Pubdate: Mon, 5 May 2008 Source: Detroit News (MI) Copyright: 2008, The Detroit News Contact: http://detnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/126 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n442/a08.html Author: Pradeep Srivastava Note: This is one of eight letters printed on page A18 of The Detroit News under the banner headline "Should state legalize medical use of marijuana?" filling about half the page opposite the editorial. MARIJUANA NEEDS STUDY To paraphrase an old axiom, "Any patient who acts as his own physician has a fool for a physician." Marijuana should not be accessible to the general public for several reasons. First, it has not been studied thoroughly, yet, with respect to its efficacy and side effects. Second, the layperson without any medical training cannot be trusted to use it appropriately or effectively. Third, there are already on the market marijuana pills that can be prescribed by a physician on a case-by-case basis. Pradeep Srivastava Detroit - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake