Pubdate: Mon, 18 Feb 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 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) FERGUSON STICKING TO HIS OPINION ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA As a rebuttal to the recent letters advocating legalized medical marijuana, I know my committee deals with all criminal justice issues and therefore it is my committee that receives expert testimony on this issue. Few, if anyone, in the law enforcement community want to see this bill passed. In the states where it has become a state law, the federal laws are still being enforced, and they regard marijuana as an illegal drug - not a pharmaceutical. Also, all prescription drugs go through research and development phases under federal guidelines. States cannot fulfill health protocols under National Institutes of Health standards in contradiction of federal drug laws. Finally, if anyone really believes that drug dealers won't demand protection under the medical marijuana state statutes, just because the bill says so, they are naive. They will cry out for protection and eventually some liberal judge will throw the case out. Then what do we do with the state laws without federal laws to fall back on? Nobody in law enforcement wants this headache. I know, because they tell me so. They tell me because I sit on the committee that must vote on the issue. Let's wait for the federal government to finish its funding for research; it won't be a long wait because the feds are working the issue with their own bills. Let's be patient - for the sake of good medicine for patients. TIM FERGUSON, Maryland state senator Taylorsville - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager