Pubdate: Tue, 11 Jan 2011
Source: State Journal-Register (IL)
Copyright: 2011 The State Journal-Register
Contact: http://service.sj-r.com/forms/letters.asp
Website: http://www.sj-r.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/425
Author: Joan Bellm

LET FDA DECIDE MARIJUANA ISSUE

It has come to my attention that, although legislation promoting 
smoking marijuana and calling it "medicine" was defeated in November 
2010 and again last Thursday, it may be called for another vote very 
soon. Pot proponents never seem to take no for an answer.

There are more than 20,000 scientific studies on marijuana/cannabis 
and none of them have shown crude marijuana to be good for anything, 
certainly not medicine. To safely "prescribe" a medicine, the 
strength, purity, effectiveness, proper dose for a specific medical 
condition, and its interaction with other medications must be known. 
Common sense tells us that it is impossible to meet these safety 
requirements by smoking a substance.

Medicine must not be based on anecdotal accounts of benefits, but on 
peer-reviewed, scientific research. Using the same criteria applied 
to all other drugs, the Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly 
rejected crude marijuana for medical use.

Many have no idea of how dangerous the use of marijuana can be. 
Recent studies have shown that it is a huge factor in causing and 
exacerbating various kinds of psychosis. Have you considered that the 
shooter of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was reported to be a marijuana 
smoker? Are you aware that more teens now smoke marijuana than 
tobacco cigarettes? Why? Teens themselves say that it's safe - 
"because it's medicine."

Legislators are not doctors or researchers. They are politicians and 
have no business suggesting that sick people should smoke a weed and 
call it "medicine." Circumventing the FDA drug-approval process would 
be irresponsible and endanger public health and safety.

Joan Bellm

Carlinville
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom