Pubdate: Fri, 21 Feb 2003
Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)
Copyright: 2003 Santa Cruz Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/394
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Ed+Rosenthal) (Rosenthal, Ed)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

POT LAWS GROW MORE CONFUSING

Clarity -- It's time for good public-health policy to dictate this 
country's laws pertaining to marijuana.

We have long argued that the fight against AIDS has everything to do with 
public health policy and nothing to do with morality. Perhaps we should 
take a similar approach with the medical-marijuana situation.

Unfortunately, neither side of the medical-marijuana issue is dealing with 
the future in a practical or effective way. The problem stems from 
marijuana's role in the drug culture, and that it's a recreational drug for 
many people -- and what seems to be medical treatment for some.

Most Americans seem to believe that marijuana is basically a danger to the 
public health, but that it may well be, for some who are sick, marijuana is 
a great medicine.

Unfortunately, our society isn't doing a great job of figuring out a 
reasoned approach. Doctors and scientists in particular haven't been much 
help in communicating to the rest of us about the benefits of medical 
marijuana. Is smoking it the only way to achieve the benefit? Are there 
scientifically sound alternatives?

Marijuana has a vocal legion of supporters, many of whom believe the 
benefits of the drug go further than bringing relief to those with cancer 
and other serious disease. However, more and more evidence is piling up 
that marijuana smoking by otherwise healthy people can contribute to 
further medical problems, both physiological and psychological.

Law enforcement is in complete disarray over enforcing drug laws. At least 
here in Santa Cruz County, local law-enforcement personnel have shown 
restraint in dealing with medical-marijuana users -- and those who 
distribute the drug.

Of course, amid much publicity, federal authorities are cracking down. 
Federal agents have arrested medical-marijuana distributors and have 
confiscated the drug.

In Oakland, medical-marijuana guru Ed Rosenthal was convicted on federal 
charges of growing the drug, and defense lawyers were prevented from 
introducing evidence that he had been doing so to provide pot to medical 
patients.

Now, federal lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow 
defendants like Rosenthal to be able to introduce evidence showing that 
state law allows pot growing.

The legislation, while understandable, just seems to be laying another 
layer of confusion onto the argument. We agree that some people seem to 
need medical marijuana, but the reality is that many others are interested 
in the recreational aspect of the drug.

So we're caught in a situation where medicine tells us that some people are 
helped by pot, while others are harmed physically or psychologically by 
using it.

Marijuana is hardly the only drug that is good for some and not for others: 
a wide variety of prescription drugs are harmful if used outside the bounds 
of good medicine.

It's time for marijuana to be treated in the same way. Our public health 
system ought to make information more available to the public, and to our 
lawmakers, about when and where marijuana should be used.

Those who are sick and can be helped by marijuana should have access to it. 
Those who just want to get high should be limited by laws that already 
pertain to other prescription-only drugs.

The marijuana situation is getting murkier all the time. Those who use the 
drug to get high seem to want it made available more and more. We're not 
convinced that universal access to marijuana is something that's good for 
our society.

That's why it's time for good science and public-health policy to dictate 
what our marijuana laws should be. Adding confusing legislation onto the 
pile really won't solve the problem.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl