDICAL POT A PALLIATIVE DRUG

Gov. Andrew Cuomo needs to do the right thing and support medical marijuana.

While studies have shown 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 him or her feel better, then it's working.

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.

In the end, use of medical marijuana is a quality-of-life decision 
best left to patients and their doctors. 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

Washington, D.C.

Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy

www.csdp.org
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