Pubdate: Mon, 20 Aug 2012
Source: Times, The (Trenton, NJ)
Copyright: 2012 The Times
Contact:  http://www.nj.com/times/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/458
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v12/n408/a05.html

MARIJUANA HELPS SUFFERERS FEEL BETTER

The implementation of New Jersey's Compassionate Use Medical 
Marijuana Act is long overdue ("Patient registry for medical pot gets 
under way -- First of Jersey's six dispensaries to open in Montclair 
next month," Aug. 9).

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 a cancer patient undergoing 
chemotherapy and it helps him or her 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. Doctors 
should decide what is best for their patients, not police, 
politicians or prohibitionists seeking to criminalize anyone who 
dares seek relief from marijuana.

- -- Robert Sharpe,

Washington, D.C.

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