Pubdate: Tue, 02 Mar 2004
Source: Ocean County Observer (NJ)
Copyright: 2004 Ocean County Observer
Contact:  http://www.injersey.com/observer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1212
Author: Terrence P. Farley
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n296/a09.html?23651

MARIJUANA DANGEROUS; THERE IS NO MEDICAL USE

In a Readers Viewpoints article on Feb. 19 entitled "DEA judge found 
marijuana beneficial," Kenneth Wolski dragged out the old drug legalizers' 
saw that a judge in 1988 found that marijuana could be helpful for certain 
medical treatments. Like all members of the National Organization for the 
Reform of Marijuana Laws and others who wish to legalize drug use, he 
totally ignores the facts of that hearing.

Based on his review of the evidence, then-Drug Enforcement Administrator 
John Lawn and his successor Robert Bonner both refused to allow marijuana 
to be rescheduled for medical use. In 1994, the U.S. Court of Appeals in 
Washington, D.C. upheld Bonner's decision stating that the Drug 
Eenforcement Administration made its denial based on scientific study and 
recognized experts, while NORML, as usual, had relied on, "anecdotal 
information." NORML's usual "anecdotal information" comes from dope smokers 
who say it makes them feel good, hardly a reason to classify it as a medicine.

In fact, there are over 1,000 medical studies which show the harmful 
effects of marijuana.

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously decided that smoked marijuana 
has "no currently accepted medical use."

Even the Institute of Medicine study, sought by the drug legalizers, warned 
of the dangers of smoked marijuana -- we already have it available in pill 
form - although it is rarely used because people want to smoke dope -- and 
said that the studies should be accompanied by the development of a new 
delivery system, such as an inhaler, "that does not involve inhaling 
harmful smoke." And lastly, despite Wolski's ridiculous scare tactics 
regarding giving glaucoma patients marijuana as a medicine, it has been 
rejected by the American Medical Association, the National Multiple 
Sclerosis Society, the American Glaucoma Society, the American Academy of 
Ophthalmology and the American Cancer Society.

TERRENCE P. FARLEY

First Assistant Prosecutor Director, Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force 
Toms River
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