Pubdate: Thu, 10 Oct 2002
Source: Student Life (MO)
Copyright: 2002 Student Life
Contact:  http://www.studlife.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1636
Author: Ian Orland

SPEAKER DISCUSSES LEGAL MARIJUANA

George McMahon is one of five people in the United States for whom it is 
legal to smoke marijuana for medical purposes.

Last Wednesday night, he spoke to a small gathering of Washington 
University students about the beneficial effects marijuana has had on him 
and others. According to McMahon and the studies he has participated in, 
patients suffering from Glaucoma, AIDS, Epilepsy, Arthritis, Multiple 
Sclerosis and the side effects of Chemotherapy have improved their quality 
of life by the use of marijuana.

In fact, McMahon claimed it was much safer than many of the prescription 
drugs medical practitioners currently prescribe for such illnesses.

The U.S. government supplies McMahon with a half pound of marijuana 
cigarettes every month.

He smokes about 10 of these a day, or about two every three hours.

At one time he was smoking about one quarter ounce per day. When he 
receives his prescribed marijuana, it has cost the government 30 cents per 
ounce to grow, secure, and transport.

McMahon spoke extensively about the government's ignorance when it came to 
rethinking their national drug policy.

He kept reiterating that "This is about medicine. This is not about civil 
disobedience." His advice to students was "Register to vote. The government 
is ours. We are not the government's subjects." He maintained that with 
enough general public knowledge on the issue and a good amount of 
persistence, the governmental policy on medically-prescribed marijuana 
could be changed.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens