Rehashing Medicinal Marijuana A CHRONIC CURE FOR THE TERMINALLY ILL by Megan Kelly The newly ignited controversy surrounding California's Proposition 215 has catapulted marijuana to celebrity status. In recent months, the media have been bombarded with propaganda both supporting and refuting evidence on the medical benefits of smoking pot. Those who endorse this new legislation praise this therapeutic herbal drug for alleviating the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite suffered by the victims of cancer and AIDS, as well as the pain caused by glaucoma. Led by the tireless efforts of General Barry McCaffrey, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the federal government is conducting a relentless smear campaign against marijuana, hyping the inefficiencies and dangers of the drug. With little concrete evidence to support its claims in this heated debate, the federal government has resorted to name-calling and slander in order to sway public opinion. This shameless crusade fought with scare tactics and white lies obscures what is undeniably the primary concern of this issue -- the comfort and welfare of the seriously ill. The refusal to consider marijuana as a viable medicine exposes the hypocrisy, double standards, and self- righteous indignation corrupting the federal government. Proposition 215 allows doctors in California to prescribe marijuana when deemed appropriate while protecting patients from criminal indictment for cultivation or possession of the drug. In reaction to the vote, the federal government announced its intention of imposing severe penalties on any doctor caught complying with the Compassionate Use Act. Not only did the ensuing investigations disregard the confidential nature of the doctor/patient relationship, but they insulted the integrity of the medical profession by calling into question the doctor's judgment and morality. Let's be rational, please -- what ethical doctor will interpret this legalization as a license to hand out prescriptions to whoever wants one? The federal government further objects to the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes by claiming it would hamper efforts to win the War on Drugs. The blatantly obvious flaw of this argument is that Proposition 215 has no effect on the legal repercussions for recreational pot smokers. It makes marijuana available to people who are sick when a doctor deems it beneficial -- the same circumstances under which morphine, cocaine, and heroin are prescribed today. Why is there a double standard? In a word: profit. Although the government already supplies marijuana to a handful of people in the United States, this discrepancy remains ignored. The federal government claims it does not recognize marijuana as a therapeutic drug because approved studies have never been conducted by the FDA. The resulting lack of substantial evidence concerning marijuana's medicinal benefits can be explained by two reasons. First is the fear held by government- funded institutes of losing their financial backing should they begin research on this controversial drug. In addition, the FDA cannot patent marijuana, an herbal drug grown naturally. They therefore have no financial incentive to pursue testing. Marinol, a synthetic derivative of THC manufactured by the FDA, is credited as more beneficial than smoking marijuana. While it does eliminate exposure to carcinogens, Marinol has not been very popular among the patients who, because they take Marinol as a pill, cannot regulate their dosage of THC as well as they can while smoking. The assertion made by the federal government that pot is a "gateway drug" leading to experimentation in more powerful psychoactive drugs is based on myth, not factual evidence. Although it may be true that those who experiment with drugs such as cocaine and heroin have also smoked pot, the reverse is a fallacy. According to Henry Rivera, Publicity Chairperson of the U.Va. chapter of NORML, there have been no studies that suggest a causal relationship linking marijuana use to experimenting with other drugs. He explains that inconclusive "correlations are used to convince the public that illegal drug use leads to use of more harmful drugs; there is often a misinformed audience which believes that most heroin users smoked marijuana but ignores the fact that most non-heroin users also smoked marijuana." This frequently-used scare tactic exaggerates the threat that marijuana poses to those who choose to inhale and should be disregarded in the legalization debate. Contrary to McCaffrey's embarrassingly ignorant remark that marijuana is "Cheech and Chong medicine," the idea to utilize its therapeutic attributes was not conceived while watching Up in Smoke. His statement not only reflects the negative stereotype with which the federal government characterizes people who smoke pot but also reveals the need to further evaluate the benefits and risks for seriously ill patients. According to a Virginia state law that has been in effect since 1979, marijuana may be prescribed legally to patients suffering from cancer and glaucoma. When questioned as to what impact the repealing of this legislation -- slated for February 22 -- will have on current medical practices, a representative of the Cancer Care Center at Martha Jefferson Hospital claimed to have never heard of the law. Hopefully the awareness raised by the controversial Proposition 215 will enable it to have a greater impact on the lives of the terminally ill in the state of California.

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