Pubdate: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL) Copyright: 2014 Orlando Sentinel Contact: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325 Note: Rarely prints out-of-state LTEs. Author: Erin Somers Note: Erin Somers is a medical consultant in Central Florida and is on the Orlando Medical News Editorial Advisory Board. Page: A19 2 Views on Medical Marijuana YES: BENEFITS WOULD BE FAR-REACHING Caregivers are now being called drug dealers by opponents of Amendment 2. As a medical consultant and a police officer's daughter, I am horrified by the comparison. This November, we will vote on Amendment 2, which will expand the use of medical marijuana. This will be an important vote, as it will have a big effect on many people in our state who are have serious medical conditions, including Parkinson's disease, ALS, cancer, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Knowledge is power, and it's important we are educated about Amendment 2. Let me clear up a couple of things. We are not looking to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Anyone who says this will lead to legalizing recreational use is misguided. We want medical marijuana strictly regulated like any other drug. We have taken the first step with the passage of Florida Senate Bill 1030, which legalizes low-tetrahydrocannabinol/highcannabidiol medical cannabis for patients with certain medical conditions. This is the bill that allowed Charlotte's Web medical cannabis for children who have seizures. Medical marijuana can be grown to contain low THC, so regardless of how patients take it, they won't get high. We want additional research on all the medical benefits that marijuana offers. The research has been promising, with Israel and Spain leading the way. Why are we not at the forefront of this research? One word: politics. Research shows that the CBD in medical marijuana is beneficial as an anti-inflammatory. We've seen success with kids and epilepsy, and many other neurological diseases would benefit from additional research as well. Cancer research looks promising, especially with brain cancer. Instead of getting chemotherapy, what if we could use the CBD component of medical marijuana? Research is showing that medical cannabis can stop cancer cells without affecting the healthy cells in the body. Amazing. Be informed, go online and check out Dr. Sanjay Gupta's two-part medical-marijuana documentary "Weed" and "Weed 2." After much research, Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN, changed his mind and now supports medical marijuana. You might, too. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom