Pubdate: Tue, 29 May 2001
Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
Copyright: 2001 Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas
Contact:  http://www.star-telegram.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/162
Author:  Kevin Nelson

LETHAL DOSES

In the letter "Cheap pot ahead?," John Flynn wrote, "I believe we should 
depend on the Food and Drug Administration to determine which drugs are 
safe for the treatment of various illnesses and conditions."

According to a 1998 article in the Journal of the American Medical 
Association, more than 100,000 Americans die every year from bad reactions 
to FDA-approved drugs. Researchers from the Toronto study said: "Serious 
adverse drug reactions are frequent ... more so than generally recognized. 
Fatal adverse drug reactions appear to be between the fourth and sixth 
leading cause of death."

Marijuana, on the contrary, has no known lethal dose. No data are collected 
by the federal government about "deaths from marijuana toxicity," because 
... well, there are none.

Although many of these potentially lethal FDA-approved drugs still maintain 
an indispensable place in American medicine, marijuana - an invaluable 
therapeutic drug for many patients - has a safety record that is unmatched 
in the history of medicine.

Kevin Nelson
Bow, Wash.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart