Pubdate: Mon, 02 Jun 2008
Source: Times, The (Trenton, NJ)
Copyright: 2008 The Times
Contact:  http://www.nj.com/times/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/458
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

RX FOR MARIJUANA

Scott Ward uses marijuana, but he is a far cry from the  stereotypical
image of a "pothead."

Instead, the clean-cut Rob binsville resident who  suffers from
multiple sclerosis represents those who  have turned to marijuana to
ease the pain and symptoms  associated with such conditions as MS,
cancer, AIDS,  chronic pain, migraines, glaucoma and epilepsy.

Ward testified earlier this month in support of a bill  that would
make New Jersey the 13th state to allow the  medical use of marijuana.
The bill, A804, sponsored by  Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Princeton
Borough, appears  to be stalled in committee, with no vote scheduled
on  the measure. A state Senate panel heard testi mony on a  similar
bill two years ago but never took action on it.

That's unfortunate, because there are numerous  documented cases of
the use of marijuana, or cannabis,  helping to ease the pain of
debilitating and fatal  illnesses.

If those lawmakers who are opposed to or have doubts  about the
medical use of marijuana could only see  firsthand how cannabis eases
the suffer ing of some  terminally ill cancer patients, they would
change their  minds. A 1999 study by the Institute of Medicine
concluded, "Nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety ...  all can be
mitigated by marijuana."

Critics of allowing marijuana use for medical reasons  point to a
number of concerns such as claims that  cannabis is ad dictive, that
it leads to use of harder  drugs, that it impairs driving ability and
that it  sends the wrong message to children. And some allege  that
medical marijuana is just a front for drug  legalization.

Let's be clear: The bill before the New Jersey  Legislature does not
legalize or allow the casual use  of marijuana. It would restrict its
use for legitimate  medical purposes and only with the approval of a
cer  tified medical professional.

New Jersey would hardly be a pioneer in allowing  marijuana for
medical use. A dozen states already have  laws that effectively remove
state-level criminal  penalties for growing and/or possessing medical
marijuana.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to states legalizing  medical marijuana
is the federal government, which has  been steadfastly opposed to
easing any restrictions on  marijuana. Indeed, the policies of the
Bush  administration have retarded research into the  therapeutic
value of the drug.

In February, the American College of Physicians, the  nation's largest
group of doctors of internal medicine,  urged the federal government
to drop marijuana from the  Schedule I classification of dangerous
drugs.

Gerry McGrath, a registered nurse who lives in  Robbinsville,
testified how marijuana made the last  days of her son Sean's life
more bearable before he  died of cancer in 2004.

"This should not be a legal issue. Let doctors, nurses  and families
care for the sick and dying without the  fear of police crashing down
their door and arresting  them," she said.

We agree.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin