Pubdate: Fri, 25 May 2012
Source: Concord Monitor (NH)
Copyright: 2012 Monitor Publishing Company
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/WbpFSdHB
Website: http://www.concordmonitor.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/767
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n288/a05.html

LEAVE THE DECISION TO PATIENTS, DOCTORS

Re "Legalize the medical use of marijuana" (Monitor editorial, May 23):

While there have been studies showing that marijuana can shrink 
cancerous tumors, medical marijuana is essentially a palliative drug. 
If a doctor recommends marijuana to cancer patients undergoing 
chemotherapy and it helps them feel better, then it's working.

In the end, medical marijuana is a quality-of-life decision best left 
to patients and their doctors. Drug warriors waging war on 
non-corporate drugs contend that organic marijuana is not an 
effective health intervention. Their prescribed intervention for 
medical marijuana patients is handcuffs, jail cells and criminal 
records. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors 
should not be dictating health-care decisions. It's long past time to 
let doctors decide what is right for their patients; sick patients 
should not be jailed for daring to seek relief from marijuana.

ROBERT SHARPE

Arlington, Va.

(The writer is a policy analyst with Common Sense for Drug Policy.)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom