Pubdate: Sun, 18 Dec 2011
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2011 Eric A. Voth
Contact: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/lettertoeditor.html
Website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Eric A. Voth
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n709/a04.html

Sunday Dialogue

WHEN MARIJUANA IS USED AS MEDICINE.

I congratulate Mr. Evans for his incisive and insightful discussion 
of the medical marijuana issue.

Our procedures for assuring safety and efficacy through Food and Drug 
Administration approval have been hijacked by marijuana advocates. 
They are driving a process of medicine by popular vote - a terrible 
precedent for consumer protection.

If marijuana were named Substance X to disconnect it from all the 
emotions, its use would be associated with exposure to numerous 
impurities, significant addiction, psychotic episodes and dose 
instability. The medical community and the public would reject it out 
of hand. Lobbying by the marijuana culture has resulted in misguided 
and misinformed public acceptance.

We need to continue to identify and isolate or synthesize the 
substances within marijuana that have beneficial uses, and bring 
those to the public with careful research - not succumb to those who 
ultimately seek to legalize the smoked drug.

ERIC A. VOTH

Chairman

The Institute on Global Drug Policy

St. Petersburg, Fla., Dec. 14, 2011
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