In an article headed “Pot panned as medicine; Local lawmakers, doctors oppose measure”, State Representative Katie True states “Marijuana is not medicine. Marijuana is a bunch of burning leaves” and goes on to say that Marinol, which contains one of marijuana’s ingredient THC, has a “Much better delivery system.”

Pharmacist Charlie Smithgall opines that under federal guidelines, Marijuana is a Schedule 1 narcotic and thus is banned.

WATCHDOG: Rep. True, who at one point opposed syringe exchanges before seeing the light, again demonstrates superficial knowledge and dangerous bias.  www.DrugWarFacts.org reports: Organizations that have endorsed medical access to marijuana include: the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians; American Bar Association; American Nurses Association; American Public Health Association; American Society of Addiction Medicine; AIDS Action Council; British Medical Association; California Academy of Family Physicians; California Legislative Council for Older Americans; California Medical Association; California Nurses Association; California Pharmacists Association; California Society of Addiction Medicine; California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church; Colorado Nurses Association; Consumer Reports Magazine; Kaiser Permanente; Lymphoma Foundation of America; Multiple Sclerosis California Action Network; National Association of Attorneys General; National Association of People with AIDS; National Nurses Society on Addictions; New Mexico Nurses Association; New York State Nurses Association; New England Journal of Medicine; and Virginia Nurses Association.

Smithgall is correct concerning federal restrictions of schedule 1 drugs through pharmacies, but many states including California now permit sale through dispensaries.  Furthermore, the Obama administration has decided that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will not interfere with dispensaries where operated under state law.

May True never have a dear one whose suffering can be alleviated by the intake of medical marijuana. But if she does, she may once again find enlightenment and again reverse her habitual knee jerk reaction in support of the often misguided War on Drugs.