Pubdate: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 Source: Hartford Courant (CT) Copyright: 2003 The Hartford Courant Contact: http://www.ctnow.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/183 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/opinion.htm (Opinion) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Conant (Walters v. Conant) A THERAPEUTIC DECISION Eight states from Maine to California authorize the use of marijuana for medical purposes, including relief for victims of multiple sclerosis and symptoms of AIDS. Technically, Connecticut permits doctors to prescribe marijuana for the "treatment of glaucoma or the side effects of chemotherapy," but none has dared do so. That's because state policies contradict federal law, which classifies marijuana as an illegal substance. This conflict has kept many doctors from prescribing the drug for fear of being punished with the loss of prescription privileges, which are controlled by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. Mercifully, the U.S. Supreme Court has made it safer for doctors to give patients beneficial advice about marijuana without penalty. The court has let stand a Ninth Circuit appeals court ruling. Under the ruling, doctors may not be investigated, threatened or punished by federal regulators for recommending the drug. This enlightened decision should send a message to the federal government that it should not interfere with state laws on this subject. By separating politics from medicine, the appeals court ruling implies that the decision to use marijuana for medicinal purposes should be between doctor and patient. Connecticut should reopen its debate on the subject. A measure authorizing the use of marijuana for legitimate medical purposes died in the House last session. The bill would have allowed patients, with their doctor's sanction, to cultivate a limited number of plants. It seems hypocritical to bar medical marijuana that can work better in some cases than powerful prescription painkillers now prescribed by doctors to alleviate suffering. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom