To the Times: I'm responding to the outstanding letter from Robert Sharpe, "Let doctors decide on medical marijuana," published Dec. 27, 2009. I'd like to add that one of the medications prescribed by my personal physician for my arthritis pain and inflammation has the rare potential side effect of death. In other words, if I take this medication as prescribed, I can die as a result. On the other hand, marijuana has never been documented to kill a single person in the 5,000-year history of its use. [continues 73 words]
Every new year there is a revival of interest to legislatively legalize some of the most popularly abused substances found in the underground market. This is especially true of marijuana, which also happens to be addicting. It's proper name is cannabis sativa. In previous times, it was simply known as "hemp," from which the most popular rope was made. Its medicinal benefits are extolled, as is its benign character. All of which are, to be charitable, grossly exaggerated. [continues 881 words]
On Jan. 7, police in Kingston Township, Dallas and Dallas Township as well as members of the Luzerne County Drug Task Force arrested 18-year-old Ali Abualburak at his home on felony drug charges. Police spent money on a seven-week investigation. Local law enforcement watched his house, observed him when he went skateboarding with friends and falsely concluded that he was running a serious operation. What is most alarming is the fact that, as reported by this newspaper, law enforcement issued a nighttime search warrant, which is supposed to be used only in cases in which there is reasonable danger that evidence or witnesses might be lost. The fact that no one at the house was armed or had any history of violent crime shows the lack of judgment by law enforcement in this arrest. [continues 188 words]
The New York Times carried this news: "The New Jersey Legislature approved a measure on Monday that would make the state the 14th in the nation, but one of the few on the East Coast, to legalize the use of marijuana to help patients with chronic illnesses. The measure - which would allow patients diagnosed with severe illnesses like cancer, AIDS, Lou Gehrig's disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis to have access to marijuana grown and distributed through state-monitored dispensaries - was passed by the General Assembly and State Senate on the final day of the legislative session. Gov. Jon S. Corzine has said he would sign it into law before leaving office next Tuesday. Supporters said that within nine months, patients with a prescription for marijuana from their doctors should be able to obtain it at one of six locations." [continues 472 words]
Mary Beth Buchanan and her friends probably are all abuzz over the news. Perhaps the former local U.S. attorney's most well-known prosecution was that of stoner comedian Tommy Chong. Buchanan put Chong in prison for nine months in 2003 for selling glass water pipes in which -- gasp! -- marijuana could be smoked. Buchanan now is on the occupational sidelines, mulling a possible congressional bid. Chong, meanwhile, is getting the last laugh as a celebrity guest at the Marijuana Policy Project's 15th anniversary gala on Wednesday. [continues 86 words]
The new year could bring mandatory drug testing for all of Pittsburgh's approximately 630 firefighters, city Public Safety Director Michael Huss said yesterday. He discussed the policy following the arrest and suspension of a firefighter who was accused of stealing a security vehicle from the Rivers Casino and leading police on a chase. When police apprehended the firefighter, William White, in the 2600 block of Brighton Road, he reeked of alcohol and spat in the face of an officer, according to a criminal complaint. A test later showed that Mr. White's blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit. [continues 614 words]
To the Times: There is a need across this great country for better medicine. Medical marijuana has shown in the past and continues to show its benefits still to this day. The American Medical Association has urged the federal government to reconsider the status of marijuana as a Class 1 drug. This means the AMA recognizes that marijuana has serious medical benefits. The AMA wants the government to remove marijuana from the Class 1 listing because marijuana does have beneficial qualities with doctor supervision. [continues 403 words]
To the Times: 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 them feel better, then it's working. In the end, medical marijuana is a quality of life issue 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. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors should not be dictating health care decisions. It's long past time to let doctors decide what is right for their patients; sick patients should not be jailed for daring to seek relief from medical marijuana. Policy Analyst for Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. [end]
Editor: I'm responding to the outstanding letter from Robert Sharpe: "Doc's, patient's call" (Your Opinion, Dec. 13). I'd like to add that one of the medications prescribed by my personal physician for my arthritis pain and inflammation has the rare potential side effect of death. In other words, if I take this medication as prescribed, I can die as a result. On the other hand, marijuana has never been documented to kill a single person in the 5,000 year history of its use. [continues 73 words]
There probably is little chance that the state Legislature will legalize medicinal marijuana any time soon. A bill to do so, introduced by Rep. Mark Cohen of Philadelphia, has just half a dozen cosponsors and it's not at the top of the legislative agenda. Yet a recent Health and Human Services Commitee hearing on the bill was a remarkable event in this conservative state and a step toward a rational policy for medicinal marijuana use. Testimony during the hearing did much to dispel myths about medicinal marijuana and to establish a framework for legalization. [continues 305 words]
