Pubdate: Mon, 30 Apr 2001
Source: Wisconsin State Journal (WI)
Copyright: 2001 Madison Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wisconsinstatejournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/506
Author: Alan Gold

MARIJUANA IS NOT ADDICTIVE, AND DOCTORS SHOULD KNOW THAT

The April 11 Wisconsin State Journal had an article about the medical 
marijuana hearings at the state Capitol. What caught my eye was a statement 
by Dr. Michael Miller, president of the Dane County Medical Society, who 
said legalizing marijuana could lead to more people being addicted to the 
drug. Marijuana is not addictive.

The U.S. government has been trying to prove marijuana is addictive for 
more than 30 years, and after hundreds of experiments and tests, has 
failed. The last big report issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration 
again showed marijuana not to be addictive and not to be a gateway drug, 
and encouraged the government to look into decriminalization. Drug Czar 
Barry McCaffrey, not liking the results of the study, ignored it. And it 
seems Dr. Miller also ignores all the previous studies done on marijuana 
and addiction, or is more interested in misinformation than science.

Alan Gold, Brooklyn
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