Pubdate: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 Source: Portland Press Herald (ME) Copyright: 1999 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. Contact: http://www.portland.com/ Forum: http://www.portland.com/cgi-bin/COMMUNITY/netforum/community/a/1 Author: Michael J. Chitwood Note: Michael J. Chitwood is Portland's chief of police. REAL GOAL IS LEGAL MARIJUANA FOR ALL Medical Use Of Cannibis Fails To Win Support From Doctors' Groups. On Nov. 2, Maine voters will be asked to answer the ballot question: "Do you want to allow patients with specific illnesses to grow and use small amounts of marijuana for treatment, as long as such use is approved by a doctor?" My answer is a resounding "no." My decision to vote "no" is based on 35 years in law enforcement, my experience as a narcotics investigator and my firm belief that any legalization of drugs is a threat to our children, families and communities. This initiative is a thinly disguised first step toward the legalization of marijuana and other drugs. It is intentionally vague and requires little in the way of medical oversight or regulation. No physician's prescription is required to possess the drug and the bill places no restrictions on the types of illnesses or treatment that qualify for marijuana use. Pro-legalization groups have stated publicly that their effort to legalize drugs begins with the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. Medical access to marijuana is regarded as the "chink in the armor" that will eventually lead to complete legalization. Proponents of drug legalization cloak themselves in the appearance of compassion by relying on anec-dotal evidence from cancer patients, HIV sufferers and anguished family members of the terminally ill regarding the relief patients have received from the use of marijuana. In fact, not one major medical or health organization has accepted marijuana as a safe or effective medicine. Organizations such as the American Medical Association, American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, American Glaucoma Association and the American Academy of Ophthalmology have not endorsed the use of marijuana. A report released in March 1999 by the Institute of Medicine concluded "there is little future in smoked marijuana as a medically approved medication." Cannabis in plant form contains a mixture of chemical compounds and, therefore, is ill suited to provide a precisely defined medical effect. In addition, the harmful effects of smoking marijuana far outweigh the moderate beneficial effects on pain and nausea. The risks associated with marijuana use include premature cancer, addiction, impairment of perception and coordination, memory loss, harm to the immune system, airway injuries and depression. The push to legalize the use of medical marijuana has contributed to a changing attitude in America that marijuana is safe and harmless. The passage of medical use initiatives in Arizona and California has sent our teens the message that marijuana is, in fact, a cure. This message is confusing and dangerous. Recent drug use statistics indicate that teen drug use has risen in the past five years, after 13 years of steady decline. At present, 36 percent of high school seniors report using marijuana in the last year. Maine has a higher rate of marijuana use among the 18- to 24-year-old age group than the rest of New England or the nation as a whole. Marijuana use among Maine high school students exceeds the national rate by 13 percent. As we struggle to address the use and abuse of drugs by our children, we must avoid sending the message that drug use is OK. Experience has shown that drug use increases dramatically when we as a society reinforce its acceptability. We should not allow the advocates of drug legalization to treat marijuana as "medicine" as a means of gaining its widespread acceptance. Imagine going to your family doctor for migraine headaches or persistent nausea. He tells you to use a "medicine" that is not FDA-approved, is not subject to any product liability or quality control standards, is of unknown strength, is made up of hundreds of different chemicals, has no controlled daily dose and is ingested by smoking. There is little scientific proof that the drug will work and its known harmful effects include apathy, memory loss, mental disorders, reproductive disabilities and immune system deficiencies. Would you take it? Would you allow your child to take it? - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake