Pubdate: Thu, 01 Jun 2006
Source: Wisconsin State Journal (WI)
Section: Opinion, Pg A10
Copyright: 2006 Madison Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.madison.com/wsj/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/506
Author: Ronald Fraser

LAWMAKERS NEED TO LISTEN UP

In the national debate over the use of marijuana for medical 
purposes, ordinary people and their representatives in Congress seem 
to be living on different planets.

Poll after poll shows Americans, by a huge majority, want their 
doctors, not lawmakers, to decide if marijuana should be used as a medicine.

Today, however, federal laws prohibit physicians from prescribing 
marijuana for pain relief even where state and local laws say it is 
OK to do so. This has not always been the case.

"For most of American history, growing and using marijuana was legal 
under both federal law and the laws of individual states," according 
to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service, an arm of 
the U.S. Congress. "From 1850 to the early 1940s cannabis was 
included in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a recognized medicinal. (But) 
its decline in medicine was hastened by the development of aspirin, 
morphine and other opium-derived drugs, all of which helped to 
replace marijuana in the treatment of pain."

In both 2003 and 2005 Gallup polls asked, "Would you favor or oppose 
making marijuana legally available for doctors to prescribe to reduce 
pain and suffering?" In 2003, 75 percent said they would favor it. 
And in 2005, 78 percent favored it.

Apparently members of Congress don't read the polls these days, nor 
do they care much about state laws. In 12 states -- though not 
Wisconsin -- laws already give doctors the power to decide on 
marijuana for pain.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., last year introduced a bill "to provide 
for the medical use of marijuana in accordance with the laws of the 
various states," and to prohibit the federal government from stopping 
"an individual from obtaining and using marijuana from a prescription 
or recommendation by a physician for medical use." The bill is stuck 
in the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Since a federal bill allowing states to regulate the medical use of 
marijuana can't make it to the House floor for an up or down vote, an 
alternative strategy is to attach a medical marijuana amendment to a 
spending bill that will reach the House floor. Last July, Rep. 
Maurice D. Hinchey, D-N.Y., did just that. But the amendment was 
rejected on a 264-161 vote.

In other words, while 78 percent of the Americans favor letting 
doctors (and states) decide this issue, only 38 percent of the House 
members favored a law supporting that policy.

Four House members from Wisconsin, including Rep. Tammy Baldwin, 
D-Madison, voted for the amendment.

American democracy calls on lawmakers to be responsive to the common 
sense and wisdom of ordinary citizens. Instead, some members of 
Congress from Wisconsin and elsewhere are standing in the way of 
existing state laws and the majority of Americans who want their 
physicians, not politicians, to decide if marijuana should be used to 
ease suffering in sick patients.

If these officials don't improve their hearing, voters might consider 
replacing them this November with people who have better listening skills.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman