Pubdate: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 Source: Buffalo News (NY) Copyright: 2014 The Buffalo News Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/GXIzebQL Website: http://www.buffalonews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61 Author: Robert Sharpe Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n478/a05.html ALLOW DOCTORS TO DECIDE WHAT'S BEST FOR PATIENTS I applaud The News for making the case for medical marijuana in its May 30 editorial. 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 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. Clearly, drug warriors should not be dictating health care decisions. It's 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, MPA Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy - --- MAP posted-by: Matt