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MEDICINAL MARIJUANA DESERVES PASSAGE

Editor, the Record:

Your editorial in support of the medical marijuana legislation which passed the New Jersey State Senate on Feb.  23 highlights the need for the Assembly Health Committee to post Assembly Bill No.  804, the Compassionate Use Act, for a hearing as soon as possible and for the entire Assembly to move this important bill to the governor's desk.  ( End 'reefer madness' for patients' sake: Legalize medicinal marijuana in Pa., Feb.  26 ).  Seriously ill people living in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania can't wait any longer for their state legislators to pass laws allowing safe access to medical marijuana.

Each year thousands of people are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, and multiple sclerosis.  The symptoms and suffering caused by these illnesses can be devastating, especially when for some patients, currently available medicines do not offer relief.  For these patients, medical marijuana may offer hope for relief from terrible symptoms such as pain, nausea, loss of appetite and wasting.

The effectiveness of medical marijuana in relieving such symptoms was confirmed by a 1999 study by the congressionally chartered Institute of Medicine.

Allowing patients access to medical marijuana has been endorsed by numerous medical and professional organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association, the American Nurses Association and the American Bar Association.  Between 1996 and 2002 more than 60 state and national polls found overwhelming public support for medical marijuana.  Support has increased over time as the public has learned more about the issue.

Compassion and common sense dictate that doctors be allowed to recommend, and patients be allowed to access, the medicine best able to relieve suffering and improve quality of life.

Meagan Johnson Policy Coordinator, Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey

Trenton, N.J.