Pubdate: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 Date: 11/04/1998 Source: USA Today (US) Author: J. Thomas Ungerleider, M.D. Note: The author was a member of President Nixon's National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. I was impressed with USA TODAY's reasoned and compassionate position on the medical marijuana issue ("A way to ease suffering", Our View, Medical Marijuana Debate, Friday). As one who has researched both the government-grown marijuana and it's manufactured substitute, THC (Marinol), for more than 20 years, I know that they both help some carefully selected patients with serious medical conditions. Sometimes, the smoked route is more effective than a pill for symptom relief. That is why the clinical judgement of the physician is so important, as he considers the risks and benefits of any medication to be given to a patient. Unfortunately the current drug czar, former Gen. Barry McCaffrey, so strongly disagrees that he keeps threatening to criminally prosecute physicians for "talking" to their patients, if they even suggest -- not prescribe -- marijuana for symptom relief for any medical illness, no matter how terminal the patient Prescription drugs are already the most regulated commodity except for nuclear weapons. In response to McCaffrey's changing the "war on drugs" to a war on physicians and their patients, major medical organizations have quickly adopted medical marijuana policy statements reaffirming that physicians can, and in fact, should talk to their patients about all health-related matters without fear of civil or criminal penalties. None of us should hold our breath until an inhaler is developed to deliver a sterile and measurable dose of THC. That is a low priority for the pharmaceutical companies, that are well aware of the government's history of delaying tactics in the marijuana-approval process. And the major study that McCaffrey refers to, being conducted by the Institute of Medicine, is just one more government review of the marijuana literature. The federal government's role in this entire matter cruelly victimizes patients and physicians alike. J. Thomas Ungerleider, M.D. Professor emeritus of psychiatry UCLA Medical Center Los Angeles, Calif.