Pubdate: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 Source: Times, The (Trenton, NJ) Copyright: 2009 The Times Contact: http://www.nj.com/times/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/458 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?253 (Cannabis - Medicinal - United States) IT'S ABOUT TIME The Obama administration has taken another step toward common sense with its directive that chronically ill patients using marijuana to ease their pain be left alone by federal agents in the states where it is legal. "It will not be a priority to use federal resources to prosecute patients with serious illnesses or their caregivers who are complying with state laws on medical marijuana," Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. announced Monday. That will be a welcome relief to all those who have found relief in marijuana recommended by a doctor to reduce the chronic pain, nausea and other symptoms associated with cancer and other serious illnesses. And it may hasten states, including New Jersey, to join the ranks of the 14 states where such prescriptions are legal. The state Senate passed a medical-marijuana bill in February, while a modified version cleared the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee in June and has moved to the full Assembly for a vote. Gov. Jon Corzine has said he would sign the bill if the Legislature approves it; both Republican Chris Christie and Independent Chris Daggett, Corzine's rivals in the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election, have said they support medical marijuana use with adequate restrictions. The federal policy shift is in marked contrast to the Bush administration's insistence on enforcing federal drug laws even when they were contradicted by state laws which permitted the dispensation and use of medical marijuana. At the same time, Holder has vowed that the change in position does not signal a federal reluctance to prosecute "drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal." It seems a little fuzzy, but it's definitely an improvement over the previous policy which designated marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning it had no accepted medical use in the United States and was unsafe for use even when prescribed by a doctor. It's one more example of the Bush-era ideology trespassing on science. Medical experts have testified for years about pot's effectiveness as a palliative. In cases where other drugs fail or fall short, it can ease pain and anxiety, restore appetite and diminish nausea. What's more, it can accomplish this more economically and with fewer side effects than conventional medication. New Jersey legislators, poised to vote on the issue, may be encouraged by the federal change of heart. It reflects the opinion of a majority of Americans -- and 82 percent of N.J. residents -- who favor dispensing marijuana to patients. With the new federal policy in place, there is no reason for New Jersey to any longer delay legalizing medical marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake