cannabisnews.com: Medicinal Use of Pot Needs Study Medicinal Use of Pot Needs Study Posted by FoM on November 22, 2000 at 21:13:40 PT Editorial Source: Las Vegas Sun Although Nevadans on Nov. 7 voted overwhelmingly to amend the state constitution to permit marijuana use for medicinal purposes, a decision we supported, some health care professionals remain skeptical about the healing powers of the controversial plant.We hope those questions are answered by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, who earlier this year established the nation's first medicinal marijuana institute. As reported by the Associated Press, the university's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research plans to spend $9 million over the next three years to support testing of patients who use the plant. The National Institutes of Health also intends to sponsor cannabis research.With an estimated 70 million Americans having admitted they have used marijuana, there is a mountain of anecdotal evidence that the plant eases the pain and suffering of individuals who suffer from cancer, glaucoma and other maladies. Some AIDS patients in Las Vegas have reported that marijuana stimulated weight gain.The main stumbling block to distribution of the plant for medicinal purposes has been opposition from the federal government and from law enforcement agencies in individual states. But if the researchers confirm that the plant relieves pain and stimulates appetite, we would urge the federal government and law enforcement to withdraw their opposition to medical marijuana.A confirmation of its medical benefits also would hopefully ease the concerns of physicians, who must decide whether to prescribe the plant to their patients. It does no good to pass medicinal marijuana laws if doctors remain skittish.That is why we encourage the researchers to include in their testing men and women of all ages who suffer from a variety of ailments. Such broad and thorough sampling hopefully would prevent skeptics from claiming that the research was flawed.If and when the time comes that marijuana clears all legal and medical hurdles, we trust that the plant will be used responsibly by patients. They will be the biggest losers if medicinal marijuana laws are abused.Let your opinion be known. Mail us a letter. Letters should be no more than 250 words and may be shortened by the editor. All letters and faxes must include the writer's name, signature, address and telephone number. All e-mail letters must include the writer's name address and telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be printed and names will not be withheld. E-Mail: letters lasvegassun.com Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV)Published: November 22, 2000Copyright: Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2000Contact: letters lvrj.comAddress: P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125Fax: (702)383-4676Website: http://www.lvrj.com/Forum: http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/feedback/Related Articles:Is Marijuana Really Medicine? http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7705.shtmlMMJ Question Must Go Through Legislature http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7637.shtmlNevada Joins Trendshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7633.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by dddd on November 23, 2000 at 19:21:29 PT A tactic I guess this new "study is a positive step towards legalization.But I cant help suspecting that it also serves as a delay tactic designed to put off facing the already known facts. Since the sixties,there have been numerous studies that have proven MJ to be relatively harmless.A ploy of the antis,is to pretend that not much is known about MJ,yet they have already studied the plant,and I think they know most of what can be known. If they were to conduct such exhaustive research on phamaceutical drugs,tylenol would not yet be approved........dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Smokeless in Seattle on November 23, 2000 at 05:24:58 PT Finally - the scientific community responds. My guess is we will not only find out how MJ can be useful, but when it is useless. This is what we've needed all along, and the flood of government anti-drug money to journalists and publishers to print outright lies could perhaps be better spent to study the damn stuff. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: