Pubdate: Sun, 24 Mar 2013
Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Copyright: 2013 Sun-Sentinel Company
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/mVLAxQfA
Website: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159
Author: John Chase
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n126/a08.html
Page: 16A

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

Regarding Mike Mayo's March 19 column about legalizing marijuana:

He's right. Medical marijuana is serious stuff. Cheech and Chong have 
been overtaken by a world of anecdotal evidence that marijuana is an 
effective medicine. Opponents will say marijuana is not an approved 
medicine. True, the Drug Enforcement Administration has been blocking 
even FDA- approved protocols for study unless designed to assess only 
the risks. Recent polls indicate that voters want to get patients out 
of the drugwar.

The Florida Legislature must make a choice: Either voluntarily 
legalize marijuana as medicine this year, or be forced to do so next 
year by a citizen's initiative. If I were the president of the Senate 
or Speaker of the House, I would do it this year so I'd have more 
control over the outcome.

John Chase, Palm Harbor
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