Pubdate: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 Source: Frederick News Post (MD) Copyright: 2002 Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company Contact: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/contact/contactfinalnew.cfm?contact=letters Website: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/814 Author: Tim Ferguson Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n125/a10.html FERGUSON AGAINST MEDICAL MARIJUANA OPERATED BY STATE The editorial regarding medical marijuana ("Fear and pain, again," Jan. 26) was a very thoughtful piece on the issues to weigh before such a policy is ever adopted. That's why the states should wait for the federal government to fund research regarding patients who show an improvement in dealing with diseases by smoking marijuana. My younger brother died of leukemia in 1983 when he was 20 years old. His last days were not easy ones. Patrick was in a lot of pain and I watched him suffer. I understand the issue very well and can relate on a personal level. However, law enforcement and judges don't know how to deal with dealers of marijuana who might show up in court and plead innocent because less than 1 percent of their sales are to health patients. Until we come close to figuring that out, I must continue to vote against medical marijuana. Others may stereotype my vote as uncaring and insensitive, but that's an unfortunate part of politics. I believe at this time that those who want to legalize medical marijuana are sincere, but sincerely wrong to expect state governments to take the lead in this effort. I do support federal funds to research it, though. The states are ill- prepared to form a national consistency in the research and development of such a complicated policy. TIM FERGUSON, Maryland state senator, Taylorsville - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D