Editor: Regarding your Dec. 10 editorial, "House stirs medical pot": 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 or her feel better, then it's working. In the end, medical marijuana is a quality of life issue best left to patients and their doctors. Drug warriors waging war on noncorporate 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. This heavy-handed approach suggests that drug warriors should not be dictating health care decisions. It's long past time to let doctors decide what is right for their patients; sick patients should not be jailed for daring to seek relief from medical marijuana. Robert Sharpe Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. [end]
According to the president of the board of the Child Advocacy Center of Lehigh County, it is wrong "to revile a government employee who is struggling successfully with his addiction and in fact should be cited as a shining example of what someone with an addiction should do." J. Layne Turner, wrote Barbara Stoffa, "is well thought of where he works" at a top job in the county's Drug and Alcohol agency. (Stoffa is the retired head of another agency and is the wife of Northampton County Executive John Stoffa.) [continues 764 words]
Editor, I'm writing about Edward A. Pane's letter: "Marijuana use shouldn't be 'recreational'" (Dec. 6). Many products are consumed for "recreational" purposes, including Coca Cola and Pepsi. Nobody claims they contain anything of nutritional value.Should we criminalize these products also? Why not re-legalize marijuana so it can be sold in licensed, regulated and taxed business establishments? Pot is substantially less dangerous than either tobacco that contains nicotine, or alcohol. People consume marijuana for the same reasons people consume alcohol. Why not offer adults the much safer alternative to alcohol? Kirk Muse, Mesa, Ariz. [end]
The Pennsylvania Legislature is considering legalizing marijuana. Well, not really. Last week, the House Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing on a bill that would allow the use of marijuana for medical reasons. The hearing on the bill, sponsored by Rep. Mark Cohen, a Philadelphia Democrat, was probably the last time you'll see any action on H.B. 1393. With only seven co-sponsors the bill seems doomed. Even if, by some miraculous chance, it would see the floor of the House, it wouldn't pass. And if the inconceivable happens, the bill would die in the GOP-controlled Senate. [continues 271 words]
The debate over legalizing marijuana as a medicine arrived in Pennsylvania last Wednesday. The House Committee on Health and Human Services heard testimony from patients, doctors and members of advocacy groups who say medical marijuana should be legal because it is effective in treating chronic pain, nausea and other ailments Rep. Mark Cohen, D-Philadelphia, sponsored the bill, which would allow the state Department of Health to issue ID cards to patients who have been diagnosed by a physician with a debilitating medical condition, such as cancer or HIV, and whose physician recommended the use of marijuana. The department would establish or license dispensaries to grow and distribute marijuana. [continues 524 words]
Regarding George Will's column "Rocky Mountain medical high" (Nov. 29 and TribLIVE.com): The drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2008, there were 847,863 marijuana arrests in the U.S., almost 90 percent for simple possession. This country continues to spend enormous public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The result of this ongoing culture war is not necessarily lower rates of use. The U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. Decriminalization is a long-overdue step in the right direction. Taxing and regulating marijuana would render the drug war obsolete. [continues 61 words]
There probably is little chance that the state Legislature will legalize medicinal marijuana any time soon. A bill to do so, introduced by Rep. Mark Cohen of Philadelphia, has just half a dozen cosponsors and it's not at the top of the legislative agenda. Yet a recent Health and Human Services Commitee hearing on the bill was a remarkable event in this conservative state and a step toward a rational policy for medicinal marijuana use. Testimony during the hearing did much to dispel myths about medicinal marijuana and to establish a framework for legalization. [continues 307 words]
While testifying Dec. 3 in Harrisburg against a medical marijuana bill that would protect sick and in some cases dying patients from arrest and possibly jail, Sharon Smith, of Moms- Tell, said, "Let the medical experts make this decision, not the legislators." Exactly. That's why Pennsylvania needs a medical marijuana law (like 13 other states already have and a dozen more, including New Jersey, are considering): So decisions about effective treatment and proper medication can be made by patients and their doctors -- not by politicians and law enforcement officers. [continues 124 words]
A nearly 30-year debate on mandatory-minimum sentences recently got a another look with a new report from the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing. The report was authorized by the state Legislature in 2007 and employed an advisory committee made up of legislators, judges, district attorneys and public defenders. Commission staff also worked with faculty and students of Pennsylvania State University in conducting interviews, surveys, extensive data analysis and studies to reach its conclusions. [continues 2452 words]
It Was Standing Room Only As Those For And Against Lined Up To Deliver Tales And Pleas. HARRISBURG - The heart-wrenching stories came from both sides. A Pittsburgh man testified of wishing he could have used pot to ease his dying mother's "excruciating pain." Parents of drug-addicted children said the last thing the state should do is join the 13 others that allow medical use of marijuana. Thus did the Pennsylvania legislature dip its toe into the roiling waters of the legalization debate for the first time yesterday. [continues 657 words]
Inside Pennsylvania
