Lit_Match

No Rush To Legalize Medical Marijuana
11-05-07|Commonwealth Times|By Rachel Vamenta- Opinion Editor

The slacker protagonists of "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" fail to steal medical marijuana from a hospital. As with many other films, this one uses the drug as a punch line. However, medical marijuana isn't a joke to the people who want it legalized.

This question got more attention last week when comedian and "Price Is Right" host Drew Carey appeared in a Reason. tv video advocating the reclassification of medical marijuana. (Perfect. Exactly what the world needs right now is another celebrity championing a shaky cause.)

Carey isn't the only one who's mentioned marijuana lately. In a December 2007 British GQ interview, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said marijuana is not a drug, but a plant.

Currently, marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance in the U.S. According to a marijuana brochure from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, this means marijuana - at least when smoked - has no "commonly accepted medical use." The brochure was last revised in August 2007.

Carey's Reason.tv video can be found on the Reason Foundation's Web site. The video's press release refers to many studies extolling the benefits of medical marijuana. However, those studies are either not specifically named, or were published almost 10 years ago.

David Nott, president of the Reason Foundation, said in the press release the government is ignoring cancer, HIV and AIDS patients, and the millions of sick Americans who "deserve access to the drugs that ease their pain and suffering."

If that's the case, then where are the numbers to back up such a statement? How many people actually rely on marijuana for legitimate medical purposes?

Although we don't have those numbers, we know enough people voted to legalize medical marijuana in 12 states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Legalizing medical marijuana doesn't seem like a big deal in Virginia, so don't expect us to join those states anytime soon.

Politicians have been addressing many medical and scientific issues, such as better health insurance systems, stem cell research and stronger mental health policies. But when you get in line to vote, remember, medical marijuana won't be one of those health issues.

Medical societies and associations such as the American Cancer Society and the American Medical Association do not support the legalization of medical marijuana, nor do they believe in the drug's medical value. However, an AMA statement on the Drug Enforcement Administration's Web site says marijuana should remain a prohibited, Schedule I substance, "at least until more research is done." Let's just make sure that research is well-publicized when it is published.

On second thought, maybe more young Virginians would come to the polls if legalizing marijuana became a state issue.

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Donation links to NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) | MPP (Marijuana Policy Project)