Pubdate: Sat, 17 Aug 2013
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2013 The Sacramento Bee
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/0n4cG7L1
Website: http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Author: Andrew Merkel
Note: Andrew Merkel, a Realtor and land owner in Chico, chairs the 
Board of Directors of the Western Plant Science Association.
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n379/a05.html

MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROWERS CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

The Western Plant Science Association, with headquarters in Butte 
County, represents the interests of qualified medical marijuana 
patients and collectives. Recently, we were quite disappointed to 
read a statement in The Sacramento Bee by The Bee's Dan Morain 
("Environment is going to pot," Aug. 4).

Referring to medical marijuana growers, Morain made the unqualified 
statement that: "Growers don't obtain permits and take no steps to 
limit erosion."

This statement impugns the character and credibility of legitimate 
medical marijuana growers, both qualified patients and medical 
marijuana collectives.

The fact is that a very small percentage of marijuana growers are 
causing damage to the environment, almost exclusively the drug 
cartels that grow marijuana on our public lands and those who are 
simply in it to sell recreational marijuana on the black market. As 
to those individuals, the culprit is greed. Greed that is fueled by 
high black-market prices, a direct consequence of the federal 
government's war against marijuana, an abysmal failure.

Scientific research has proven cannabinoids effective in limiting the 
growth of and in shrinking cancerous tumors, staving off Alzheimer's, 
reducing pain, treating weight loss associated with AIDS, and 
reducing the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. Many 
people with serious illnesses simply cannot tolerate prescription 
drug side effects. In 2009, the American Medical Association stated 
that cannabis has medical benefits and requested that the federal 
government reclassify cannabis, to promote more scientific research.

Unfortunately, Congress has completely ignored the AMA's request for 
almost four years. Hence, even though national polls consistently 
show that medical marijuana enjoys support from 70 to 80 percent of 
the American public and that a majority of Americans support 
legalizing marijuana outright, marijuana remains on the federal 
Controlled Substance Act's Schedule 1, in the most dangerous class of 
drugs, classified as a controlled substance with no medical benefits. 
This makes federal marijuana offenses subject to draconian federal 
mandatory minimum sentencing rules, which raises the black market price.

Most qualified patients and collectives grow their own medicine, 
because they know exactly what is in it. This is why most qualified 
patients and collectives don't use chemical fertilizers, herbicides 
or pesticides.

Those with serious illnesses who use medical marijuana do so partly 
because it is natural, not chemical. Similarly, most medical 
marijuana growers are excellent stewards of the land upon which they 
grow and take great pride in caring for our environment and our 
natural resources in a responsible manner.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom