Pubdate: Fri, 18 May 2001 Source: Inquirer (PA) Copyright: 2001 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc Contact: http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/home/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) COURT JUST SAYS NO A good move on use of medical marijuana. Bummer. That sums up much of the reaction from marijuana-growing cooperatives to this week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that federal law will continue to bar the growing or sale of the drug for medical purposes. The ruling appeared to ignore long-standing reports that marijuana has benefited people suffering from AIDS, glaucoma, chemotherapy-related nausea and other maladies. While the ruling did not affect laws in nine states that condone use of "medical marijuana," it effectively threw a monkey wrench into national efforts to legitimize the illegal drug as legal medicine. But here's the thing: The 8-0 decision was a sound one. It fairly balances medical need against the need to stop back-door legalization of a substance that - unfairly or not - remains an illegal drug. A glance at the background shows why the ruling makes sense. First, after years of controlled studies, there is scant evidence that marijuana is good medicine or serves its putative medical purposes any better than legal drugs. In the case of glaucoma, research has found marijuana indeed lowers pressure in the eye. But, as the National Eye Institute found, a host of legal drugs do the same. Research also has found that medical marijuana is not entirely benign: There is some research suggesting it promotes tumor growth. Some older patients using it suffer negative psychological reactions. Yes, more research is needed. Several government-funded studies continue to explore marijuana's medical potential. In fact, in order for researchers to have enough marijuana to study, the National Institutes of Health has its own marijuana plot down South. Non-government funded researchers can purchase the government marijuana for their own studies. In the meanwhile, individual AIDS and cancer patients who feel they have experienced benefits from marijuana need not hang out in back alleys or wait for the drug's legalization. A synthetic form of marijuana's major active ingredient, THC, is available in the FDA-approved drug Marinol. It's been sold since 1986, and recently the federal Food and Drug Administration reclassified the drug to make it more easily prescribed. Some argue medical marijuana is more effective when smoked. But, setting aside the fact that smoking itself is bad, the problem remains that research has not proved the drug to be medically effective in any unique way. America will someday have to directly confront the issue of whether to decriminalize or legalize marijuana. But cloaking that agenda in the robes of medicine is not an honest way to go. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager