The national organization stated that, " Realizing that thousands of patients not helped by conventional medications and treatments may find relief from their suffering with the use of marijuana if their primary care providers were to prescribe this medicine …(the APHA) urges the Administration and Congress to move expeditiously to make Cannabis available as a legal medicine where shown to be safe and effective and to immediately allow access to therapeutic cannabis through the Investigational New Drug Program."

These two professional groups are but two of dozens of such groups that represent some two million health care professionals across the United States that have issued letterhead statements that echo the sentiment and phrasing of these leading health care advocates.

The Wisconsin announcement came just days before the medical leadership of both Canada and Great Britain came to the same conclusion.

It is not just the health care community that understands the need to release the sick and dying from the mendacity of the United States policy of therapeutic Cannabis prohibition. The Commonwealth of Virginia has completed the "Quality of Life in Virginia: 1998 Report" conducted by the Center for Survey Research of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.

The Center asserts that both objective measures and quality of life surveys are of equal value in the policy decisions of the Commonwealth. The Center further contends that for economic development and social program planning the need to assess and monitor quality of life has, "never been more critical."

In answer to the question, "Doctors should be legally allowed to prescribe marijuana for medical use when it reduces pain from cancer treatment or for other illnesses", 72.2 % of the citizenry answered that they either "strongly agreed" or "somewhat agreed". 69.2% with that opinion were over 40 years of age.

Mary Lynn Mathre, RN, CARN an expert addictions consultant to the University of Virginia's Health System, confirmed that this finding is exceeded by the professional nursing community. "Within the Virginia Nurses Association, no less than 90 percent of the membership agrees that Cannabis can be a valuable medicine.

It is the physicians and their patients who should decide if Cannabis is appropriate to be prescribed not lawyers turned politicians."

The Virginia public agrees with Nurse Mathre as does the Virginia Nurses Society on Addictions. That group has issued a policy paper, as has the VNA, calling for the immediate return of Cannabis to the Formulary of the U.S.

"Addiction specialists understand that marijuana is not an addictive substance, is impossible to overdose and yet provides a variety of clinically valuable results that include the remission of addictive symptoms in cocaine and alcohol addiction. It would be a miracle drug if it weren't known as marijuana."

Patients Out of Time updates its list of organization that support the medical use of Cannabis under a physician's care, when notified.

If you would like a copy of the present list, help in formulating a statement for your organization or to add a group to the list please contact: Patients Out of Time at (804) 263-4484 or Patients@MedicalCannabis.com.

http://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/MEDICAL/POT/

I am seeking help publicizing the pre-1937 Medical Cannabis Museum web site:

http://www.conquestdesign.com/uncler/index.html

It consists of antique medical bottles, etc., which contained cannabis (Medical Marihuana) as one of their principal ingredients.

The Museum site is very educational. I hope you can either post this message or make mention of the site.