Med marijuana opponent lacks facts
By Lanny Swerdlow
Marijuana has been used as medicine for over 5,000 years by every
civilization in human history. None has ever crumbled due to its use.
Over the last 70 years, however, it has morphed into a plant so
dangerous that America spends up to $20 billion a year arresting over
825,000 Americans.
According to an Aug. 21 article in the Daily Bulletin, Brenda Chabot,
author of the Sept. 30 Point of View column "Medical marijuana a decoy
in effort to legalize all drugs," is a former probation officer and
her organization, Drug Free Community Coalition, is composed mainly of
members with "backgrounds in law enforcement." They are the real decoy
and are organized to protect law enforcement's access to this
bottomless pit of taxpayer money. Anything that has the scent of
legalization threatens their livelihoods and sends her into paroxysmal
fits of "the sky is falling."
Claiming that "marijuana is a dangerous, addictive drug that poses
significant health threats," Chabot does not cite a single
peer-reviewed study showing any significant detrimental effects for
the vast majority of cannabis consumers. There are no such studies.
After a two-year study, Drug Enforcement Administration Judge Frances
Young ruled that "marijuana in its natural form, is one of the safest
therapeutically active substances known to man ... there is no record
in the extensive medical literature describing a proven, documented
cannabis induced fatality ... by contrast aspirin, a commonly used
over-the-counter medicine, causes hundreds of deaths every year."
Chabot cites a "comprehensive study in 1999" by the Institute of
Medicine, stating that "the study concluded that smoking marijuana is
not recommended for the treatment of any disease condition." But the
executive summary for that study clearly states "there is no clear
alternative for people suffering from chronic conditions that might be
relieved by smoking marijuana, such as pain or AIDS wasting."
Disregarding the vast number of peer-reviewed studies documenting
marijuana's effective symptomatic relief for a large number of
ailments, especially those of senior citizens such as chronic pain,
depression, insomnia, nausea, arthritis and appetite loss, Chabot
ignores the thousands of doctors who recommend medicinal cannabis and
Health Canada, which approved the sale of tincture of cannabis in
2005.
Chabot lauds the pharmaceutical drug Marinol as a substitute for
marijuana even though it less effective and has undesirable side
effects. Marinol is synthetic THC, the major pharmacologically active
ingredient in marijuana. The difference between synthetic THC and
natural THC found in marijuana is that the pharmaceutical companies
can patent synthetic THC and sell Marinol for $10 a pill. They can't
patent marijuana just as they can't patent aspirin and will lose
billions of dollars if medical marijuana becomes available.
Polls conducted by CNN, Time and AARP consistently show over
two-thirds of Americans approving the use of marijuana medicinally.
The public can make intelligent informed decisions, but Chabot blames
the media for the "misperception that marijuana is harmless or may
even have health benefits."
Chabot claims these misperceptions lead teens to "believe that
marijuana can cure cancer." They know something she doesn't. Studies
conducted by Dr. Manuel Guzman at Spain's Compultense University
Department of Biochemistry demonstrate that cannabinoids found in
marijuana "are selective antitumor compounds, as they kill tumor cells
without affecting their non-transformed counterparts."
Research conducted by Dr. Donald Tashkin of the UCLA School of
Medicine found that smoking marijuana does not cause lung cancer and
provided evidence that people who only smoke marijuana are less likely
to develop lung cancer than people who don't smoke anything at all.
Failing to report the threats made by Riverside County District
Attorney Grover Trask and U.S. Attorney Tom O'Brien to arrest elected
officials that allow dispensaries to operate, Chabot's praise that
they are "standing up against the plight of medical-marijuana
dispensaries" rings hollow. Claremont, Diamond Bar and Palm Springs
should be commended for allowing dispensaries to operate and for not
caving in to the bluffs, bullying and blackmail of law enforcement.
Licensed, regulated and taxed medical marijuana dispensaries provide
valuable services. The only research-based report on dispensaries
concluded, "Oakland's permitted dispensaries continue to function
without excessive drain on police resources. Three of the four
dispensaries provide additional social services to their patients and
the surrounding community."
I challenge Ms. Chabot to participate in a public forum bringing her
medical experts to debate our medical experts about the safety and
health benefits of marijuana.
WARNING - Holding your breath waiting for Chabot and the Drug Free
Community Coalition to engage in a public forum could be dangerous for
your health.
Lanny Swerdlow, R.N., is a resident of Palm Springs and director of
the Marijuana Anti-Prohibition Project, an Inland Empire medical
marijuana patient support group. He may be contacted at (760) 799-2055
or at lanny@marijuananews.org.
