Pubdate: Tue, 28 Oct 2014
Source: Gainesville Sun, The (FL)
Copyright: 2014 The Gainesville Sun
Contact:  http://www.gainesville.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/163
Author: Robert Sharpe
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n824/a03.html

CRIMINALIZING PATIENTS

Regarding the Oct. 20 column by Matthew Christ and Dustin Mauser, if
health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms,
marijuana would be fully legal and there would be no medical marijuana
debate.

Like any drug, marijuana can be harmful if abused. Jail cells are
nonetheless inappropriate as health interventions and ineffective as
deterrents. The first marijuana laws were enacted in response to
Mexican migration during the early 1900s, despite opposition from the
American Medical Association.

Americans did not begin to smoke marijuana in significant numbers
until after our federal government made it illegal and began funding
sensationalist reefer madness propaganda. Reefer madness is a poor
excuse for criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis.

Criminalizing patients who use medical marijuana under the supervision
of a doctor is inexcusable. It's time to let doctors decide what is
right for their patients, not politicians, police or hateful culture
warriors.

Robert Sharpe,

Policy analyst,

Common Sense for Drug Policy,

Washington, D.C. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard