Pubdate: Mon, 09 Jun 2014
Source: Leader-Herald, The (NY)
Copyright: 2014 - The Leader Herald
Contact:  http://www.leaderherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2276
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n480/a03.html

MARIJUANA A PALLIATIVE DRUG

Regarding your thoughtful editorial published June 1, while there 
have been studies showing that 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 the patient feel better, then it's working. In the end, 
medical marijuana is a quality-of-life decision best left to patients 
and their doctors.

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. 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 Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom