Pubdate: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 Date: 09/17/2000 Source: Denver Post (CO) Author: Debra Busse I guess the first suggestion would be to listen to the patients, and not just the ones that make the local news. I mean patients from all over and family members of these patients. They will tell you that, in some cases, the people they love cannot eat due to radiation therapy and the loss of weight is dangerous. Marijuana increases appetite for these individuals, and relieves pain in the process. It strikes me as disgusting that we will allow fetuses to be dissected for experimental purposes to help with diseases, but something that is grown naturally and has been around forever cannot seem to get funding for testing and Federal Drug Administration approval. We already know it does help some; why not investigate further why it does help? Some of our best drugs are derivatives from other forms of herbs, so why not this one? Of course the American Medical Association and others wouldn't go for this testing. Why? Because of the almighty dollar. Pressure from drug companies would be enormous - think of the money they will lose on all the different drugs they sell if marijuana was proven to have great healing qualities. You talk of our children and how they will think this is OK. Well, what of alcohol abuse in this country? Our children manage to find it, even though it's only legal for those 21 and over. This is all about money - who will lose it and who will gain. God forbid that any of us have a family member who is dying and is in pain and we have to find out for ourselves what helps them and does not. DEBRA BUSSE, Aurora