Pubdate: Mon, 09 Jan 2006
Source: North County Times (Escondido, CA)
Copyright: 2006 North County Times
Contact:  http://www.nctimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1080
Note: Gives LTE priority to North San Diego County and Southwest 
Riverside County residents
Author: Dennis M. Clausen
Note: North County Times columnist Dennis M. Clausen lives in 
Escondido. He is a professor of American literature at the University 
of San Diego.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

TRUST CANCER PATIENTS ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

In July, I wrote a column in support of medical marijuana. My 
response was based in part on the many cancer deaths in our family. 
My mother, father, sister and grandmother all died from cancer.

I did not plan to write another column on the issue. However, some 
Community Forums, letters to the editor and the county supervisors' 
lawsuit to overturn medical marijuana laws have motivated me to 
address the issue again.

Jeanne E. Williamson's Community Forum, "Supervisors add to cancer 
agony" (Nov. 21), brought back some painful memories. Williamson has 
battled cancer for three years and understands the agony of 
chemotherapy treatments "followed by continual vomiting and nausea." 
To Williamson and other cancer patients, the county supervisors are 
playing politics with human suffering.

Williamson's personal account of her battle with cancer was familiar.

My father lost almost 100 pounds before he died of cancer. 
Chemotherapy made it impossible for him to keep anything down. The 
relentless fear of vomiting was as frightening as the disease itself.

Pharmaceutical companies claim that their anti-nausea drugs are as 
effective as medical marijuana. Many cancer patients have written 
letters to the North County Times disputing this claim. Personally, I 
am more inclined to believe those who are in pain and find relief in 
medical marijuana than those who have much to gain financially from 
traditional cancer drugs.

Public support for medical marijuana is increasing every year. Nine 
years ago, 56 percent of California voters approved Proposition 215, 
which legalized medical marijuana. A California Field Poll in January 
2004 reported that 74 percent of all respondents supported medical 
marijuana. An AARP poll in 2004 reported that 72 percent of 
respondents nationwide, regardless of political party, supported 
medical marijuana.

The reason so many Americans support medical marijuana is because 
cancer has replaced heart disease as the number one cause of death 
for Americans under the age of 85. Most American families have 
watched loved ones endure the devastating effects of cancer.

Supervisor Pam Slater-Price ("We're right to challenge marijuana 
law," Community Forum, Dec. 18) offers a legalistic defense of the 
supervisors' anti-medical marijuana position; she does not mention 
any personal experiences with cancer.

Conversely, Charles Wilder (Letters, Dec. 17) describes how his 
cancer-stricken father was able to get up and eat after using 
marijuana, even though he "hadn't been out of bed for more than two 
months." Retired nurse practitioner Claudia Little (Letters, Dec. 28) 
remembers many cancer patients who got relief from marijuana when 
they "couldn't hold down anything, let alone a pill to control 
vomiting." Nurse practitioner June Carter disagrees (Community Forum, 
Jan. 2). She claims that traditional anti-nausea "medications are 
excellent" and that "no one who is truly ill would jeopardize their 
health by smoking anything." Personally, I have never known a cancer 
patient to lie about what does or does not relieve pain and nausea. 
Nor have I met a cancer patient who is looking for a cheap high.

If cancer patients tell us medical marijuana relieves their nausea 
and enables them to eat, we should believe them.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman