advertisement

Fight to stop medical pot

Illinois must not become the 16th state to legalize medical marijuana.Legalization of medical marijuana in Illinois would contradict the position taken against legalization by the Drug Enforcement Administration of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Illinois State Medical Association.The following national professional organizations likewise hold the same position against medical marijuana: The American Medical Association, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Cancer Society, the American Glaucoma Society.Might a lack of negative information about marijuana be linked to the failure by many Illinoisans to understand what lurks beneath the surface?Activists seeking to legitimize medical marijuana here base their arguments on these two propositions: 1) That science views marijuana as medicine. 2) That the Drug Enforcement Agency is denying sick and dying people from using the drug.Regarding the first proposition, a DEA report dated July, 2010 concludes there are no sound scientific studies or animal or human data that supports the safety or efficacy of smoked marijuana for general medical use. Although very limited pain relief might be experienced, there is a consensus that for most symptoms, there are more effective drugs already on the market.Supporters will often play on the sympathies of those who are sick or have loved ones or friends who are sick. Is compassion really shown when caregivers and those who smoke marijuana use their access to marijuana for nefarious purposes? Any Illinois law that would allow six marijuana plants per individuals to be grown for medical purposes would only increase teen availability, making marijuana easier to obtain by creating more venues to obtain the drug. Such a law has already passed the Illinois Senate. For all practical purposes, medical marijuana is nothing more than a wolf in sheep#146;s clothing. Shouldn#146;t science, not popular vote, determine what medicine is? Common sense would indicate that increasing the availability of marijuana will lead to more use and more dependency, which in turn affects all communities both monetarily and socially.Let your representative hear from you. Nancy J. Thorner Lake Bluff

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.